Chapter 37: Innocence Lost

Summary:

John and his Allies execute a plan to recover Cameron, Morris meets Oleg and Yuri.

In the back of a police cruiser, Morris Ortega shook nervously, ignorant to the reason his captors had taken him. He looked out the window and saw buildings pass, flowing through his view and then leaving as quickly as they had appeared. As far as he knew, the criminal history of his family was jaded. His father was once jailed for stealing a car in 1996, but that was all he remembered.

"Hey man, you mind telling me where you're taking me?" Morris asked frustratingly.

The man driving the car, the one sporting a mohawk and cheap aviators was the one who spoke, "To the station. You've been suspected as an accessory to armed robbery. The Detectives want a word; if you come out clean, you can go." he replied.

Morris scoffed. "You passed four precincts already and we're heading for the city limit. I know you're not cops."

"We are, Mr. Ortega." the driver replied.

Morris shook his head, "You didn't even read me my Miranda Rights! I bet you didn't even forge a badge number. So I don't know what the hell you want with me, but I'm just a High School kid who likes video games and Doctor Who. Whatever you guys want, I don't have!"

Morris saw the driver look to the other "officer" in the passenger seat. He mouthed something, and the passenger nodded, seemingly in agreement with whatever was said. Suddenly, the police cruiser pulled to the right and stopped, a car that was tailing them sounded its horn, the driver looking on in frustration at the Officer before driving off.

The driver removed his Aviators and faced Morris, resting his arm against the headrest, "Morris Ortega, born January 15th, 1992? Father is Emilio Ortega, Mother is Sandra Vasquez-Ortega?"

Morris nervously looked between the two men. They were big, muscular in every place it counted. He gulped and nodded meekly.

"Yeah..."

This time, the passenger was the one who spoke, "Morris, tell me, does the name John Connor mean anything to you?"

Sarah opened the door to John's room, where she saw him laying on his left side, facing away from the door. She knew he was awake, and she knew grief. Her intent was to reassure him, tell him "it's not his fault" and stuff like that, but she knew he didn't want to hear it. Wordlessly, she gently sat down on the open spot on the bed. She watched him for a moment, taking no offense to the fact that he had not addressed her presence.

She sighed, placing a comforting hand on his arm.

"You remember when we were living in Central America and we went on that march? We took the trail and walked for about a mile. We found a monkey laying on it's back, it was barely moving." she said.

When John spoke, it was quiet, timid even, "It's leg was broken. It fell from the tree."

Sarah nodded, "I wanted to leave it alone. It wasn't our job to interfere with nature. But you wouldn't have it. Do you remember what you said?"

"No." John chirped.

"You looked up at me, you said, 'If I can't save one monkey from a broken leg, then how hell do you expect me to save the entire human race.'"

John smiled, the memory of that day was slowly coming back to him, the trek into the Jungle, the sounds of the helpless monkey as it tried desperately to nurture its broken leg, "We brought it back to the village, the medicine man gave it a Tourniquet." he recalled.

Again, Sarah nodded, "Yeah... we were there for about a month, and the village chief released him after we moved away."

John was silent, but Sarah could tell the memory was distressing. She tugged his arm gently, and he turned over to face her.

"I wanted to teach you that you couldn't save everyone. That it was sometimes necessary to cut losses in order to continue the mission."

Sarah saw John's hopeful grin fade away. Sensing that he thought she was going to give him another patronizing speech, she put his mind at ease.

"I was wrong. You were the one who taught me something that day. Empathy was the most important thing that we could feel."

Finally, John's smile of happiness returned. One shared by Sarah.

Suddenly, the chirping jingle of Sarah's cellphone went off in her pocket, she checked the caller ID, seeing it was Penny. She had exchanged numbers with the machine prior to their departure from the Kaliba Warehouse. She dreaded the idea of talking to the machine, but given its task, she knew John would never let her see the end of it if she hung up. John also seemed to recognize the caller and leaned in to hear the conversation that was about to happen.

