I want to keep this story tight. That's why deleted the previous chapter. I had this idea that it would be better to let Claire Young tell her story to Sarah and use it as a way to build up the tension. I don't know if Sarah genuinely will trust Claire, or if she will use Claire's extended trust as a means to find John .
Charlie's not exactly bowled over by events either, and I don't know if he's ready to accept Cameron yet , or if he can. Maybe he's going along with it because he hasn't got much choice.
Exactly what would you do if a Grey showed up and you 'son's' girlfriend started interrogating him your living room?
All drama and human observation, no tanks . Let me know what you think.
"John wake up" John had been out cold, sleeping deep and dreamless. There was a firm edge in Cameron's voice .
"Wake up John"
John Connor opened his eyes. For some reason there was a man he didn't recognize in Charlie's living room . At first , being only half awake, John thought the man must be really tall because the top of his head was grazing the light fitting .
At same time his mind was trying to reason, his reflexes kicked him out from under the sleeping roll and onto his feet. John now saw Cameron had the guy by the back of his Jacket lifting him off his feet . She was holding him out above of her at arms length, his feet and and hands were cable-tied and his head lolled to one side like he'd been hung. Cameron was the least 'human-like' John had ever seen her. Her eyes told him she'd had gone somewhere else. He had no doubt what she was, but for the first time Cameron really scared him.
"That's human, right?" John managed to choke out.
"Correct"
"Is he.. dead?"
"No not dead. I have interrogated him. He's ready to speak to you when he regains consciousness . He admitted he came to kill Charlie."
Cameron tried to read John's expression: Why was he, of all people, suddenly afraid of her?- "It was a controlled asphyxiation ." Her voice softened and trailed away.
Wide-eyed, John was backing against the sofa . He had messed with Cameron, play wrestling back at her mum's house, and of course she beat him hands down, never hurting him , pinning him into a lock , once briefly kissing when he surrendered. She explained later the kiss was to help initiate bonding, she even managed to make a detailed psychological explanation of various human 'bonding' sequences sound seductive. Even knowing what she was , John never wanted to fully imagine she had this kind of full-on capability- Now there was a fifteen stone half-dead guy looking like he'd been in an auto collision hovering in mid air in his room at the end of her arm. John shuddered as his mind reeled to catch up. He hit autopilot and began dragging on his boots.
"We going to have to tell Charlie ,explain to him. Look there's a way of doing this with Charlie, we do it quietly and gently.- Like, can you even put that guy down down somewhere, please."
Cameron didn't appear to grasp the human concept of breaking information gently and turned her acquisition examining it as if it were a specimen .
"Why don't I just show Charlie now?"
God how can she do this stuff so calmly? " Because. . . we don't want to freak Charlie out, he might just go and do something totally 'drove'."
"He will become frightened, because of this and react?"
"No , not exactly, maybe more because of you"
Me?"
"Yes you. We've got to think . Will you just put him down, now."
Cameron dropped the unconscious bundle onto the sofa and began applying silver duct tape to his mouth, carefully checking his nose and neck weren't fractured and airways were sufficient to maintain an oxygen flow to his brain.
Cameron listened very carefully to John whose voice had dropped to a nervous whisper. In summary, John was requesting her to demonstrate to Charlie primarily she wasn't a 'psychopathic killing machine', she was highly selective of her targets and only responded to threats to John. Because Charlie was emotionally connected to John, if he were terminated by hostile agents then it would harm John. She could not state this directly, but rather demonstrate that she was concerned for Charlie and was willing to extend her protection to him . At no point was she to tell Charlie she had calculated it was less harmful to protect Charlie than terminate him, thus reducing risk to John via him. -Charlie would not understand the significance of her decision. As she was reasoning through John's request, she ran her hand over the neck of her 'specimen', her finger-ends located a specific nerve cluster . On location she twisted the nodule hard enough to prolong blackout for about another hour.
" You're going to have to show Charlie the 'other side' to you, before we can even start talking to him about this."
"Gain his trust?"
"Yeh, just sell the guy a tractor before we break it to him about robots from the future"
" Cyborgs" Cameron corrected. "A tractor?"
"Look, make like he's my Dad, I'm your boyfriend, and do what you did with me when we first met."
"Smile at him ?"
"Yeh, you even done that yet?"
"No."
Charlie was asleep lying on his side when felt prodding in his shoulder. He groaned . The prodding started again. It was early , John's girlfriend was standing at the side the his bed and she was examining him with intense curiosity as he came to his senses.
