Chapter 95

Riley

The girl looked Derek over real good in detail. It seemed that she checked for something specific. She looked at his face a few times too. She seemed to be searching for something.

"My name is Riley - Riley Dawson."

Derek was pleased to hear that but doubted it was her real name. He needed to get a lot more information from her before he could even determine if she was even going to live. She could be an enemy combatant of some type. It did not seem like it but he knew females could be very deceitful. Maybe that was just his own thoughts from his prolonged association with Jesse. Right now he wanted to help the girl get away from here. She might be more talkative if she felt less threatened.

"If you want to live, come with me." Derek said as he extended his hand.

Riley was unsure what to do. She didn't like where she was at currently but did not know what awaited her. It might turn out worse.

She reluctantly took Derek's hand.

Derek could see her apprehension.

"Look, those people had you tied up, not me." Derek said. "Let's go."

Riley looked him over again, this time in detail. There was something that was trying to click in her mind. She could not make the connection.

"What do you want with me?" Riley asked. "Who are you?"

Derek didn't have time for questions or games. They needed to get moving.

"I'm the person who just saved you." Derek said. "Now, let's get out of here."

Riley took a look at the dead men littering the floor and thought that might be a good idea. She didn't seen Ed in action or she'd be asking Derek about Ed and what he was. That was unless she already knew.

Derek took a quick look around for anything useful. He knew Kyle and Ed would return after they terminated the Gray they were after and do a better search.

He wanted to get the girl to safety first. He then wanted to start an interrogation….

Derek and Riley left.

Riley glanced at the dead one last time. She searched for any faces she knew….

Kyle sent Derek a text to inform him the threat was neutralized. The Gray was down for good. Derek told them to go back to the base after they checked over the place they'd raided. He would investigate the girl and would do the interrogation himself.

Kyle wondered where the 'investigation' would lead. The girl was Derek's 'body type' in every way. He hoped Derek did not take his eye off the ball.

'Whatever.' Kyle thought.

Kyle knew Derek needed to get his head back in the game. There were many things that could happen.

He figured the 'interrogation' would more than likely be 'subjugation' in a bedroom.

Derek moved Riley along briskly. He wanted to clear the area.

She wondered where they were headed. She was a little worried where they might end up. This man seemed to know a lot. She wanted some answers.

"Where are you taking me?" Riley asked.

Derek glanced at her for her reaction.

"We're going back to your place." Derek said.

He could see the look of surprise on her face. That was a good sign. That meant she hadn't 'made him' when he'd surveilled her previously.

Riley was a little shocked to hear that. She was afraid that was where they were headed.

"How do you know where 'my place' is?" Riley asked.

Derek tried not to smile. It was clear she didn't have a clue.

"I've followed you there, several times." Derek said.

Riley briefly reflected she was not very good at this yet. She didn't have much training in this type of work. She wanted to know who he was.

"Why were you following me?" Riley asked. "Who are you?"

Derek kept her moving. He made sure they weren't being tailed.

"I already told you. I'm the guy that just saved your life." Derek said.

Riley could see he kept looking at her and looking her over.

"Do you know who I am?" Riley asked.

Derek saw all the small scars, cuts, scabs and a few open sores on Riley. He knew there was only one place a young female could look like that. It was in the future.

"I know where you are from." Derek said. "I know 'when' you are from."

Derek and the girl shared a long silent look. It was too long and too silent.

Riley remained silent. She looked at him hard and long, the scars, the look, the attitude…. His physical condition was improved from where she suspected he came from. He must have been here awhile.

"I see we are from the same 'where'." Riley said.

Derek was aware there was more than one future. He needed to determine where her future was from.

"And the same 'when'. Now start talking." Derek said.

They were near her apartment. Derek bent down and retrieved a key from under a rock on the side of the building. There were no windows on that side. It was a blind walkway that no one would traverse.

Riley was surprised he knew where to find the key. He really must have been following her. She wondered how long ago she'd been made.

He opened the door quickly and pulled her into her apartment.

Derek made a quick sweep of the apartment while he kept her in tow.

Riley noticed he did not use her as 'shield'. She took note of that. He offered her protection.

It appeared that they were alone for now. There were two men who stayed there. They were out. He saw each one occupied their own room. This did not appear to be a sexual relationship but a 'working' one. They could still share beds. It didn't take long to do the deed. He was sure she was not in a relationship with one of them anyway even if they did have sex.

Derek wanted some answers.

"Where are the men?" Derek asked.

Riley looked at him. She saw he put her safety before his. He seemed familiar to her somehow. She could not place it. He seemed to know a lot already. Maybe this was a test.

"They went out two days ago and never came back. I went to look for them. I got careless." Riley said.

Riley was concerned but not afraid. She sensed determination and safety in this man. There was something about him….

"What's your name?" Riley asked.

Derek said nothing. He looked her over. He examined her minor wounds. He checked for anything broken or more severe. He brushed open her torn shirt and look at the breast that was abused.