"Hello?" Sarah greeted in a distasteful tone.

"Sarah, this is Penny." The caller greeted back.

A moment passed by, no further words were spoken by either, as Sarah had expected the machine to speak on her task further, but no such elaboration came. An awkward pause formed between them.

"Well?" Sarah asked impatiently.

"I have reached Compound India as per the instructions provided by Herbert Gary. Security here is higher than the Warehouse, with patrols moving around the building at all times. It is situated in a Forest East of Los Angeles. Due to the Kaliba Garrison, it is ill-advised to perform an assault with the current members of the household. I would strongly advise involving outside help, preferably trained military or ex-military personnel."

"There's no way you can sneak in the back?" Sarah asked.

"Not this time." Penny responded.

"We don't know anyone like that." Sarah said.

"Catherine?" John proposed.

"John..." Sarah started.

Her son moved in closer, only inches away now, "Mom, we CAN'T leave Cameron behind. We need her..."

Sarah shook her head in protest, "No, no. John... if this was Derek, or Kyle, or... Charlie. Then we would go, but we can't because-"

"Because she's not family?!" John barked. "After all she's done? After what I went through just to see her again? You don't think she deserves that much?"

Sarah looked deep into her son's eyes. She witnessed that same unwavering resolve that had carried him through countless dangers. It was also the catalyst for his undying bravery and selflessness. She knew that if she didn't act with him, that he would go alone, that he might get killed trying to find Cameron. That almost happened once, and she wouldn't allow it to happen again.

Reluctantly, the mother raised the phone back to her ear, "Penny. I'm going to give someone a call. She's... well off. I'll let you know if anything changes."

"Understood." Penny deadpanned.

Sarah hung up the phone, glancing at her son.

"Let's hope this works." Sarah said.

John smiled proudly.

Yuri observed the surroundings that made up the abandoned Construction Site. Inoperable Cranes and stacks of Cinder Blocks were scattered throughout, the beating California sun shone its light across the equipment. Luckily for Yuri and his brother, the window provided a clear view of anyone that attempted to move through the quarry. It was outside Los Angeles, but not too far that they didn't have to travel a great distance to accomplish a task were it needed.

"You know you guys sound absolutely off your rockers right? I mean, machines? John being the leader of mankind? Nuclear War? Did you guys happen to escape from a place where people in white scrubs took care of you?" Morris commented.

Yuri closed the blinds, turning back to Morris, "You went to High School with John did you not? He didn't strike you as a little bit strange?"

Morris shrugged, "Well, yeah! But that doesn't mean make him the Messiah! That just makes him a Teenager!"

He was silent for a moment, apparently deep in thought, before seemingly coming to a realization, "Come to think of it... he did kind of disappear one day. I heard something about him dating a girl named Riley, and then..."

Oleg leaned in, "Then what?"

"...Nothin'. It's like he just dropped out."

Oleg and Yuri exchanged looks. Wordlessly, Oleg opened up a duffel bag and planted a picture on the table in front of Morris, "This girl?"

Morris slid the picture closer, nodding, "I think that's her. I don't know, we never really talked. She kept to herself mostly."

Oleg placed his left foot on top of a chair, resting his arms on his knee as he leaned in to speak, "Her name is Riley Dawson. She was part of a conspiracy levied by a Rogue Resistance Officer named Jesse Flores. The goal was to use Riley to compromise John's relationship with Cameron."

The brothers could see that Morris was becoming more and more of a believer by the second. It seemed apparent to them that whatever information they were giving Morris seemed to offer context to his interactions with both Cameron and John.

"What happened to her?" Morris asked.

"She was murdered by Jesse." Oleg replied simply.

Morris sucked in a deep breath, very unfond of the situation he was in.

"Okay... so I know John, or... I thought I did. I don't see how I can help you, I have no idea where he is." Morris said.