Charlie began sitting up in bed " What ?" He tried to sound slightly irritated, just to keep that little bit of authority needed with kids this age.
"Did you sleep well Charlie?"
"As well as can be expected. Do you mind me asking , why are you waking me up at erm. . . ," he glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside . Between two flashing red dots it read 6.56am,. . . " this time in the morning, on my day off?"
"You need to get up now please. John and I have been awake and we would like to discuss something with you. It is a matter of urgency"
The smell of bacon and eggs wafted in from the kitchen, and that was odd , because he hadn't bought anything like in that for about a week.
"I have to go, John's bacon is burning, please do get up." As she was about to leave Charlie to get dressed out of the bedroom her expression became serious : "Sarah was a inadequate role model for John, in terms of food preparation", and with that she left Charlie to get up.
Charlie got out of bed and began pulling on his pants. Cameron was telling the truth , Sarah was a lousy cook, but hell, that girl had the weirdest, driest sense of humor.
When he got to the kitchen it seemed bigger than it had recently . That's because there was now more kitchen , less garbage.
John was turning the contents of the frying pan with a spatula , and Cameron was standing next to him, critically examining his efforts.
Charlie looked around the recently reorganized kitchen and grinned. " Hey John, this is amazing, how you do it?"
"Oh we got up early and wanted to surprise you. There's coffee on the table if you want to sit down. Just how you like it first thing, strong'n black."
Charlie sat down . Looking over the table, it was laid out, three places, plates, knives forks. John was there at the stove, flipping eggs under his girlfriend's supervision . This was like like a dream, waking up and finding John still here. All Charlie ever wanted was a family he could provide for, and now John had come back to him . Charlie been working double shifts since Sarah left and he had some extra cash . Maybe he'd find out what John and Cameron were into 'into' , take them out to the mall and buy stuff with them. He enjoyed spending an afternoon buying things with John, he wasn't like other kids, he was always so appreciative, even if was just a pair of brake pads they'd taken all afternoon to find. Charlie sipped at his hot coffee and reigned-in his emotions. Even if it stemmed from good intentions it was bad idea to come over to teenagers so full on. Almost creepy. You've got to let them indicate and ask for things first for things first, let them take a bit of control . There was more to this, they wanted to "tell him something" - in their own time.
John began serving out the food. Two big plates for them. One minute bacon roll for Cameron.
Charlie sat back and at examined her as she took her place. She wasn't skinny enough to be one of those kids that didn't eat, or chucked up , and ended up weighing four stone , collapsing in school . Kids like that felt like they were made of air when you and your partner stretchered them out to the ambulance.
Charlie put a fork-full of food to his mouth, immediately recognizing it was the best thing he'd eaten in weeks. These kids were really trying to soften him up for something big- now what was it that caused their mum's to fall out? Pregnancy , yep pregnancy was about in line with this level of treatment - Maybe they'd reversed Sarah's SUV into his car last night when they'd parked up. He hoped it was something like that - the flat was too small for these two and a baby. Exactly how old was Cameron anyway? Charlie decided to play it out.
"Say where did you get this stuff? I don't remember buying bacon, eggs, waffles."
"I picked it up on patrol."
John winced . Despite the gentling down and making herself 'homely' Cameron was going in too quick.
"Patrol?" Charlie looked puzzled. John was hiding something and he was quick to cut in.
"Yeh , it's like a walk or a jog around the block , pick up provisions, you know check on the SUV , check around a new neighborhood .She doesn't sleep some nights, er much -"
Cameron was slicing her roll into four very equal portions as she picked John's cue. " There was a twenty-four hour shop in the gas station on Eastman Drive. It's stocked with provisions.
Ok now this was definitely a double act . Charlie glanced at Cameron's slight frame. Under John's checkered shirt she was wearing a black vest olive green combats, hardly scary vigilante stuff.
Charlie sat back in his chair- "Its real dangerous out there. I get calls all kind of messy stuff, even ballistics trauma, there's some real crazy people out in LA, especially after dark.
She calmly returned his gaze. "It is dangerous Charlie." Cameron spoke softly , cutting another strip out of her roll spearing it dead center with her fork. Charlie couldn't help noticing how neatly she did this, in fact it occurred to him how neatly and calmly she did everything , how she didn't seem to have a stress level.
He changed the subject . "You tidied up as well, and so quietly"
"I woke John up to help with the cleaning" , Cameron smiled briefly in John's direction.
John nodded enthusiastically, " Yep four forty in the morning and she had me loading garbage bags into the trash."
