CH 33
Getting off the plane in LA, Kaede was already not liking it. It was hot here, especially under her curly dark haired wig. The light blue suit jacket was even too warm. Her brown eyed contacts even itched. This airport was a big and chaotic busy mess. She wanted to turn around and get back on the plane to go home.
Following signs to the baggage claim, she got her two suitcases and went out to find the car rental place. Thankfully, she saw one with a huge, lit sign over it. Dropping her bags at the counter, she saw the criply dressed man come over to her.
"What can I do for you, Ma'am?" he asked happily.
"Kaede dug her credit card and license out of her handbag as she said, "Need a car, Lad. Simple transport, doan need nothin fancy."
"Of course, any particular kind?" he asked.
"The kind that goes down the road," she said with a smirk.
He laughed. "It that a private or a company card?"
Kaede didn't know why that was important. "Company card."
"Hang on, we'll get you set up," he assured her. He typed on the computer and inputted her information and asked, "Would you like damage insurance?"
"Aye. It's required, isn't it?"
"This covers more. Any scratches or interior damage, or small dings to the exterior or interior," he explained.
"Aye, put it on."
He finished his typing and the printer spit out her copy of the contract. He pointed to an airport map on the counter. "Go out the right side exit as you leave, down the stairs and under the overpass, you'll see our lot. The attendant there will have your car waiting for you."
"Thank ya lad," Kaede replied and picked up her things.
Heading down to the lot, Kaede saw the sign on the small building by the driveway out. The only car she saw at the building was a new looking BMW that looked bigger than their Land Rover at home. The man there assured her that this silver monster with three rows of seats in it was hers.
Wonderful, she always wanted a car big enough to drive the whole family around, and their dog too if they had one.
One thing she remembered as she left, was in the US, everyone drove on the right side of the road , NOT they left. What reminded her was the steering wheel was on the left and not the right. She was going to have to be careful.
There was plenty of daylight left, so Kaede got right to work and used the car's GPS to locate James Ellison's house. It was a drive and planning her first turns at intersections she kept in mind to get on the RIGHT side of the road upon completing the turn. A couple drivers used their horns to remind her as well.
The sun was setting when she got to Ellison's house. There was a car in the driveway, she pulled up beside it. She parked and went to the front door and knocked.
A black man who fit the photo she had answered the door. "May I help you?" he asked.
"Aye, Lad," she replied and showed him her badge. "MI-6. You're James Ellison?"
"Yeah, come on in."
Kaede followed him in. He motioned her to a stuffed chair. "So why does British Intelligence want with me?" he asked as he sat across from her.
Kaede got right to the point. "Heard ya know about Sarah Connor. What kin ya tell me?"
He paused briefly then said, "She got blown up in a bank about eight years ago now."
"Nay, she didn. Neither did her son John, or the Cameron lass. So what do ya really know?" Kaede asked firmly.
"Nothing," he said with a shrug.
Kaede eyed him blankly. "Lad, I ain't here fer fun. Ya will tell me what ya know. One way or the ot'er."
"I don't know anything," he stated. "I think it's time for you to leave."
He got up, she send out a vector and pushed him back in place. He stared at her.
"Ya know what a brain aneurism is?" Kaede asked in a hard tone.
James swallowed and kept staring.
"In case ya doan, it's when the blood vessels in yer head break, causin problems. Now, if ya doan wanna talk, I'll git in yer head and extract what I wanna know. That will give ya a big aneurism an if yer still alive when I leave, I'll be surprised. Ya kin talk, or I go diggin fer what I wanna know."
"Who are you?" he asked weakly.
Kaede took her wig off. "Dame Kaede Kikumura. Ya talkin, or do I go diggin?"
Looking a little pale, James said, "I saw them in Mexico. John was in jail there with her girlfriend Riley, we found Sarah in the trunk of the car. There was a fight with those terminators, Cameron killed it, we buried it. They left."
"So all three are still alive. When was this?"
"Month ago or so."
"Know where they live?"
"Somewhere here in LA. Where, I don't know."
"Explain ta me, what's a terminator?"