Yuri spoke up, "John's the main goal; but we have other orders. For now, we have to ensure your safety."

Morris' eyes darted between Yuri and Oleg, "Why am I so important?"

Yuri ignored his question, "What about Cameron?"

Morris raised a confused brow, "John's sister?"

Oleg shook his head, "Not his sister. She's a Terminator."

Fear gripped Morris as soon as he processed his words, "Wait! She's one of those things? Why hasn't she killed him then?!"

"That's not her mission anymore, she was reprogrammed to protect his younger self." Yuri answered.

Morris planted his face in his hands, groaning loudly, "Oh fuck me! Younger self? Cameron... Machines..." Morris continued to babble restlessly. Saying words and recalling information over and over again. Yuri and Oleg empathized with his situation, easily able to comprehend the fact that people in this time would find the existence of killer sentient machines a foreign concept. There was nothing to derail the silence aside from Morris's barely cohesive rambling; until his phone rang.

The Teenager pulled it out of his left pocket, looking at Yuri for approval.

Reluctantly, Yuri nodded, "Keep it brief." he said. "Put it on Speaker."

Morris nodded and accepted the call, "Hello?"

"Morris? There's another Police Officer here, he told me to call you. Did those cops take you to the station yet?" The voice of the caller said. Morris immediately recognized it as his mother's.

Oleg nodded at Morris.

"Yeah..." Morris said.

"Well there's another police officer here, he says he needs to talk to you." his mother said.

Oleg moved forward and gently grabbed Morris' arm. His expression was serious, clearly about to give him an order.

"Ask her something personal, something only she would know. They can imitate voices." he said.

Morris's eyes went wide, hoping to god that Oleg was bluffing, although there was no logical reason for him to do so. Reluctantly, he nodded.

"Mom... what's the name of the hospital I was born in?" he asked, barely getting the words out of his mouth.

"...What?"

"The hospital I was born in, what's the name? They need it for their records."

"Good Samaritan, the one on Wilshire!" Morris's obviously concerned mother answered.

"Okay. Yeah, I'm at the Station now." Morris said.

Oleg waved his hand forth, signaling his desire to speak to Morris's mother. Nervously, the Teenager handed him the phone.

"Miss Ortega, this is Officer North, may I speak to the Officer who is in your home right now?" Oleg said.

Feedback sounded before the phone was picked up, a gruff, deep voice answered a few seconds later, "This is Officer Brandis, badge number 8062. Who am I speaking with?" it said.

Oleg could tell it was a machine right away, the voice said every word as flatly and as flawlessly as possible, no hint of imperfection to be heard.

"This is Officer North, I apologize for the confusion and the wasted trip, but we have Morris Ortega in Custody. You're welcome to pick him up on Rampart."

"Yes, I would like to retrieve him. Please have him ready for my arrival." The Terminator requested.

"Not a problem, see you in a few." Oleg said. He disconnected the call and handed the phone back to Morris.

"That should keep him busy for a while. Do you have any family outside of the city?" Oleg asked.

Morris shuffled nervously and nodded, "My Uncle owns a Ranch north of Chula Vista, a few hours away." he replied.

Oleg and Yuri exchanged glances, they both came to the realization that a Ranch meant a lot of open fields, which in turn provided a clear shot for a Sniper were they able to infiltrate the perimeter.

"Anyone else?" Oleg asked.

Morris shook his head, "No, the rest of my family lives in LA."

Oleg and Yuri once again gave each other a fretting look. Oleg shrugged, and Yuri was about as successful at providing an alternative as his brother. The Ranch wasn't ideal, far from it, but it would have to do.

"Does he own guns?" Yuri spoke up.

Morris nodded, "I think so... I don't know - I haven't seen him in like five years."

Oleg turned away and walked to a filing cabinet, he opened the top drawer and retrieved a .45 Semi-Automatic. He fed a clip into the chamber and walked over to Morris.

"You know how to use this thing?" he asked.