Riley started to resist but didn't. She could tell he was not going to abuse her. She'd experienced enough of that to know the look. Once it was in their eyes they didn't stop until they were 'done' with you. She'd needed to lay there with a knife to her throat or a gun against the side of her head before. After a half a dozen times she learned to just let it happen. It would be over faster that way. This man never threatened her with a weapon. He hadn't hit or beat her and he actually checked her for injuries. He was different.

"You are not hurt bad." Derek said.

All of a sudden it clicked in the girl's mind…. This was a leader.

"I KNOW you!" Riley blurted out.

Derek remained even.

"I don't know you." Derek replied.

Riley was sure who he was now. He was a hero.

"You were the one who smashed Skynet." Riley said.

Derek thought she was involved in the Resistance. He would play along some.

"There were a lot of us involved with that." Derek said. "Many people and machines helped. A lot of people died."

Riley looked at him in awe.

"You're a hero." Riley said.

Derek stuck out his hand.

"I'm Derek Reese."

Riley's face lit up.

"Thank God." Riley said as she moved forward and hugged him. "I've been looking for you. We ran across those other men, the ones you killed. One of my associates recognized one of them as an interrogator from a work camp. We tried to find out what they were up to."

Derek heard stories like that before. He still needed more information.

"How long have you been here?" Derek asked.

Riley smiled now. She seemed more relaxed. Maybe it was because she knew she was not going to be abused at this point.

"It's been one week." Riley said.

Derek wanted her to change her clothes. Where they had her tied up at was filthy. She was covered with dust and grime. She needed a shirt that was not ripped.

"Get cleaned up." Derek said. "We need to talk more. You can tell me why you were looking for me then. Don't try to run."

This was what her objective was. She was pleased she found Derek and even more pleased that he saved her life. She knew what the men who captured her were going to do to her. They told her as they groped her.

"I won't run." Riley said.

She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you for saving me." Riley said. "I will leave the bathroom door open so you can 'see' that I am not going to run."

Derek was open to that idea. He did not say anything one way or the other.

She left the bathroom door open so Derek could 'see' she was not trying to go out the window.

Derek could see 'everything'. He could not take his eyes off of her. He needed to readjust his pants, several times.

He hadn't been with Jesse for weeks.

Derek decided he would not take her back to base, yet.

She was going to need some further 'investigation'. He also needed to make sure she was not a spy and trying to find their base. He was sure if he brought her back now that one of the Terminators would beat her to death interrogating her.

Derek returned back to the base. He was a little less than forthcoming with his explanation. He did not want the girl beat to death. He was afraid at this point that Jesse might get a hold of her and would brutalize her, especially if she thought he cared for her.

Kyle did not like his 'story'.

"What do you mean she got away?" Kyle asked.

Ed was nearby and heard the report.

"I will find her and terminate her." Ed stated.

He got up to leave.

"NO! I want to track her down and see what she is up to." Derek said. "I have seen the places she goes to."

Ed did not want any loose ends. The girl was an unknown threat.

"I will help." Ed said.

Derek did not want this to get out of control.

"NO! I lost her, I will find her." Derek said.

Ed and Kyle exchanged glances.

They both knew Derek 'forget' some of the facts.

Kyle decided to let it slide for now. He went on with his briefing.

"We went back to where they'd taken the girl." Kyle said as he looked at Derek hard. "There were two men dead in the basement. Both of them were tortured. It was worse than what we have seen from some the most brutal Scavengers."

Kyle showed Derek a photo he took. Presumably they were the two men that arrived with Riley.

Derek looked at the photo. Their faces were - gone. There is no way to tell if they were the men he'd seen before. It looked like their teeth were knocked out one at a time with a hammer and chisel. Each was missing an eye and the other was pulled from the socket so the men could see their own face or what was left of it.

"I don't even want to talk about what happened to some of the other parts of their bodies." Kyle said.

THAT made Derek a little sick to even just think about it.

"I will find her. It seems whoever they are or were that we are working on a common goal." Derek said. "I'll stay in touch."

Derek left.

Ed was not sold on the story. He wanted to act.

"I will follow him and terminate the girl." Ed said. "He is not telling the entire truth."

Kyle did not want any trouble or bad blood.

"No, let's give it some time first. Derek knows what he is doing." Kyle said. "I hope."

Kyle was sure Derek probably wanted a little more than information from the girl.

Derek returned to the Riley's apartment. He expected her to be gone. He knocked.

The door opened.

She'd changed her clothes. Derek noticed her top should have had at least one more button buttoned, no, two more. She was ready to 'pop' out of her top.

Derek handed her a bag with Chinese food in it and smiled.

"Hello, let's eat and - talk…." Derek said.

She invited him in. She looked out the door in both directions.

The door closed….

You're Unreliable

As sure as the sun rises in the east
And sets in the west
Two hearts were waiting
The strong bond ready to test

Like a flash of lightning
With the roar of thunder
You invited in another
Your heart was open to plunder

Had my own words
Meant so very little
Our love that existed
Could not get me an acquittal

To the future's past
From the ends of the earth
Was not my record
Something that had worth

Two hearts were ready
That fact was undeniable
You're the one that chose another
You're unreliable

Nobody