"An android machine that's made to kill people. They are strong and bullet proof. Cameron shot the one in Mexico at extreme close range with a 12 gauge. It took four shots to put it down, then they pulled the chip before it could reboot."
"What's this chip thing?"
"The computer chip that makes it work. It's in the head, right side near the top of the head," James said, still staring at Kaede.
Kaede offered him a brief smile. "That wasn't hard, was it?" she asked. "Relax James, I just wanted info, and ya were smart and told me. "She put her wig back on and got up.
"These terminators look like people," James added. "They are very dangerous."
"Understood Lad, but so am I. If I need anything else, I'll come see ya." Kaede told him and left.
James Ellison took a couple deep breaths to slow his heart. Firs Chromartie, now the Wind of Death. Was there any lethal monster he hadn't been threatened by?
.
Kaede went to see the janitor next. He confirmed that John Baum and Cameron Phillips were at school today. He also knew the make and plate on their car. Kaede copied it and thanked him for his help.
Getting a hotel room close as possible to the school, Kaede got a room and went out looking for a place to eat. Seeing a fast food burger place, she went in and got a takeout meal and a soda. It was nothing fancy, but it was food. After she munched down her meal, she called Kouta and talked to him before she went to sleep. Half her job was done, she was hoping the rest would be just as easy.
.
In the morning, Kaede walked to the school and watched the place fill up with students. Some rode the bus, other drove and others walked. Once the big gaggle had flowed into the school, she checked the student parking lot and found the vehicle she was looking for. She hadn't seen it come in from the direction she was watching. When school was ready to let out, she drove the other way to the first intersection and parked beside the road. Faking using her cell phone, she put the blinkers on.
In the flood out from the school, she noticed the Baums'car pass her and turn right. It went down the street and turned left. Kaede was about to follow, then saw it come back onto this street a block down.
Didn they know where they were goin? She pulled out and followed. Up ahead, she saw the car go left. This time she kept going straight for two blocks past that intersection, then pulled into a store parking lot and watched for the Baum car. The car didn't show. Nearly a half hour later, Kaede went back to the intersection where Baum had turned, and went down that street. It led to the highway and a shopping plaza. She took a slow tour of the plaza and didn't see the car. She's lost them.
Kaede next decide to try their listed address. It was indeed a mostly empty lot, now being used as a play area for the local kids. She scanned the houses and cars in the driveway near the lot, thinking maybe since the address was false, they were living close by to see if anyone came looking for them. On the backstreet to the lot, she saw the car pull out and drive away. Figuring she might have been made anyway, she followed a distance behind.
The car turned right. Kaede slowed and watched it go down the street to take the next left. Kaede went on one block and took the next right. She saw the car rocket through the intersection.
One thing about this big car was it had plenty of horsepower. She raced to the intersection and saw the Baum car hit the brakes to go right again. She went straight and shot to the next intersection. To her left, the Baum car turned left again. She did also.
Staying one intersection away, she followed the car left, right, then it passed right in front of her, backtracking. Obviously, they knew she was following. She was also getting tired of chasing them. Turning the way they went, Kaede pulled over and parked. She got out and shot up high in the air.
From above, Kaede saw them circle the block, then go one more street to park in an alley. Cameron got out and dragged a dumpster out to hide their car. Perfect.
Kaede landed on the nearest roof, reached out with her vectors to lift the car and plant it sideways, jamming it in place, both bumpers close enough to the buildings that getting it our on it's own wasn't possible. She then jumped down beside the car, opposite the dumpster.
"Will ya PLEASE stop runnin!" Kaede yelled.
The boy in the car gaped at her. Cameron, outside the car drew her pistol. Kaede quickly shot out a vector and yanked it away to go flying. Cameron froze, casting her a blank look.
"I ain't gonna hurt ya," Kaede told them, "I just wanna talk."
"Who are you?" the girl said in a flat tone.
"Name's Kaede, you Cameron Phillips?" Kaede asked.
"What do you want?" Cameron replied.
"To know if you're really Cameron, and that's really John staring at me," Kaede replied.