Morris eyed the weapon curiously and shook his head.

Oleg ejected the clip and fed it back in, "You load the weapon like that." he cocked the slide, "You slide this back, and that chambers a round; after that, you point the weapon at whatever you're trying to kill, and pull the trigger. Easy Peasy."

Oleg knelt down and placed a comforting hand on Morris's left shoulder, "Look, we're both very very aware of how crazy we sound. We have no right to ask you to take our word on this. But you gotta understand; those questions that you've had about John? The ones that lingered since the day you met him? Well, now you have an answer." the large man said.

Even though the words did little to comfort Morris, the teenager still took solace in the revelations he encountered today.

"Okay. What about my parents?" he asked.

Yuri, who was sitting on a crate behind Oleg, replied to his question, "They're gonna use them to get to you. Believe it or not, running away from Kaliba is the easy part; it's convincing your parents that running is the best course of action that'll be a pain in the ass."

Morris looked between the brothers, "How will I convince them?"

Yuri crossed his arms and sighed, "Let us worry about that. Tell them they need to get to that Ranch, and that everything will be explained in two days."

Confliction was too weak a word to describe the expression on Morris's face. Never had he suffered from such indecision, unfortunately falling back and calling it a draw wasn't an option here, assuming Oleg and Yuri were telling the truth.

Finally, Morris let out a conclusive sigh, "Alright, I'll do it."

Oleg grinned, "Attaboy. Can I see your phone?"

Morris nodded and retrieved the device, "Yeah, here you go." he replied, handing it to Oleg.

"Thanks." Oleg said, and without warning, he dropped the phone on the ground and crushed it beneath his right boot.

Alarmed, Morris stood up with angered eyes, "HEY! What the hell!?"

"They can track it." Oleg deadpanned. He reached into his left jacket pouch and handed Morris a new phone, "Take this one." he said.

Morris complied and took the phone from Oleg begrudgingly.

Oleg gently clocked Morris's left shoulder, "Hey, look on the bright side - at least you won't have that shitty Pearl Jam ringtone anymore."

Morris glared at the tall man, "I happen to like Pearl Jam."

Oleg shrugged, "Eh, more of a Stone Temple Pilots guy myself."

Morris sighed in annoyance.

Sarah paced in a circle as she waited. This was one of the more notable things she did while nervous, other than resting her hand on her pistol. Her brother-in-law was much more restrained, opting to lean against a wall during his wait. Although neither of them were enthusiastic about waiting in the middle of nowhere.

Derek let out an annoyed breath, "Late people make me nervous."

Sarah ignored him, only continuing to pace. She kept her eyes firmly on the door that led to the interior of the abandoned building, making sure the ones who entered were exclusively those she had agreed upon. The tense mother was never privy to losing focus, and that was more crucial now than ever.

Suddenly, the door opened with a metallic whine. Sarah gripped her pistol as she waited to see who had entered. Two people stepped in, one of them Catherine - the other an average-sized man with brown hair, wearing Army Fatigues. He wasn't military, as the patches that identified a soldier weren't present on his uniform.

"Hello Sarah." Catherine greeted flatly.

Sarah nodded at the man, "Who's he?" Sarah inquired firmly while still maintaining a grip on her pistol.

Catherine looked at the man as she introduced him, "Sarah, Derek - this is Lieutenant Hawkins of the Epsilon Private Security Group. He has agreed to spearhead our assault on Compound India."

Hawkins nodded, "Ma'am." he greeted.

Sarah finally relaxed her stance, although she remained callous nonetheless, "Where'd you find him?"

Catherine grinned, "Gabriel and I go way back. He's assisted me in several issues that required... advanced persuasion."

Sarah gave Catherine a look, she moved closer and brushed past Hawkins, "With me." she said to Catherine.

The T-1001 tilted her head in irritation but decided to follow through with Sarah's request. The two found themselves in a corner out of earshot, although it was obvious to everyone present they were discussing Catherine's old "friend".

