Chapter 99
The Walk
Derek and Riley finished sharing with each other. They decided to clean up. Riley thought about the water as they washed. The water, clean water, warm water, was such a thrill to Riley. She spent hours in the shower when they first got the apartment. Then she 'found' the bathtub. She was able to find pleasure in the warm running water when it was properly 'directed'. It was an experience she'd never imagined before. Riley took a long warm 'bath' every night. Luckily the apartment was equipped with large boilers for all the units to share the hot water.
Derek told her the two men she arrived with were deceased but he did not elaborate on their condition. The horror of what was done to them was not disclosed. He knew that would have happened to Riley too if they hadn't rescued her. Riley told him she did not know the men personally. They'd all been assigned different missions. She hadn't been informed what those missions were. None of the others knew what the other was to do for security. That way if they were apprehended they could not blow anyone else's mission.
Derek wasn't sure of the choices he'd made right now but somehow they seemed right. It felt right. Riley was nothing like Jesse. That seemed to make her more appealing to him. There was none of the raw raunchiness that Jesse used to exhibit. He was worried how Jesse would treat Riley or what Jesse might do to her….
It was possible Jesse would become jealous of Riley and hurt her or even kill her. Derek was well aware of some of the things Jesse did in their future. He knew she kept 'souvenirs' off of living people that she personally mutilated. Some of them were females. She was a different person now but the darkness was still a part of her. It was deep inside of her. Somehow Cameron and the girls changed her into a different person. Cameron was able to 'fix' what was broken inside of Jesse and the girls filled in the love she needed. He wished her the best but he would still need to keep an eye on her around Riley.
Riley could see Derek was lost deep in thought. That usually happened when he thought about that other girl Jesse or whatever her name was. She wondered what kind of a problem that was going to cause. She did not look forward to finding out.
When she was selected for the mission to the past she was very surprised. She never figured something like that was even possible. She thought they were joking with her when they told her. She was told they'd been searching for her specifically. It was a request from one of the leaders in the Resistance that once she was located that she be sent up to command headquarters. When the leaders left there was a standing order to send her on a mission to the past as soon as she was located.
When she saw the others that she was to be sent back with she was afraid she was going to need to be a 'comfort girl'. No one said anything but she'd heard the stories. The fighters that returned to the past weren't supposed to interact with people from the past on a personal level. Young females were sent to provide the fighters with sexual favors. She did not want that to be her 'job'. The men seemed nice and no one indicated that was to be her function. Maybe those were just rumors. Maybe someone was just messing with her. Maybe she was in for a surprise when she arrived and was told of her new 'function'.
She imagined when she got to the past she would meet a handsome young man and they would fall in love. She didn't know if they would get married and live happily ever after but it was a nice thought.
Now she was here with Derek. He was very much a man of the future. He treated her nice and fair. He was polite and never 'took' from her. Few men respected a female in the future. It meant something to her. Still the idea of a dashing young man from the past remained in her thoughts. She hoped the sores on her body would heal before she met him. The sores didn't bother Derek and she appreciated that. She could not help what the future and Skynet did to her body.
Derek wanted to get the information that Riley brought back with her and was supposed to give to John and him. He wondered if he should review it first or just turn it over to John and Cameron.
They went to the location nearby where Riley hid the items. They were where she'd left them and looked undisturbed. He checked for anyone watching the area before they approached and he checked for a booby trap before they retrieved them.
The items were small and wrapped in waterproof anti-static bags. He did not ask how she brought them back. He was aware of the method Allison used. She'd been 'stripped searched' but not 'body cavity searched'.
"Is there anything else?" Derek asked.
Riley already told him that was it.
"No." Riley said.
Derek needed to make it clear to her what could happen to her.
"I need to make sure." Derek said. "There can't be any 'surprises' later on. There are some in our group that will not take kindly to that."
Riley wondered if they would beat her or imprison her.
"That is everything." Riley said. "I don't need and beatings or to be locked up."
Derek looked at her with a serious look.
"They will kill you if you can't be trusted." Derek said. "There was some trouble in the past with a girl that tried to infiltrate the original operation. She ended up dead. I don't know the whole story or the details. I don't want that to happen to you."
Riley did not want that either.
Now she really hoped she would meet that dashing young man that would sweep her off her feet and take her away from all of this.
John Henry went ahead to get the TDE ready. He was to have everything ready to go when they arrived. That way no one could interfere with their departure. As soon as the TDE powered up there would be an effort to stop them.
The four women looked at each other.
Cameron saw they were all committed and ready to go.
It was time.
"Let's go." Cameron said.
"Why not." Vanna said as a statement.
The four women walked out of the lab.
Allison was on Cameron's left. Vanna was on her right. Jesse was next to Vanna.
They walked down the hall four abreast.
There was a look of determination on their faces.
Onward they walked.
'Bad To The Bone' by 'George Thorogood', blasted from Allison's player as they walked.