Cameron stared blankly at her a moment more, then asked, "Dame Kaede Kikumura?"
"Ya heard o me?"
"Yes. John is innocent. Let him go," Cameron stated.
In her best soothing tone, Kaede said, "Cameron, I'm just here fer information. What kin ya tell me bout terminators?"
John opened his car door. Cameron barked, "John, don't!"
John got out and glanced at Cameron. "Who's side are you on?" he asked Kaede. He looked nervous, but spoke evenly.
"Doan know what ya mean, Lad. I'm tryin ta find out what the sides are," Kaede said softly.
"You don't know about Sky Net?"
"Nay. Only found out terminators exist. Ya know who controls'em?"
"John, she is very dangerous, get away from her!" Cameron called over to John.
John held up a hand. "Cam, calm down." To Kaede he said, "Sky Net controls the terminators after me. Sky Net has been trying to kill me most of my life."
"I see. That's why yer so nervous," Kaede said. "Look John, I just wanna know what's goin on. Kin we talk someplace besides this alley? I kin take ya ta my place, or we kin go ta yours."
John looked at their car. "Can you move our car? I think we both need to talk to you."
Kaede nodded. "Both of ya git back in. I'll git me car and move the trash bucket for ya."
They got in. Kaede jumped back up on the roof and picked the car up again to point it back to the street. She then flew back to her car and got in. Pulling a 'U' turn with this monster took a backup and finish it. Kaede drove to the alley and saw the dumpster was back in place, and their car was gone.
DAMN IT!
.
John holding on as Cameron raced around another corner, he barked, "Cameron, she just wanted to talk to us!"
"I can't take that chance, John," Cameron replied evenly and took a corner on two wheels. "She might be leading you into a trap! That was Kaede Kikumura, I can't protect you from her, it's too dangerous for you to be near her."
"Who's Kaede …. who?"
"You need to watch the news and surf the net for information, John," Cameron said heavily. "Maiden name, Kaede McLeod, she is also called the Wind of Death! She's killed humans and aliens. She wiped out a bunch of Muslims in Paris that were shooting at her. The Tidal Bay Massacre, she killed at least eight men who had automatic weapons by herself, leaving them in pieces. I can't allow you near her."
"She's a terminator?" John asked in surprise. "Is that why our car rose up and wedged itself into those buildings?"
"Yes!" Cameron barked.
"Then, why didn't she attack me when I was right there? And why didn't she already know about Sky Net?" he asked, confused.
"I don't know. John, I can't read whether she's telling the truth or not," Cameron said as she watched the road and the mirrors with rapidly quivering eyes and twitches of her head.
John was about to ask another question, but a traffic light was coming up fast, and it was red. "Cam!" he cried, wide-eyed and braced himself.
Cameron blew though the intersection just missing a car and a dump truck.
"WILL YOU SLOW DOWN!" John yelled.
.
Kaede had a new plan to follow John and Cameron. Follow the traffic accidents in their wake. Cameron had to be an expert driver, but many were not. A car that plowed into a phone pole, a couple intersections down a mid intersection ramming, one car behind another. Another fender bender just before an intersection had black skid marks in an arc, showing which way they had gone. Along a straight section of road, she thought she might have lost them, but two cars on the side from a side-swipe let her know she was most likely on the right track.
They couldn't be living this for from school. Right, Cameron was evading her as frantically as possible. She noted a housing complex to her right. Coming to the next intersection, yup, there were fresh skid marks arcing that way.
Going into to the housing, Kaede slowed and looked for more skid marks. Not finding any after a few streets, the 'Low fuel' light lit up on the dashboard. She stopped at the next intersection. To the right was a gas station. She went and got gas. Finding John and Cameron hadn't been that hard. Catching them was turning out to be tough.
.
"Sarah, we need to move, today," Cameron stated as she strode through the kitchen.
Sarah turned away from the sink, but missed replying. Cameron was already gone. She turned to John who was just coming into the kitchen. "John, what happened?"