"How long have you known this man?" Sarah grilled.

"Since January 13th, 2003." Catherine answered rather forwardly.

Sarah pulled back slightly, although she considered herself used to it now, the tendency of Terminators to answer a question as forwardly as they did tended to throw her off on occasion.

"Do you trust him?" Sarah inquired further.

Catherine glanced at Hawkins, who was now making his way towards Derek, "Oh, you know me Sarah; I think trust is a circumstantial commodity."

"So no?" Sarah challenged with a raised brow.

"I trust that he will do the job I am paying him 15,000 dollars for." The Terminator deadpanned. "You asked for a mercenary and I brought one; if you believe trust would be an issue then perhaps you should not have asked me to contract a Merc group."

Sarah admitted the machine had a point, but she wouldn't be doing her job as a mother if she didn't wonder about the effect this might have on John.

Derek and Hawkins watched as Catherine and Sarah went at it, a sight familiar to Derek. He took the chance to examine his newfound comrade. He couldn't have been older than thirty-three. His posture looked to be difficult to break, and the man carried a presence that even Derek would think twice before challenging.

"Let me guess," Derek started, "Ex-military?" he asked, breaking the silence.

Hawkins looked back at Derek and nodded, "Yeah. 75th Rangers."

"Afghanistan?" Derek asked.

Hawkins nodded, "Yeah. You?"

Derek exhaled a nervous breath, looking off into space, "Yeah, I've spent some time in the shit."

Hawkins sympathized with Derek, it wasn't easy to resonate with someone who wasn't in the service.

"Yeah, I was stationed in Fort Benning when... you know. Two years later I'm in the back of a 130 about to drop into Tora Bora."

Hawkins looked away, visibly struggling to recall the memories that had been raised, "At least know that it's over. You did your time, now your out."

Finally, Sarah and Catherine concluded their discussion and began walking back, Derek gave Hawkins a sympathetic look before moving away from his seated position to meet them.

"Trust me, worst has yet to come." Derek stated ominously, earning a baffled look from Hawkins.

He met Sarah in the middle and the two waited for Hawkins to follow Catherine out of the building. Derek and Sarah shared looks of equal discontent.

"She wants us to attack at Nightfall. Compound India is located in the wilderness far from Los Angeles, and she says they won't be contacting Police because Kaliba doesn't want them to investigate the facility and see all the shiny toys they have." Sarah explained.

Derek nodded, "What about after the battle?"

"It's gonna be a Torch and Burn situation. All the tech in that Compound is getting burned to ash." Sarah said, "What about him?"

Derek eyed the door that Hawkins and Catherine had just exited from, "War Vet. We might not know him, but he knows his way around a rifle; that's good enough for me."
he explained.

Sarah grinned and playfully slapped Derek on his left shoulder, "Let's go rescue a Terminator."

Derek scoffed at her joke, "Goddamn Metal's gonna owe me one after this..." Derek quipped as he and Sarah began walking to the door.

With strained eyes, Aldridge struggled to keep himself focused on the screen in front of him. He had been in this chair the entire day, and it sure felt like it. He reached over and took a sip of his coffee, and made a disgusted face as he realized it had gone cold. The other agents had long since vacated the FBI building, with only him to remain, his only company being that of the light from the monitor that his eyes were glued to.

He heard footsteps from the hall, and his head shot back to examine the source of the noise. They were getting closer, and Aldridge put a hand on his service pistol, ready to draw. A man came into the doorframe, and Aldridge sighed in relief when he realized it was Kennedy - his partner.

"You're still here?" Kennedy asked.

Aldridge relaxed his hand and turned back to the screen, "Yeah, I work for a living, you should try it sometime."

Kennedy joined Aldridge at the computer and examined what he was researching. His face scrunched in confusion as he saw numerous tabs all linked to the CEO of Zeira Corporation.

"Got a thing for Redheads?" Kennedy joked.

