CHAPTER 11: "OLD ACQUAINTANCES"

Friday, June 20th, 2008 – 08:35 a.m.

Burbank

"You did what?" Sarah asked angrily.

"Reserve three cabins in a five-star holiday resort in Oregon," Cameron replied. "Jefferson County, to be exact."

"It is the perfect place for a holiday," Alison added. "'A collection of immaculate, vintage and modern cabins located under majestic ponderosa pines right on the banks of Lake Elliot' – that's what the website says."

They'd just finished breakfast when the two girls delivered the news. Charley was still there, he'd spent the night on the sofa after calling in sick for his night shift. Cameron and Alison had alternated in watching over Lauren throughout the night.

"And you just decided that over all our heads?" Sarah asked, visibly agitated.

"We told John. Last night," Cameron replied.

Sarah looked at her son with an accusing expression.

"I was just as surprised as you are when they told me," he said. "But I have to admit, it looks fabulous, it's a brilliant idea. I mean here, take a look."

He'd brought the laptop from their room and turned it around, with the lodge's website on display, so everyone could see. Cameron and Alison smiled at John, glad that he was willing to step up against his mother to defend them.

"Didn't it occur to you to consult the whole family before creating facts?" Sarah asked.

"We thought it was a no-brainer," Alison said.

"It's actually a really nice idea, the place looks great," Derek stated while clicking through the pictures on the laptop.

He got an angry stare from Sarah as a result.

"I mean, from the photos at least," he quickly relativized.

"I have to agree," Charley added. "The girls wanted to do something nice for you. Your reaction only proves that you need some time out."

He was the next to receive an angry glance from Sarah.

"It's got very good guest ratings," John said, trying to calm the waves. "We'll have what we want there, what we need most: peace and quiet."

"And coincidentally, it's also a place where you can be alone all day with your two girlfriends," his mother taunted. "How convenient for the three of you."

John didn't reply but stared onto his empty plate, avoiding admitting she'd hit the mark with that. Sarah looked around but found nobody to support her. Realizing that she was outnumbered, she spread her arms in a "whatever" gesture and opened the fridge. Still fuming, she checked the inside.

"We need milk!" she declared harshly. "Also, baby food, maple syrup, turkey, basically everything. The fridge is empty. Somebody needs to go shopping. We also need diapers for the baby."

"I'll do it," John said quickly.

"I'll join you," Cameron added.

Sarah nodded.

"Okay, you two go shopping. Alison, you drive to Chola and fetch the ID's."

"I need to go home now to take care of the dog," Charley said. "But if it's okay, I'll be back later."

"You're always welcome here," John stated. "Right, mom?"

Sarah nodded, visibly calming down.

"And think about the offer, Charley. Okay?"

"I will."

He said his goodbyes and left.

"Looks like the police believe it was an accident," Derek declared from behind his newspaper.

"What?" Sarah asked.

"The van Cameron pushed on the railroad track. With the two Grays inside. The police assume they somehow ended up there by accident and were crushed because they couldn't get out in time. Apparently, their bodies were found on the front seats with the seat belts attached, when help arrived. Or rather what was left of their bodies."

"Hopefully the story ends there," Sarah said.

"It probably will," John replied, "Cameron and I were careful to not leave any fingerprints or other traces. But even if they'd find something, they wouldn't be able to connect it to us – thanks to John Henry."

"Kaliba won't believe it's an accident, though," Alison said. "It's likely they'll keep watching Zeira Corp and Catherine with extra attention."

"If there's one person in the world who can take care of herself, then it's her," Sarah stated. "And this incident should tell those Kaliba guys to back up a bit. If they push her too far, Catherine might pay that company a visit. What was its name again?"

"Al-Hazim Im- and Exports," Cameron replied, "Alison and I did a little research on them. On the surface, it's a legitimate Kaliba subsidiary, dealing in exotic fruit and Arabian delicacies. They have offices and a cold warehouse at the docks. But the number of employees is too high for what they officially do. Our guess is it's some kind of hub or operations center in Southern California for their agents, spies, killers, etcetera. Sooner or later we'll have to take care of them."

"Let Catherine take care of them," Sarah said, "If they poke her one more time, she'll probably take matters in her own hands anyway, like she did with Desert Canyon Heat and Air."

"Sarah's right," Derek stated. "No matter how far machines might evolve, how sophisticated and cultivated they might become, you can never take the Terminator out of them."

He glanced at Cameron and Alison who looked back at him, tilting their heads. Then he folded the newspaper and put it on the table.

"I need to go to the hotel," he said, "to check out and bring my stuff here."

"Which leaves me alone with Lauren and the baby," Sarah stated. "I'm starting to become a homemaker."