John threw his arms up. "Cameron's gone nuts, Mom. This woman, Kaede Kik… whatever, was following us. She got us cornered and wanted to talk to us about Sky Net. Cameron was so freaked she threw her gun away when she went to pull it. Mom, all this Kaede wanted was to find out what's going on with us. The second we were free, Cameron drove like a maniac to lose her. Kaede wasn't threatening us at all."
Someone rushed down the stairs, then Cameron stuck her head in the doorway. "John! Get packed, we have to go."
"No, we don't!" John snapped back. "Cam, maybe Kaede is here to help us?" he asked.
Cameron came in wearing her terminator face. "John, Kaede is a killer. A more efficient killer than I am. You saw what she did to our car, you saw her yank my gun away."
"You threw it away," John countered.
"No, John, she grabbed it as I was drawing and yanked it away from me. How do you think our car got jammed sideways in that alley? And how did it get unstuck?"
John winced. "OK, yeah, that was weird, but she didn't do anything aggressive, did she?"
"There is a 42 percent chance she was waiting to get all of us together to kill all of us at once," Cameron stated. "I am not taking that chance."
"Great. Stay home tomorrow, I'll go to school by myself and if I see her, I'll talk to her. You and Mom will be safe," John told her.
"I can't allow you to be put in danger, John," Cameron said heavily.
Looking confused, John cried, "What danger?"
"Stop for a moment, both of you!" Sarah yelled. "Cameron, did you see her car?"
"New BMW SUV, silver. I didn't get a plate number. She followed us after we got out of school so she knows your plate number. Evading her is very difficult. High speed is required," Cameron stated.
"Cameron tried to wreck us on the way home," John explained.
One hand on the table, Sarah rubbed her forehead with the other hand. After a moment, she said, "Tomorrow, I'm driving you to school in the Jeep. Cameron, this woman didn't see where we live?"
"No, the last part of my evasion was successful."
"And by where she picked you up, she's watching the school?"
"That is a 82 percent probability."
Sarah eyed Cameron. "We are not going to move. John, order a pizza. I'm going to go see what I can find out." Sarah moved to leave the kitchen, then stopped and added, "And don't leave the house."
.
Not knowing how long she was going to be here, Kaede got her room for a week. She also found a liquor store and got a bottle of 12 year old Glen Livet. The small place didn't even have 14 year old Glen Finnen! Thankfully, the hotel did have a restaurant, so she was able to eat real food and not fast food burgers. By the time she got settled, it was late here, meaning it was around One AM at home. She wasn't going to call Kouta and wake him up.
After she ate and watched the news, she went up to her room. Feeling stifled in the small room, she went out on the tiny balcony. There was barely room to stand, so with her bottle, she lifted herself up to sit on the edge of the roof, her feet dangling down. Ok, this was better. It had a decent view also.
Idly watching people come and go from their rooms below, Kaede watched another car pull in and park crooked. The man stumbled out one side and went over to the other side. The woman opened the door on him, nearly knocking him down. They laughed a drunken laugh, then hugged, the door being shut as they stumbled together. Groping each other like octopi, then wandered to their room. He dropped the key, then fell trying to pick it up, which was also hilarious to them. On his knees, he opened the door and fell in. Laughing at him, she fell over him with a yelp. They got in and the door slammed shut.
Kaede let out a snort. She bet they would be puking or passed out before they had a chance to have any sex. Scanning the parking lot for more entertainment, a Jeep rolled in. The woman behind the wheel was moving along slow. Kaede wondered if she had plans of trying to steal something.
The Jeep stopped across from her BMW briefly, then took an outside spot. It looked like Sarah Connor. She looked around, then ran over to Kaede's car. Kaede had backed into her spot. Sarah went around in back of Kaede's car to look at the plate. Hmm, time for a bit more fun. Kaede launched herself off the roof to arc high and landed by the Jeep. She leaned against the driver's door and took another sip.
Sarah came back, still scanning the lot. She stopped short from her Jeep, seeing Kaede leaning on it.
Kaede waved to her. "Hey, ya like me car?"
Sarah gathered herself and said, "I wanted to get one, eventually. That car's really nice."