Charlie shot a look at John. He'd have to have private words about this. No matter how hard any man falls for a woman, (and he could see why John had fallen for Cameron) , there are natural boundaries and rights. One is the right to have you own space and to make a little mess in that space. Men go stir- crazy without this. Charlie had been lucky , Sarah was relatively easy on man-mess.
Whatever it was these two kids were trying to tell him it was time to bring it into the open. Charlie placed his cutlery down on the empty plate and pushed it to one side.
That was delicious. Thank you. Shall we stop going around in circles an you two get around to what it is you are trying to tell me?"
John glanced around the room, he looked real nervous.
Cameron placed her knife down at an angle so it was exactly bisecting her empty plate. " Its about your security Charlie."
Charlie let out a sigh of relief,- "You got me up at this time in the morning to talk to me about household security . Look, the locks on the doors- I've already called the landlord, he's sending a maintenance guy out to do something about them . For now, turn the key and kick the bottom of the door, they work."
" Charlie," John butted in, "Cameron is really worried about your safety, and, we've got to tell you the truth, that's why we're here. I wanted to a bit more time for you to get to know Cameron, but this is how things worked out. She really likes you Charlie." John added hopefully.
"Is this to do with the FBI?"
"Not yet, " Cameron shook her head.
"So what is it do do with?"
John plucked up the courage, now or never "Well er ,we've got something, you need to see."
OK can't it be that bad. Charlie tried to read Johns expression
The best John could do was give him a reassuring smile. It didn't quite come off and the corner of his mouth twitched nervously.
"John" Charlie sat back in his chair "Ok let me guess you got up in the middle of the night, grabbed a glass of water, and when you got back to the living room you forgot where you were , walked into the TV and now its busted, hey I don't care about..."
" John has not damaged any of your possessions." Cameron stated flatly and stood up. "Please, we need to discuss this now."
Even if he had damaged anything Charlie got the clear message that anyone complaining about John breaking something would have to get past her first.
"WHAT THE HELL !"
There was a garbage man sitting upright on Charlie's sofa. He had silver tape covering his mouth and his feet and arms were cable-tied. He was making muted grunting sounds . As Cameron moved towards him the sounds became muffled shouting, and Charlie read pure terror in his eyes. The tied-up guy seemed to be trying to get anywhere he could , away from her. Cameron reached forward and deftly peeled the tape from his mouth and he began heaving for breath. Cameron stepped back to stand between John and Charlie, and the man tied-up on the Sofa. Charlie stood frozen on the spot.
"Yo. Grey, hello. " John shouted over Cameron's shoulder.
The guy looked up at John , taking a deep breath he shook his head, a loser's grin began spreading across his mouth as he spoke. He knew he was going to die, here.
" Call your Metal off General, she's already busted one of my Goddam legs. I aint going nowhere." When he said General, he managed to convey it with the most disrespect he possibly could . Cameron took a step forward and the Grey instinctively tried to pull his head back .
"Cam" John spoke quietly . Cameron stopped advancing towards him.
John was watching Charlie to gauge his reactions ," You even going to ask?" Charlie felt John's arm on his shoulder.
Apart from his mouth Charlie's body didn't really move. His eyes were kind of bulgy as well. "OK John why is there a garbage man , who looks like he's been in an auto collision, tied up on my sofa?" As he spoke Charlie realized, without any he was voicing his thoughts.
'You want to answer that tied-up man?"
The Grey tried to look like John was spitting on him as he spoke "Fuck you kid- you ain't Him, you probably ain't never going to be Him so cut the crap. I don't have to answer to you or your goddamn childminder, if she's going to do it,order her get it over with . I aint playing no more games. You , Dixon and that heretical piece of Metal, you're aint even history, you never were. "
"Charlie, Charlie stay with us here." Charlie could feel John hand rubbing him on his back,- his mind was assembling the pieces. He could hear Agent Ellison's voice, this time Charlie ignored the sarcasm. ... Luke Skywalker type, leader of a scrappy band of rebels... When Charlie looked at Cameron he saw death in her eyes , and that was it: Sure she was pretty as a painting , but right now she radiated less than zero conscience , and this guy was inhumanly scared of something about her. "Metal?" This is crazy, no way.
"Tell Charlie who John is and why you were attempting to murder Mr. Dixon." Cameron prompted . Her voice was falling out of pitch into monotone.
"Why the hell should I?" The Grey stared dead ahead."
"Because I believe your request was for me to get 'it' over with. You are still in a position to bargain the terms of your termination, hence you might consider explaining to Charlie why you wanted to kill him."
" OK" he sighed " but I want it quick."