"It's normality you want, right?" John asked with a grin. "Coming, Cam?"

And before his mother could respond to that, they were out of the door.

John and Cameron took the Suburban, Alison took Lauren's blue Jeep and Derek drove away in the Dodge RAM. Sarah looked after them until they were out of sight, then shook her head, as if to clear it of any negative thoughts, and returned inside.

-0-

Friday, June 20th, 2008 – 09:07 a.m.

Burbank Town Center

Shopping for groceries was something John usually wasn't very fond of. But it was an opportunity to get away from his disgruntled mother, so he took it. They made it a routine to vary the places where they went shopping, choosing supermarkets not too close to their house, avoiding going to the same store twice. Today, however, John drove into the west garage of the nearest shopping mall, the Burbank Town Center.

"Didn't your mother say we mustn't go shopping so close to the safe house after what happened with Cromartie?" Cameron asked with a frown.

"Cromartie's gone and our data has been deleted from all government computers," John replied with a smile. "We may as well enjoy our newly gained freedom of movement."

He found a parking space right next to the pedestrian bridge that connected the multi-story car park with the first floor of the shopping center.

"I've wanted to check out this mall for months," he said, "they have a cool Tech World store."

"Aren't we supposed to shop for groceries?"

"We can split up. You go grocery shopping, I go to Tech World. We'll meet back at the car in an hour, okay?"

"You still remember what happened the last time you tasked me with grocery shopping while you were going to Radio World, don't you?" she said with a wicked smile.

John smiled back.

"Are you looking for an excuse to stay with me?"

Instead of an answer, she leaned over and kissed him.

"Not gonna let you out of my sight," she replied and grinned.

John smiled.

"Alright, we don't split up. We go to Tech World first, then to the supermarket on the ground level. Satisfied?"

"Yes."

They kissed again and exited the car. John handed Cameron the car keys, as they had agreed that she'd be driving back, then went inside the mall. The Tech World store was on Level 2, so they didn't have to use the escalator to get there. Since it was just past 9 o'clock in the morning on a work day, the mall was almost empty. Holding hands, they entered the large store. While John was looking for computer parts, Cameron decided to stay in the CD section and listen to some music. However, she always kept an eye on him.

John loved looking around in electronics stores. He didn't necessarily want to buy things but liked looking at stuff, trying to remain up to date with the technological development, especially computers. The lost eight years had been hard enough to catch up on and he was wondering how computers would look like in another eight or ten years.

John had been looking around the store for almost half an hour before he returned to where Cameron stood. She was wearing headphones and seemed kinda lost in music. He saw that she had already chosen a dozen or so CD's, piled up next to where she stood. John found it amazing to see a cyborg enjoying music, gently swinging to the beat with half-closed eyes.

He looked around and noticed how many of the males in the shop were checking her out. Cameron wore her blue dress with the knee-length skirt and the black boots. It made her look like an innocent country girl. If only they knew…

"What are you listening to?" he asked and put his arm around her.

She just smiled and put the headphones over his head. John startled when his ears were attacked by loud heavy metal. He looked at the CD's she had chosen. Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Metallica, Rammstein, Nightwish and… Celine Dion?

He took off the headphones and was about to ask her about her strange choice, but she seemed to have read his mind.

"It's for Derek, his birthday is in two weeks."

"But Derek hates Celine Dion."

Cameron grinned.

"I know."

John chuckled.

"You and Derek," he said, shaking his head but then grinned as well.

"Don't worry, Derek and I have come to an understanding. He'd be totally disappointed if I suddenly treated him nicely. He has a hard time overcoming his prejudices about machines and accepting that we can be okay, so Alison and I are trying to soften the blow by playing nasty tricks on him."

John held up his hands.

"Whatever, just keep me out of it. I don't want to be caught in the crossfire."

She smiled and kissed him. He looked around uncomfortably, but people didn't seem to mind. An elderly couple even smiled at them. So, he put his arms around her and kissed her back. After a minute or so, he loosened herself from her and checked the vicinity again. There was a subtle change in people's behavior. The men had stopped staring at Cameron while now the younger women seemed to be checking him out.

"The males accept that she's taken," he thought, "and the females now realized I must be an attractive male because I managed to get such a pretty girlfriend. They now consider me a potential partner."

"What are you thinking about?" Cameron asked.

"Nothing. Just about how we humans are still being driven by our animal instincts."

Cameron frowned.

"Never mind," John said. "Everything's fine. Hey, listen, while you pay for the stuff, I'm going to take a leak, okay?"

"Okay," she confirmed and smiled. "I'll be waiting outside the restroom."

John let go of her hand and walked to the exit while Cameron grabbed the pile of CD's and walked over to the cashier.