"Naw, it ain't," Kaede said with a dismissive wave. "Too damn big! I specifically asked fer a run around car, ya know, just something ta git me around, and the rental place gives me THAT monster! The cars we got at home ain't that big! And what's with givin me a BMW? They think I'm made o money or somethin?"
"They took advantage of you," Sarah offered. "You should probably go inside, it's not allowed here to drink in public."
"I was," Kaede replied in defense. "Just comin back. Seen ya was interested in me car." Waving at the Jeep, she asked, "this yours? It's a little more like what I had in mind. Wanna swap fer a few day, Sarah?"
Sarah went to shake her head, then froze. "You know my name?"
"Yup!" Kaede said happily. Taking a few steps towards Sarah, she loudly whispered, "Got in an looked at yer mug shot from yer Prescardo time. Found a few things there, including vids of ya." Kaede waved her free hand. "Doan worry, ain't lookin ta turn ya in or nothin. Feds think yer dead anyway, you're pretty safe, Lass."
Sarah stiffened. "What else do you know?" she asked.
As if telling a secret, Kaede said. "I know Cameron drives like a friggin maniac. Didn have ta follow'er too close, only the accidents caused in her wake. Had ta have been eight cars and two trucks crunched up after she drove through. Do everyone a favor, take her damn key away."
"You're this Kaede," Sarah said, and braced to bolt.
"Aye, lass, an please doan run. I'm tying ta git a nice buzz on, and it'll ruin it if I have ta chase ya. It'll get me dander up and ya doan want that. I just wanna know about Sky Net. I know yer not crazy, Sarah, I seen the vids of that one thing chasin ya."
"Who do you work for?" Sarah asked.
"MI-6 sent me. They seem ta think the rest of their agents wouldn't survive. Maybe ya kin explain why ta me."
Sarah eyed her. "Isn't MI-6 English?"
Kaede put a finger to her lips. "Shh, Lass, I'll explain inside. Come, have a drink wit me an tell me bout this Sky Net thing."
"Cameron thinks your dangerous, that you came to kill us," Sarah stated.
"Cameron's right, I kin be very dangerous. I doan wanna kill ya, I just want infermtion from ya. Lass, if I wanted ta kill, ya'd be dead long fore ya saw me. So woulda John and Cameron. Ya know Cameron's a bit paranoid, doan ya?"
"Cameron has been our defense against other terminators. It's her job to be paranoid," Sarah stated.
Kaede walked towards Sarah. "Be that as it may, come talk an drink wit me. I can't fix things I know nothing about."
Sarah got in step with her. "What are you drinking?"
"Glen Livet," Kaede said, showing her the bottle. "It's nay Glen Finnen, but still drinkable."
"Not a cheap drunk, are you?"
"Nay lass, I'm Nay a cheap anythin. Queen's paying top dollar ta have me here," Kaede told her with a wink.
"The Queen of England is your boss?" Sarah asked, surprised.
"Well, MI-6 is directly, but the English are paying the bill, an the Queen owns England, doan she?" Kaede asked in return.
"She's just a monarch."
Kaede waved a finger. "Nay just! Look at England's history, Yeah, they got a Pro ... PRIME Minister and their parliament, BUT ya go back in history and the land, all o England is the King, or Queen's proprtey. Ain't nothing, in all o their constitutions and laws that gives the land to anyone else but the Royal Monarch. Look it up, lass."
Reaching the door, Kaede opened it. "I only got plastic cups. Ain't too proud at drink outta those, are ya?"
"Not really," Sarah said and shut the door behind her. "Who have you talked to so far about Sky Net?"
Kaede went on and grabbed the two plastic cups wrapped in plastic. "So far? Only John. I think he wanted ta tell me more, but Cameron grabbed 'im and took off when I went ta git me car." Kaede put the cups on the table and unwrapped them with a vector. She went to pour, then asked, "Ya want some water with yer shot?"
"If you drink it straight, I will too," Sarah said and sat down.
Kaede smiled and poured them each a quarter cup full. "My kinda lass!" she beamed.