Aldridge gave Kennedy an irritated glance, he recalled his exchange with Catherine Weaver earlier, the shimmering silver eyes blinking was a catalyst for nightmares, he was sure. He had juggled with the possibility of it being an illusion resulting from stress, but Aldridge had made sure to rest himself accordingly ever since he started hunting Sarah Connor. While exhaustion wasn't to be ruled out as a factor, it remained suspect nonetheless.

A loud "beep" from the back of the room shook Aldridge, causing him to flinch in his chair. He looked back to see what had caused the noise, only to be met with an amused smirk from Kennedy.

"Easy there, Tiger! It's just the printer." he said.

Aldridge closed his eyes in relief, letting out an audible distressed breath.

"Will you grab those copies for me?" Aldridge requested.

Kennedy gave Aldridge a concerned look before complying, he walked to the printer and retrieved the copies that Aldridge had printed. Kennedy spent a moment going through them and noticed all of them were business, personal, and financial profiles of Catherine Weaver. He rose a brow and looked at Aldridge.

"Okay, man, this is getting creepy. What's with the boost of research into this chick? This is almost as thick as the files you have on Sarah Connor; shit I'm sure this would give the case on Ted Bundy a run for its money."

Aldridge sighed and buried his face in his hands. After a moment, he stood up and walked over to Kennedy, gently taking the files from his waiting hands. He briefly went through them and stopped on a page, he held it up and presented it to his partner.

"Okay, so 2002, Catherine Weaver survives a chopper crash; the crash kills her husband - Lachlan, along with the crew."

"Okay..." Kennedy replied in a perplexed tone.

Aldridge retrieves another file and shows it to Kennedy. The file shows the profile of an older man in a shirt with a Firefighter emblem.

"This is Ed Powell, he was the first responder to the scene. Unfortunately, he died in 2005, but his widow is still alive and lives in Nevada." Aldridge explained.

Kennedy examined the file, but held true to his confused demeanour, "That still doesn't answer my question, why are you looking so hard into Catherine Weaver?"

"Let me finish; Ed retired a few months after the crash. According to articles detailing the aftermath, he experienced severe bouts of PTSD, including night terrors. It seems the source of these nightmares derives from Catherine Weaver." Aldridge explained further.

"What the hell does any of this have to do with the Connors? We're assigned to them, not her!" Kennedy argued loudly.

Aldridge gave Kennedy a dumbfounded look, "Come on man, Catherine Weaver is kidnapped by Sarah and is released without any demands, she doesn't seem to be affected by the experience either emotionally or physically. Something fishy's goin' on." Aldridge brushed past his partner and retrieved his suit coat.

"I'm gonna follow up on Ed's widow." he declared.

Kennedy stretched his arms outward in a gesture of confusion, "What the hell am I supposed to do?!" he asked.

Aldridge peaked back in the frame as he answered, "It's LA. You'll find something."

Alicia ran a hand through her short hair. Without a braid or ponytail to be found, she could easily be mistaken for a man at a distance. She adjusted the straps on her workers' apron, fastening it tightly around her shoulders. She was interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. She reached into her pocket and retrieved the device, checking the caller ID.

"Ruskie"

She made sure the coast was clear before she answered, turning her head left and right, when she was satisfied, she held the phone to her cheek.

"Hello?"

"Hey Lieutenant, it's Oleg."

"What's the news?"

"We've achieved one of our objectives. What about you? You safe?"

"Relatively. I'm working at a market in San Bernardino."

"Has anyone recognized you?"

"Nope. It's been quiet over here since I relocated."

"Alright, that's good. We'll call you with another update tomorrow."

"Wait, you guys find John? I'm supposed to bunk with him aren't I?"

"Not yet, and that's a good thing. If any rat from the street can find him, then you bet your ass Kaliba could too. We've got two more objectives to accomplish, after that, that's when the real ball game starts."