The public restrooms were outside the Tech World store, in a hallway next to it that led to a staircase. John entered the room that had a male pictogram on the door. Apart from him, only one other man was in there. Whistling the melody he'd just heard on the headphones, he did his business and went to the sink to wash his hands afterwards. The other man smiled at him and walked past him to leave the restroom.

While he was drying his hands, John looked into the mirror and saw a tall, scruffy-looking young man enter behind him. The man checked the room, then suddenly lifted his arm. John could see that he had something black in his hand that looked like a club, then his world went black.

Cameron had been the third in line at the cashier and arrived in front of the restroom a minute later, a plastic bag in her hand. John wasn't there. She pushed the door slightly open and peeked inside.

"John?"

No answer.

"John? Are you in there?"

Again, no reply.

"I'm coming in!"

She stepped inside and scanned the room. It was empty. Cameron checked the stalls, but there was no one inside them. Where was John? She deducted that he wouldn't simply leave without notifying her. Something had to have happened. Cameron could have slapped herself for not coming along and waiting outside the door. The CD's wouldn't have run away, and she could have paid for them later.

Suddenly, the door opened, and a man entered. Cameron whirled around, ready to attack. The man stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her. He checked the pictogram on the door again.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed. "One of us is in the wrong restroom and it isn't me."

Cameron relaxed.

"Sorry," she said flatly and pushed herself past the man to exit the restroom and re-enter the corridor.

She looked around. To her right, the hallway led back to the central court of the mall. To her left, it led to a small staircase with an "Exit" sign above it. Cameron quickly scanned the area, then followed signs that led her to the security office in the administrative wing of the mall on the 3rd level. Finally, she stood in front of a locked steel door with a spyhole in it. She knocked and waited. A moment later, the spyhole went dark for a second, then the door was opened from the inside.

"Can I help you, miss?" a tall, young man in a uniform asked.

Cameron scanned him and her head-up display showed that he was armed with a taser. Minimal threat level.

"I really hope you can," she said and mimicked a desperate girl on the verge of tears. "My boyfriend disappeared. He's been having trouble with some really bad guys and I fear they might have beaten him up or taken him away, or worse. Can you help me, please?"

"Where and when did you last see him?" the guard asked frowning.

"About ten minutes ago. He went into the men's restroom on the second level, next to the Tech World store."

"We have security cameras all over the place. We can check the recordings, but I'm not allowed to do so without a second security guard present. You know, right of privacy and stuff. Problem is, I'll be alone for another half hour."

"Please," Cameron begged and used her most heartbreaking puppy-dog face, with a single tear running down her cheek. "Can't you make an exception for me? Half an hour is too long! Maybe John's still somewhere inside the building, maybe he is hurt!"

The young man sighed. He was apparently willing to help a pretty girl in need, so he looked around, saw nobody else around, then waved her in.

"When exactly did you see your boyfriend for the last time?" he asked as they entered an office with lots and lots of security monitors on the wall.

"9:43 a.m."

"Men's restroom on the second level, next to Tech World, you said?"

"Uh-huh."

Cameron had an expression on her face that made the guard want to take her in his arms and hug her. He sat down and typed something into his keyboard.

-0-

John regained consciousness and realized he was on the backseat of a car in motion, bound, gagged and blindfolded. His head hurt from the blow the man had given him, probably with a blackjack.

"Great, now they got me," was his first thought.

"Helmut, we can't do this!" a girl's voice said from the passenger seat. "Kidnapping is a capital crime. I don't wanna go to prison. Not again."

"Shut up!" Helmut bellowed. "You called me because you want to have your revenge. This is an opportunity for you to get even and to earn the money you owe me. You said they're loaded and that they live in hiding. That means they will pay the ransom and won't call the police."

"I don't know if they're loaded. She just had that one huge clip of cash with her. Who carries that much cash around with them? Maybe it was stolen or maybe they can't use credit cards, so maybe they're in hiding or on the run? We don't know, though. I just called you because you have a car, so we can watch and follow them. I didn't call you to kidnap him! Please, just stop and let him go. This is wrong!"

"What? Now you're getting cold feet, Jody? You should have thought about that before asking for my help."

"Not Kaliba," John thought and was relieved.

It was just that silly girl Jody and a friend of hers. If John wouldn't have been gagged, he would have laughed. A couple of months ago, when they were driving to Mexico to fetch Cromartie's body, Cameron had told John about Jody. He remembered that trip as one of the key moments of their relationship. For a long time before and after, they hadn't been alone and undisturbed for so many hours. It had also been the first time she revealed to him that cyborgs could have feelings and sensations. Unfortunately, he hadn't believed her then and he'd been too worked up at the time to really pay attention to what she'd said.