As they sipped their drinks, Sarah told Kaede what she knew about Sky Net, it send Terminator machines into the past to try and kill first her so she would never live to have John, then after he was born, it has been trying to kill him. Finishing her drink and holding her cup out for more, Sarah added, "Cameron knows the most. Yes, we are trying to track it down, but much information comes from Cameron, who got sent back from the future. The original Sky Net was made by Cyberdyne. That company is blown up now, so someone else is making it."
Kaede poured Sarah's scotch, then gave herself another quarter cup. "Hold on. If ya blew it up, how's it still comin after ya?"
"The company blew up, but not all the tech," Sarah explained. "One of the main units for Sky Net is called the Turk. The Turk is a computer device originally made to play chess. Last I knew a hoodlum named Sarkasian had it. He sold it to someone else before we could grab it."
"So, this Sarkasian knows where it went?" Kaede asked. "And if I find it, that will keep Sky Net from bein built?"
"I'm hoping so," Sarah told her. "The Government wants a Sky Net. I'm afraid they will keep trying to get one, even if we do find and destroy the Turk."
"Pile o joy, ain't ya?" Kaede asked with a crooked grin, then downed her drink.
"Sometimes the truth is hard to take," Sarah said and downed her drink. "You know, this scotch is pretty good."
"Aye lass, the best. Well, this ain't but get some older Glen Finnen, and it's grand. Goes down smooth and really lights a warm fire in ya."
Sarah smiled. Kaede was more personable than she'd imagined. "Kaede, I have to know. Cameron sounded scared when she talked about meeting you. She wanted to leave town with John the instant they got home. She's never acted like that before. She even called you the Wind of Death."
Kaede nodded. "That is who I am. The only ones who feel me wrath are bullies and killers of innocents. I was tormented by both when I was young, and I'll nay put up with those who prey on innocents. Make no mistake, Sarah, I got a long stretch of bodies in me past. I also do me best to help those who need it. If I kin find Sky Net, I'll tear it apart and those who made it come ta be."
Sarah sobered. "You do kill people."
"When it calls for it, I got no qualm but snuffin out baddies, whoever they are." Kaede tapped the table and said, "Someone comes fer me family or is someone the law can't touch, that's when I go ta work. Seem like this Sky Net thing is something that needs ta git put down hard."
Sarah studied Kaede and said, "You don't look that old. You're what, early twenties?"
Kaede frowned a bit. "25, but I got an early head start."
"How early?" Sarah asked.
"I believe I was six at the time. These bullies at the orphanage killed me puppy. I couldn't take them anymore, so I slaughtered'em. Bits of'em all over the room." Gazing into her empty cup, Kaede said softer, "Been doing it ever since. No matter how many I kill, more keep popin up. Gotta tell ya lass, I'm gittin tired of it." She then poured herself a half cup of scotch.
"Then stop," Sarah said simply.
Kaede let out a snort. "Ain't that easy. Wish it was. Times, I'd just like ta hide in me castle and ignore the world. Thing is, me family lives in this world, so I can't. Like now. Wish I could be home wit me husband and kids. This Sky Net thing's gotta be dealt with, so here I am in the hot weather, wearing this stupid wig half way round the planet. At times, it sucks ta be me." Kaede then threw her wig off onto the bed.
Sarah stared. Seeing the pink hair and horns. "Those are real," she whispered.
"What?" Kaede asked, looking up.
"Your hair, those horns, they're real."
Kaede laughed at her. "Yeah, they're real. Gotta wear that wig so I kin hide what I look like. That or me hat, which most people know about now. Want another drink?"
Sarah looked at her empty cup. "Better not, I have to drive home."
"Yeah, ya doan wanna git pulled over, or wreck yer car," Kaede said in a mussing tone. "Sarah, I would like ta talk wit Cameron bout this sky Net thing. I'm nay a threat ta John, but I'll let'er come ta me if she wants so John woan even be there."
Sarah tipped her head. "No reason for that. Just stop by tomorrow, I'll tell Cameron to behave…"
Kaede shook her head. "Ya doan git it, Sarah. Cameron is terrified fer John. She ain't gonna let me within a mile of'im willingly. Just let'er know I kin speak wit just her."