Alicia scrunched her face in confusion, "What?"

"Erm, sorry, dumb metaphor. Anyway, we'll call you tomorrow."

"Sounds good." Alicia said. With that, she hung up and placed the phone back in her pocket, she exited the bathroom and retrieved the flatbed cart with merchandise, and began stocking shelves. Instinctively, she gazed around the immediate area, looking for anyone who could be identified as a machine. She found herself doing that a lot lately, and prayed the day where she would no longer have to would come soon.

Penny laid out the map she had drawn of Compound India on the table, there were red circles marking entrances to the building, and the same color was used to draw a path that patrols would take. The current assault force consisted of six squads: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, and Foxtrot. All of them had fireteam leads including Hawkins, who was leading Alpha.

With a cigarette in his mouth, Hawkins closely examined the map Penny had presented. The building had four sides, and three entrances, each of them designed symmetrically with the other in mind. After a few minutes, Hawkins tossed his cigarette and stomped the bud beneath his tactical boots.

"Alright, listen up. Alpha and Bravo will breach the Western entrance, Charlie and Delta the Eastern, and Echo and Foxtrot North. NVG's have been provided with your kit, use them accordingly. Now, let's go over the rules of engagment - anything goes. The objective is to clear out the compound of all Kaliba personnel. Against my better judgment, our employer - Miss Weaver, will be accompanying us in the assault. Any questions?"

None of the soldiers said anything, not even as much as a grunt was heard.

Hawkins grinned in satisfaction, "Alright then. One more thing, make sure you mark the rooms you've cleared with spraypaint. I don't like redundancies in EPS; especially during an op like this."

A wave of "Yes sirs!" were heard from the sea of men before him, they broke out to form their respective squads. Luckily, the cover of night and the thick forest were more than enough to hide the intended assault, there weren't better conditions a soldier could ask for, at least not any who intended to besiege. Hawkins approached Derek.

"Hey, listen, Rivera ain't a vet, and I'm not saying I don't have faith in him, but I'd be more comfortable with you leading Charlie for this one. That okay with you?" Hawkins asked.

Derek nodded, albeit reluctantly, "Yeah... I got you." he answered.

Hawkins nodded back, he turned away and approached Catherine Weaver.

"Miss Weaver, I must once again voice my objection to your involvement in this assault. I can't guarantee your safety if you're on the frontlines."

Catherine gave him an amused grin, "Your concern is appreciated, but I can handle myself. My death will not make your payment null, the objective is not to protect me. You will be paid the agreed sum whether I walk out of here or not." The T-1001 argued.

With a tarrying expression of worry, Hawkins shrugged reluctantly. He walked over to Alpha squad and began directing them to their position.

Sarah watched curiously, wary of how Hawkins men behaved so professionally. She hoped some of these men made up a considerable percentage of Resistance were she to fail in her ultimate task. She glanced at John, who seemed to be in a state beyond terrified. Not of what enemies could lie ahead, but of the wellbeing of his guardian. Gently, she took hold of her son's shoulder, earning his attention.

"No matter what happens, no matter what you hear, you stay right here." Sarah said sternly.

John's face lit up with subtle rage, "What? No, no way. You think I came with you to sit on the sidelines? I'm going with you!"

"John-"

"I'm going!" John protested. His eyes were so full of life, full of rebellion, that Sarah knew arguing further was meaningless.

With a heavy heart, she took a pump shotgun from the weapons case, loaded it with several shells, and handed it to John.

"You stay behind me, you don't go in front of me. If something happens, run."

Even though she knew her orders would go unheeded, her son nodded at the words she had spoken to him. An Epsilon soldier marched up, an alert aura about him.

"Assaults about to start. You two are with Foxtrot." the soldier said.

Sarah nodded in thanks and waited for the soldier to depart. When he did, she gave her son a final look of worry but was surprised to see the complete lack of fear in his eyes. Whether or not that was a good or bad thing remained to be seen.