But he still remembered that Jody was one of those street girls who had run away from home, getting into conflict with the law all the time, probably consuming drugs, possibly walking the streets. Cameron had said Jody was a talented fashion designer and that it was a real pity she'd quit art college.

John didn't consider her a threat, but Helmut would need a more careful approach. He probably was the ex-boyfriend Cameron had mentioned, the one who'd beaten Jody and left her with a bloody lip. If that was true, he might be capable of doing worse. John decided to pretend still being unconscious for the time being.

"I wasn't thinking straight," Jody said. "I just saw them walking into that Tech World store together and… and…"

"And now we're into this together. We will go through with this, do you understand? If you don't cooperate, I'll give you another black eye. Got it?"

There was a pause.

"Good," Helmut then said, and John assumed that Jody had just nodded.

They drove on in silence. He might have imagined it, but John thought he heard her sniffing.

-0-

"Okay, here we are. 9:43," the guard said.

For a couple of seconds nothing happened on the screen, then John entered the men's restroom.

"Of course, we have no cameras inside there," the man stated.

Cameron nodded in understanding and they kept looking at the monitor.

After roughly two minutes, another man left the restroom. She scanned his features, but he was a stranger. However, as soon as he'd turned around the corner into the mall again, a second man appeared from behind a recess and entered the restroom. Cameron recognized him immediately. It was Jody's ex-boyfriend, Helmut, the one she'd given all her money after he'd punched Jody in the face. That was the day when she had her memory loss and thought she was Alison Young.

After another minute, the door opened again, and Helmut left again, carrying an obviously unconscious John on his shoulder. Unseen by other customers, he headed for the staircase and disappeared. Cameron was a bit relieved. Yes, John had been kidnapped. But at least it was by Jody's thuggish ex and not Kaliba. It was unlikely Helmut would kill him, it was more likely they'd want money.

"Where do those stairs lead to?" she asked.

"Uh… down to the first level and to an exit into an alley between the mall and the west garage."

"Is there a camera there, too?"

"Sure," the guard said, then typed something into his computer again and the picture changed.

It showed a narrow alley between the mall and the multistory car park. She'd seen it before when they walked across the pedestrian bridge from the garage. Obviously this alley was an access for suppliers of the Burbank Town Center. However, it seemed to be deserted at the moment. A small area of it was closed off by a construction fence and in front of it parked a white Toyota Camry which had its best days long behind it. The car was dented and dirty, and someone was sitting inside of it.

The screen showed Helmut coming out of a back door. He still carried John on his shoulders and quickly walked over to the Toyota. Unfortunately, the picture quality wasn't good enough for reading the license plate. Cameron saw how Jody jumped out of the passenger side, apparently agitated upon seeing Helmut carrying John. It was obvious he'd acted without consulting her before. A heated argument started between the two, with lots of angry gesturing, until Jody finally opened the back door, so Helmut could shove John inside. He climbed into the back as well and appeared again after a short while with a roll of duct tape in his hand. Cameron concluded that he must have tied John up with it.

"That looks like a kidnapping, all right," the guard next to her said, reaching for the phone. "I'm going to call the police now."

"Police won't be needed, but thank you for your help," Cameron stated, quickly grabbed his taser and zapped him with it. "Sorry for that, but I can't let anyone else get involved in this."

The guard sank unconscious on the floor. Cameron put the taser back into his belt, then she deleted all camera footage from the moment John and she had entered the west garage. Then she left the security office and closed the door behind her, walking stoically towards their parked Chevy Suburban.

-0-

After what John estimated to be a fifteen-minute drive, the car came to a hold. Jody got out, then he heard a roll gate being opened. Helmut drove the car for another twenty yards or so, then the roll gate closed again. When Helmut left the driver's seat and slammed the door, it echoed on the walls. Apparently, they were in some kind of workshop or warehouse.

The back door of the car was opened, and John was pulled outside. Helmut carried him for a couple of yards, then slumped him down in what appeared to be an old arm chair. His blindfold was removed and although it was rather dark, it took him a moment to realize his surroundings. The hall they were in, had indeed once been a car repair shop. However, all the equipment had been removed and all that was left was grime, dirty old rags, empty oil drums and a pit where you could descend into and look at the underside of cars. The windows were extremely filthy, and it was quite dark in there, with only a little sunlight shining through them.

Helmut stood before him and next to him Jody, who looked very uncomfortable.

"Ah, our guest is awake," Helmut stated. "I probably don't need to mention that screaming is useless. There's nobody around here, especially no one to hear you."

He removed John's gag.

"If you want to survive the next hour," John said coolly and looked at Helmut, "you better let me go and forget that you ever saw me."