"Kaede, Cameron is a machine, she just follows her programs. She doesn't have a mind of her own or will."
Kaede winced at Sarah. "Doan think yer right bout that. Lookin at how badly she wanted ta git John away from me, seems she was quite desperate. Machines, computers act on acts and logic. The way she acted, weren't logical at all. More like a girlfriend scared fer her guy."
Sarah frowned at Kaede. "I'll have you know that Cameron is NOT John's girlfriend ! Cameron is a machine. Yes, she has infiltration protocols that can mimic emotions, and he can be very good at it, but she has no true emotions. All she is, is a computer chip with a metal body. That's it!"
Kaede had to grin at how upset Sarah was, talking about Cameron. She offered, "Aye, lass. You know'er better then me."
In a lecturing tone, Sarah waved her finger at Kaede as she said, "See, that is what makes Terminators very dangerous, they can look and act like real people! Don't let yourself be fooled by metal, all they do is look for ways to kill us."
Kaede noted Sarah was a bit tipsy. She knew she was. "Hey Sarah, why doan we go down an git some coffee, maybe eat something fore ya try ta git home?"
Sarah eye her for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, I think you're getting drunk."
Kaede laughed. "Aye, then gimme a hand after I git me wig back on."
.
Sarah found she liked Kaede. She had to grin when Kaede couldn't seem to put her wig on straight, so Sarah got it on right for her. Walking to the hotel restaurant, they found it was closed. The lobby had free coffee so they went in and got some then raided the snack machine.
Kaede asked what Sarah wanted, then somehow pulled the package of doughnuts up off the spiral thing to drop them down in the bottom. Sarah accused her of 'petty thievery'. She still took the doughnuts. A refill on the coffee and they went out to sit on a bench to take their time and finish their coffee and snacks.
Seeing Kaede was quiet for a while, Sarah asked, "You're Scottish I take it?"
With a crooked grin, Kaede asked, "What gave ya that idea, Lass?"
The way she said it made Sarah laugh. "Your accent, maybe?"
"Guess I'm givin meself away," Kaede said with a heavy sigh.
"You lived your whole life there, in Scotland?" Sarah prodded.
"Nay. I was born in Japan, Dad moved us to Seattle. We had ta move again so the bad guys wouldn't find us. Dad's from Scotland, so we moved there. Less people an more clear area makes fer a better defense…" Kaede paused to look at Sarah for a moment. "Ya know, we ain't so different. Stead o Terminaters, we got lunatics chasin after us. Think we both know what it's like when you're life's constant fight or flight. Doan worry, Sarah, I find Sky Net, an it'll be gone. Just git Cameron here fer me. The more I know, the sooner I kin make it happen." She then got up and stretched. "I'm gitin tired, I'm heading fer bed."
"I need to get home also," Sarah agreed. She got up and walked back towards Kaede's room with her. "Kaede. I really glad we had a chance to talk. If you need help, come see me."
Kaede patted her on the back. "Aye Lass. Careful drivin home."
"Night, Kaede." Sarah wandered over to her Jeep. Driving out, she thought about Kaede. She was completely different than what Sarah was expecting.
To get her mind on something else, Sarah turned the radio on to a 'soft' station. She didn't want to hear crashing and banging now. Smooth piano music sounded
… I'm just to find the better part of me
I'm more than a bird
I'm more than a plane
I'm more than some pretty face beside a train
And it's not easy to be … me
.
I wish that I could cry
Fall upon my knees
Find a way to lie
Bout a home I'll never see
It may sound absurd, but don't be naive
Even heros have the right to bleed
I may sound disturbed, but won't you concede
Even heros have the right to dream
And it's not easy to be… me
.
Up, up and away
Away from me
Well it's all right
You can all sleep sound tonight
I'm not crazy …. or anything….
Sarah turned the radio off. Even though the song was about Superman, somehow, she was equating it to Kaede. To the windshield, she said, "You and me, sister."