"Quick is agreeable."
The Grey looked up at Charlie , he was actually conditioned into following commands from Metal, especially when he hadn't had any alternative for the past three years but to follow. Metal were mostly right anyway. It saved thinking. Thinking is what started getting people killed in the first place.
"Dixon , Charlie, this is nothing personal, it's about my kids. See in the future my kids are in a death camp and to keep them alive I volunteered to come back here and take you out. Now you understand ? "
"A death camp?" Where the hell is this." Charlie found himself bewildered, treading the nightmare path between reality and disbelief that had just opened up in front of him.
"- Just down the road Charlie, Century Point. Hundreds of thousands of us all starving behind the wire.- She'll tell you all about it. Isn't that right Metal, you had the last of the human race in cages, we were going down, and the Metal said if we wanted to stop our extinction, we could help them, work with them, it was the only way the human race would survive. For those of us who agreed ,Century and the other cages got better, we started getting organized: food, water, latrines, proper work. It all went well until Connor showed up , then the killing started again, and then he went and blew the shit out of Century, took most of the humans through the wire with him, on the run. That's when The War restarted ."
The Grey glared at John Connor.
"See it's all your fault kid- future of life on earth, war, peace, it's all down to - Charlie sorry, you were just a low-grade, loose end that needed trying up. That's why they sent a bum like me to do it. You're not worth big expenditure. "
He turned to examine John Connor again. " Don't worry kid they're building stuff you wouldn't believe to come after you, and your mommy, and your cyborg girlfriend here, they can't stop it- it's over. Give it up. Now can I die quickly, please?'
Then the Grey sat impassively . He'd done as she'd commanded . If Cameron killed him quickly now it was for the best. At least metal, unlike humans were straight about these things and kept their word.
Instead she and John were turning and walking away . Dixon looked shocked and John was leading him by the arm out of the room.
"John- Please will you start loading the load the car. I want to talk to Charlie for a moment, alone, if that's Ok with you Charlie?" In contrast to what he'd just witnessed, Cameron's entire manner changed and she seemed so gentle,'normal' with him and John. Charlie agreed. Did he even have a choice?
John took the keys to the SUV off her and shouldered up a kit bag.
When John was out of earshot she put her hand on Charlie's forearm . It felt warm, alive, not as he'd expected it to. If this didn't gain his trust, nothing would. Cameron decided she was taking a huge risk here.
"Charlie, John doesn't know this but I know you. My mum knows you as well." Cameron nodded never breaking eye contact. "There's something else. . . and I am entrusting you with a secret, and you are never to disclose this to John, or anyone else , until the time is right . You must promise"
Cameron whispered in Charlie's ear :" In the future , I'm ..."
Charlies eyes grew wide , what she disclosed was just another huge piece of craziness , but it fitted the rest and made perfect sense.
When it sunk in he glanced around and whispered back :"O.k. I won't tell him, I won't tell anyone. I understand now, I think ."
Charlie paused for thought then reached out his hand. Cameron responded and shook it.
" I promise."
As Cameron was driving them out of LA Charlie asked:
"Out of interest. Why didn't you kill the guy, why did you cut him a deal?"
Cameron glanced in the rear view, " Because to kill him now would be a strategic error. He was simply a time marker. If he doesn't assassinate you now it is probable, though not certain, John and I came to prevent it. If he doesn't leave time-reports for his handlers to pick up in secure information caches it is certain we prevented him for carrying out his mission, hence in the future, hostile elements could theoretically send a team back to point in time before we arrive and I terminate him. On our arrival , yesterday, we would have walked into a trap and you would already be dead. It is not in the Grey's interests to communicate his failure on this occasion because, as he explained, his handlers will murder his children in the future in response to that failure. It is better we allow him try again to track us down, than deal with the more advanced team they send after him. There is a much lower probability of him finding us than a more advanced team."
Charlie let out a deep sigh and glanced over his shoulder . Through the rear of the car he could see LA was vanishing behind him, time was suddenly complex. He glanced into the front . Johnny-boy was kicked back and plugged into his Walkman, Paradise City tapping out against the headrest, every now and again Cameron took her eyes off the road and looked at him like she'd look at no one else on earth. Every now and then John caught her looking. In an odd way John seemed totally at peace -like this 'new' world was so normal , and got the full hit of the truth of it. This was his world.
Charlie always sensed there was real something special about this kid, but not this damn special.
They were out of the city limits heading South. His mobile was ringing. It was Sarah Connor .
So ,exactly what the hell was he expected to do now?