"Oh really?" the tall man asked and bent down to look John in the face. "And who's going to kill me, hm? You or your petite sister?"

"She can't be his sister," Jody noted. "Well, unless they're into some really gross incest stuff. I saw them hugging and kissing through the shop window while I waited for you."

"You're right, she's not my sister," John said, looking at Jody, "and you already got a taste of how she can be when she gets angry, for example when someone lies to her."

Jody gulped and suddenly looked very uncomfortable.

"Bullshit!" Helmut exclaimed. "He just wants to bluff his way out of here. Search him, I'm sure he has a cellphone."

Jody rummaged through John's jacket and found his new iPhone. She handed it to Helmut. He looked at it, then switched it on and grimaced.

"Locked," he said and held it towards John. "What's the code?"

"Could he really be that stupid?" John asked himself.

Using his iPhone would activate the tracking device Cameron had installed on all their phones. She'd be here in less than fifteen minutes.

"4856", John said and tried to look frightened.

Helmut typed in the code and looked at the stored contacts.

"Let's see, we have 'Mom' - how cute -, 'Derek', 'Cam1', 'Cam2' and a 'Catherine'. But no Alison."

"Her real name wasn't Alison," Jody said. "He'd called her Cameron."

"'Let's try Cam1' then."

Helmut pulled out his own cellphone and typed Cameron's number into it, grinning at John.

"You didn't think I was that stupid, did you?"

John just closed his eyes and cursed inwardly.

"Shit," Helmut said. "No signal in here. I go outside to make the call. Jody, you keep an eye on him."

Helmut went outside, and Jody remained standing next to John, having her arms crossed and obviously feeling very uncomfortable and nervous about the whole situation. John noticed her discomfort and decided to make use of it as long as they were alone.

"You know this is going to end badly for you either way, right?" he asked calmly.

"That bitch almost choked me!" Jody exclaimed. "You were there, you saw it! And I thought she was my friend."

"You lied to her," John replied matter-of-factly, "and she hates being lied to. Also, you obviously only took her with you because you wanted the money. She seemed vulnerable and gullible, so you decided to connect with her. Only it went wrong when Helmut found you, didn't it? Really a gem, this Helmut, a real model citizen. Why are you hanging out with that asshole?"

"I need money to repay him for his laptop."

"But Cam handed him the money."

"He said I didn't pay him any money, only she did."

"What a jerk."

"Yeah."

"But why the hell did you lie so much to her?"

Jody shrugged.

"I don't put my life on the table with every stranger I meet in a holding cell," she replied. "When you live a life like I do, you simply don't trust people just like that. So yes, I lied to her. Everybody lies all the time. Big deal. That doesn't mean she had to choke me. I really liked her before she went all psychopath on me."

"Cam is not like other girls," John said, trying to sound empathetic. "If you let me go now, I might be able to save your life. Continue working with Helmut, and you probably won't see the end of the day."

Jody looked at John and realized he was dead serious, showing no sign of fear or nervousness.

"Who are you guys?" she asked uncomfortably.

"Let me put it this way, we're among the people you probably least want anything to do with."

"Are you with the Mafia or something?"

"We, uh… belong to a gang of sorts, yeah."

Jody suddenly looked even more nervous.

"If I let you go, Helmut will kill me before you can reach me," she said, trying to sound cool. "So if you want to kill me, get in line."

John looked closer at her face and saw that her right eye looked slightly swollen.

"Did he do that?" he asked.

Jody nodded.

"You should have really moved to Oregon," John stated.

"She told you about that?" Jody asked surprised.

"Yes, Cam told me everything about that day. She remembers it very vividly."

"I owe Helmut money," Jody said meekly. "And I wanted to get back at her. So when I saw you two today..."

"You figured that he could help you getting some money out of us, killing two birds with one stone, right? Paying him off and getting your revenge on Cam. Except you didn't expect him to kidnap me."

Jody nodded again.

"It wasn't part of the deal, he acted on his own. But can you understand me for wanting to get back at her? She went completely mental on me. Is she sick or something? She came across as being totally schizo."

"Let's just say she's not like other girls." John said, weighing his words carefully.

Jody scoffed.

"I knew something was off with her, especially when that freak came looking for her."

"Freak? What freak?" John asked, suddenly sounding very interested.

"Tall, good-looking. Silly grin. Bad attitude. Drove an old convertible, a blue Chevy Chevelle Malibu, I think."

John closed his eyes and sighed.

"His name was Cromartie. What did you have to do with him?"

"He came to the halfway house I stayed in, showed her photograph around and I told him I knew her. I showed him the supermarket where she got arrested and he deducted she must be living nearby. Spent half of the day on his passenger seat while he drove from house to house, asking people one by one. After a while I had enough of his bullshit and told him to let me out. The psycho pushed me onto the street. I could have gotten hurt."

"You're lucky to be still alive," John replied untouched. "Many others didn't survive meeting him. So, you were responsible for leading him to our door when Riley was there."

"Who's Riley?"

"Never mind."

"So, that freak found you? What happened to him?"

"If you need to know, Cameron shot him in the head. He's dead."

"Oh my God," Jody gasped and put her hands over her mouth, "she is armed?"

"She doesn't need to be armed," John said coolly, "she is a weapon."

-0-

Cameron walked quickly back to the SUV but not too fast, avoiding attention. She was now in full Terminator pursuit mode. She already knew where to start the search: At the halfway house. She was almost there already when suddenly her phone rang. Not caring about getting caught while talking on the phone behind the wheel, she took the call.

"Hello?"

"Is that Cameron?" a male voice asked that she immediately recognized.

"Yes," she answered. "And you're Jody's ex-boyfriend, Helmut. You kidnapped John. I saw you on the shopping mall's security camera footage. Release him now or you will regret it."

There was a moment of silence, Cameron's conclusions obviously had taken Helmut by surprise. However, she quickly saw that he wasn't calling from John's iPhone. He must have copied the number.

"Did you call the police?" Helmut finally asked, trying to remain cool.

"No." Cameron said. "Law enforcement won't be necessary for your termination."

"Listen, girlie," Helmut replied, "all I want is some money. Then you can have your John, unharmed. If you do as I say, the police won't get involved. I have a feeling you prefer it like that anyway."

"You will soon be dead," Cameron said and hung up.

Then she dialed Catherine's number.

"Yes?" a familiar female voice answered the phone after a few seconds.

"Catherine, it's Cameron. Can John Henry track a phone number for me? It's urgent."

-0-

Helmut entered the deserted repair shop again and walked straight towards John.

"Who the fuck does that bitch think she is?" he asked fiercely. "She just hung up on me without even attempting to negotiate."

"She won't negotiate," John replied. "And you cannot reason with her. You either run now or you will be dead very soon."

"Helmut, maybe he's right," Jody said. "We can still get out of this. It was a bad idea to start with. It's not worth the trouble."

"Shut up!" he shouted and slapped Jody so hard that she fell to the ground, groaning in pain.

Then Helmut went to his car, opened the boot and retrieved a pump gun.

"Oh great," John thought, as Helmut loaded it with shells, "I will need to pick the pellets out of her again."

Helmut started pacing up and down the deserted garage with the shotgun in his hand, apparently thinking about what to do next.

Suddenly, they could hear a car braking hard, then a car door opened and closed.

"That was fast," John thought, "she must have already driven into the right direction when Helmut called her."

"Jody, get your ass up and check if the back door is locked," Helmut shouted while Jody was sitting on the ground, rubbing her cheek.

"Do it yourself, asshole!" she spat at him.

"She won't come through the back door, dude," John stated calmly. "They always take the front door."

Helmut didn't have time to reply because with a loud BANG, the metal front door was literally blown out of its hinges and flew twenty feet into the hall. In the door frame stood Cameron's silhouette, illuminated by the sun behind her. John could see that her eyes were glowing red. It was an eerie sight.

"Uh-oh, she looks pissed," he said. "Last chance. Put down the gun and surrender or else you will die."

Helmut stared at Cameron open-mouthed. He quickly raised his gun and fired at her, but Cameron quickly stepped aside, so the load went into the wall behind her. She started running towards him while he reloaded. Then he shot again when she was only five feet away, this time hitting her directly in the belly.

The impact stopped Cameron but only for a second. Then she grabbed the gun by the barrel before Helmut could reload and fire again. She squeezed her hand and flattened the barrel like a roll of cardboard, then ripped the gun from his hands and threw it with all her power at the concrete wall of the building, where it shattered into countless metal pieces, some of them embedding themselves into the wall.

Helmut punched her in the face with his fist and cried out in pain as he hit her metal skull. Cameron just let her eyes glow even brighter. That's when Helmut lost it. He started running, trying to hide behind his Toyota. Cameron positioned herself on the other side of the car. For a moment it looked like a Mexican standoff but then Cameron squatted, lifted the car up and turned it over. Helmut had no chance but stepping aside to avoid being squashed. The Toyota fell on its roof, rolled over again and landed back onto its wheels, accompanied by the noise of shattering glass and deforming metal.

In that moment, Helmut's knees failed in supporting his body. He sank to the ground and wetted himself, his face a grimace of fear. Cameron jumped across the pit that was once used for repairing cars, grabbed Helmut by the throat and lifted him up.

"You had been warned," she said," I only wish I had already done this seven months ago."

She fished Helmut's and John's cellphone out of his pockets, then broke his neck with a loud crack and threw his dead body down into the repair pit like a rag doll.

John flinched and Jody screamed like crazy.

The red glow in Cameron's eyes faded away as she turned around. She quickly walked over to where John sat. Jody still sat on the floor and was whimpering in total shock while she looked at the overturned car, Helmut's dead body and the gaping hole in Cameron's belly that didn't seem to bother her at all. The cyborg girl loosened the duct tape from John's arms and legs and kissed him deeply.

"I was so worried," she said. "I thought Kaliba got you."

"I thought the same at first," John replied, stood up and took her into his arms, kissing her back. "Then I realized it was your old friend Jody and her charming sidekick."

They looked down on Jody, who cowered on the floor, trembling, her face a grimace of panic and fear.

"I don't believe it was her idea or plan to kidnap me," John said, noticing Cameron's grim stare at the girl. "She only wanted some money. Obviously she isn't a threat. How come you got here so fast?"

"I was driving towards the halfway house when Helmut called. I memorized his number and called Catherine to let John Henry track his phone. We're only two blocks from the halfway house, I was in a neighboring street when I received the location."

John nodded.

"He wasn't exactly the brightest one."

Cameron squatted and looked Jody in the face. The girl was quivering and shaking all over. When she realized that Cameron was so close, she tried to scurry away. However, Cameron took her arm and held her back.

"What am I going to do with you?" she asked stoically and held Helmut's cellphone in front of Jody's face, then crushed it to pieces in her hand.

The girl gasped loudly.

"Don't kill me!" she begged. "Please, please! Oh God, please, let me live! Don't hurt me!" Jody stammered and broke into tears.

"We cannot simply leave her here," John said. "She's an eye-witness to what happened. Last thing we need now, is the police on our trail again right after we've gotten rid of them."

"Then I have to kill her," Cameron stated matter-of-factly.

"NO!" Jody exclaimed, "No! Please! I won't say a thing! I promise I'll never talk about any of this. Please! I won't tell, I swear!"

She started sobbing out loud.

"I think this is the first time since we met that you aren't lying," Cameron said coldly and stood up. "Don't worry, I won't kill you. John is right, you aren't a threat."

John thought that he could detect a hint of a smile of satisfaction on Cameron's face.

"I tell you what we'll do," John addressed Jody. "We'll deliver you to your parents. You will reconcile with them, then resume your studies at art college. We don't ever want to see you on the streets again. We'll check on you in regular intervals to make sure. Do you understand?"

Jody nodded heftily.

"Okay," John said. "Let's cover our tracks and then let's get the hell out of here."

-0-

On the way to Jody's parental home, John was driving while Cameron sat in the back to have an eye on their passenger. After a while, Jody had recovered enough to let her curiosity get the better of her.

"Who are you?" she asked carefully. "What are you?"

"The million-dollar question," John said in an amused tone. "Fancy printing some business cards, Cam?"

"I think that would arise suspicion," Cameron speculated. "Should I tell her the truth?"

"Your decision," he replied, "but she needs to have an explanation for it all if she is to remain silent. She will be questioned about Helmut's death. When the police find his body, they will quickly find out that Jody is his ex."

Cameron turned towards Jody and began to speak.

"Cy... cyborg?" Jody asked a couple of minutes later after Cameron had told her what she was, where she came from, what her mission was and how she had malfunctioned when they first met seven months ago. "But you were so… fragile. So lost. So… human…"

"That wasn't really me. It was an infiltration subroutine that had temporarily taken over my CPU. I gradually became myself again over the course of the day. It was triggered by John when he found me."

"You scared the shit out of me," Jody said. "Hell, you still scare the shit out of me. I thought you were some crazy martial arts chick. But a cyborg? A machine? Jesus fucking Christ."

"We still need to shop for groceries on our way back, Cam," John noted. "But not with that bloody dress. We need to stop somewhere and buy you something to cover that up."

Jody carefully considered the big hole in Cameron's tummy again and grimaced.

"Are you wounded?" she asked. "Does that hurt?"

"The damage is only superficial," Cameron replied. "It'll heal soon. And no, it doesn't hurt. I'm aware of the wound but it's not what humans would call pain."

"I'd rather you wouldn't always walk into the line of fire," John commented. "I just got used to having you without bandages again. Couldn't you have avoided him?"

"The shortest connection between two points is a straight line," Cameron stated, "it is more efficient this way. I didn't want to give him time to reconsider his strategy and point his gun at you instead of me."

Jody bent over and took a closer look at the wound.

"I can see silvery metal stuff inside."

"That's part of my endoskeleton. The abdominal plate, to be precise."

"Wow… that's so badass. What is…" but Jody didn't get to ask her question.

Cameron grabbed her face and examined it closely.

"You are hurt," she observed. "Your face is swelling."

"That was Helmut," John stated. "A real boy wonder, that guy."

"Are you in pain?" Cameron asked her.

"It's okay," Jody said, "I'm used to it. Helmut hit me more than once. Remember?"

"Yes, I remember. And I remember helping you covering it with makeup. Would you like me to do that again before you meet with your parents?"

"You would still do that after everything?"

"Of course. I'm not vindictive."

John shook his head when he saw Cameron apply makeup on Jody's face.

"Girls…" he muttered.

-0-

"Do you think she will tell anyone?" Cameron asked after they had delivered Jody to her parents.

"No, she is too intelligent for that. She knows nobody will believe her. All she needed, was a little nudge into the right direction."

"Maybe we should have accompanied her."

"Not necessary. Didn't you see how her mother hugged her warmly? I think they'll be alright. Why do you keep asking? Are you having something like a guilt complex, Cam?"

"No. What makes you think that?"

"Just a hunch."

"Do you mean because I almost killed her?"

"It could be, couldn't it? After all, despite her questionable motivation, she took you under her wings when you were confused and disoriented and needed help. It could have gotten much worse without her."

Cameron looked straight ahead and didn't say anything for a moment. Then she looked at John.

"Maybe I should have apologized to her?"

"Maybe. But you'll have the opportunity to still do that, I'm quite sure about that. I have a feeling this isn't the last we've seen of Jody. She's a tough cookie."

John turned into the parking lot of a supermarket in North Hollywood.

"You stay in the car," he commanded, "I'll buy the groceries and some bandage we can wrap around your tummy and a tee shirt to cover up the damage."

"You don't want to let your mother know what happened."

It wasn't a question.

"No, I don't. She'll be all worked up again. We'll keep this episode to ourselves, only sharing it with Alison, okay?"

"Okay."

He leaned over and kissed her.

"Love you. Be right back."

"Love you, too."

While Cameron waited for John to return, she picked the pellets out of her wound and thought about whether she considered Jody a friend or not. There definitely was a connection to that girl but she wasn't sure if it was something she would call friendship. She definitely felt different about her than about Lauren for comparison.

Her internal clock told her that John returned after 16 minutes and 32 seconds. He opened the passenger door.

"You better move in the back," he said. "More space there."

Cameron let the pellets fall from her hand onto the tarmac, then climbed into the back seat. John closed the passenger door and looked around outside. Nobody seemed to have noticed anything, all people went about their businesses. He then entered the back of the car on the passenger side and locked the doors from the inside.

"How long will it take for this to heal?" he asked her, when they were inside.

"Maybe three days."

"I really hate it when you have been shot. Okay, take off the dress."

She did as he asked. Underneath she was naked.

"Whoa, Cam, why didn't you put on any underwear? If mom sees that… if anyone sees that…"

He looked around, but no one could see them, the Suburban had tinted windows.

"Because it gives you easier access."

"Easier access?"

"Yes. In case you want to have sex with me."

"What? Cam, do you really think I would suddenly bend you over and take you, just like that? In a shopping mall?"

"No." she said and looked at him innocently. "But you could. I would let you."

"Anytime?"

"Anytime, anywhere, any way you want."

"Wow, talking about devotion."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"I'm not sure I would like to have you that compliant." John said and started wrapping the broad bandage around her torso to cover the hole.

"I'm a cyborg, John. A machine. I was designed to be compliant, to follow orders. I have no problem being compliant. Neither has Alison."

"I just wouldn't be comfortable with you being so submissive," John replied. "I'm not better than you, nor am I your owner or your master or whatever. I want us to be equals in our relationship. I told mom you aren't my sexbots and I meant it."

She leaned in and kissed him softly.

"You got me all wrong, John", she said. "I'm not submissive. I'm just granting you unlimited access to my body. It feels natural to do that."

John smiled as he finished fastening the bandage.

"You just want to prevent at any cost that I ever fall for another girl again. Admit it."

Cameron put her hand on his crotch, feeling his apparent hard-on.

"That too," she replied naughtily, smiled, and kissed him deeply, "but truth to be told, I simply love giving you pleasure."

She quickly unzipped his pants, freed his cock and took it into her mouth. John just groaned, leaned back and looked outside at all those people on the parking lot who had no idea what was going on behind the tinted windows of the black Chevy Suburban. He had to admit to himself that it was a massive turn-on.

-0-0-0-

Author's notes:

- Cameron is still a Terminator and able to kill people without remorse when she considers someone a threat. Same goes for Alison of course.

- Comments and reviews always welcome :-)