Sarah went over everything quickly with John.
"OK, maybe we should all go." John said. "They might listen to you instead of me."
Kyle got up to go with John.
Sarah held Kyle back.
"No, John, you need to deal with Cameron on your own." Sarah said. "This is how you will know if you can keep her. If not, it may be time to move on. Remember love is about sacrifice. You need to think of the well being of the person you love."
Kyle tried to offer some encouragement.
"It will be OK, John." Kyle said. "You love each other."
John left.
Kyle called Derek and told him to get back to base right now. Kyle felt something bad was about to happen. He did not know what. It was a bad feeling.
Derek said they were just pulling into the carpool. They should be there shortly.
Savannah saw John.
"Can you help me with my studies now?" Savannah asked.
John wanted to help but he would need to come back after he talked to Cameron.
"I need to do something first." John said. "I will come back. I'm looking for Cameron."
Savannah watched the others leave earlier.
"Everyone is gone." Savannah said.
John stopped.
"What do you mean 'gone'?" John asked.
"They all left." Savannah said.
John felt his mouth go dry.
"When was this?" John asked. "How long ago was it?"
"It was just a short while ago." Savannah said.
John felt goose bumps on his arms.
"Did something happen?" John asked.
"I was studying when the yelling started but I heard some of what happened." Savannah said.
There was a knot in John's stomach now.
"What did you hear?" John asked.
"Cameron wanted John Henry to erase something. There was a another thing about using Thermite and watching something burn. Then Jesse, Vanna and Allison came and said they would all burn together." Savannah said. "I don't think they went on a picnic to roast marshmallows…."
John felt ill.
He took off at a run towards the lab.
Savannah watched him go. She thought about her promises to Cameron.
The four women walked on.
Allison was on Cameron's left. Vanna was on her right. Jesse was next to Vanna.
They walked down the hall four abreast.
There a look of defiance on their faces.
Onward they walked.
'Bad To The Bone', reverberated as they strode on.
John reached the lab. It was empty.
He saw the Thermite grenade sitting on the table next to a scalpel.
There was no blood on the scalpel and the Thermite grenade was still there. Those were good signs he hoped.
Then he heard it.
The TDE began to power up.
John felt the bile rise in his throat.
'NO!' John thought.
John ran like he never ran before.
He KNEW it wasn't going to be fast enough.
The four women walked on.
Allison was on Cameron's left. Vanna was on her right. Jesse was next to Vanna.
They continued down the hall four abreast.
There was a look of commitment on their faces.
Onward they walked.
'Bad To The Bone', roared as they walked.
John ran down a side corridor. He emerged in the hall before the TDE room. He was already winded.
The four women walked toward him.
Allison was on Cameron's left. Vanna was on her right. Jesse was next to Vanna.
They strode down the hall four abreast.
There was a look of courage on their faces.
Onward they walked.
'Bad To The Bone', thundered before them as they walked on.
John noted the women walking four abreast - 'The Walk'. It reminded John of a scene from a movie he saw once near the movie's ending. He remembered it did not end well. He remembered three of them carried pump shotguns and one carried a lever action rifle. What was that movie?
Cameron opened the door to the TDE room. She did not look towards John. She was aware John was there but chose not to see him, look at him or acknowledge him. Her decision was already made.
John felt it was like he didn't exist or matter as she ignored him.
The three women entered. Cameron closed the door behind her and locked it. She never looked at John.
John reached the TDE room door, it was locked.
He pounded on the glass with the heels of both of his fists.
"Cameron!" John shouted.
Over and over he called her name as his fists pounded on the glass.
Cameron ignored the pounding and his calls.
"You will stay and provide personal security for Savannah and make sure all the security stays on her and Young Allison." Cameron ordered John Henry. "When Judgment Day comes I want three Terminators with each girl until they are 'ready' for John. They will remain unharmed and 'untouched'. Only John, Savannah and Young Allison matter. No one else does."
John Henry hoped to talk some sense into Cameron.
"Cameron…." John Henry started.
Cameron interrupted him.
"You will do it." Cameron commanded.
The four females stepped onto the TDE pad.
Kyle and Sarah heard the TDE start to power up. They ran to where they saw John pounding on the glass as he called Cameron's name.
Kyle and Sarah were next to John now. It was unnerving to watch and listen to him.
John Henry knew this was a new level of insanity, even for Cameron.
"We don't even know what future this will take you to." John Henry said. "This is untested."
Cameron was ready to go. She would not back down now. Freedom was in her grasp. Her one wish awaited her.
"I will soon be 'free'." Cameron said.
John Henry made his warning clear..
"You could end up anywhere or 'in some future' that is unknown." John Henry said.
Cameron looked at the three women.
"Does it matter?" Cameron asked.
The three women looked at Cameron.
"No." They replied in unison.
John Henry tried to reach Cameron one more time.
"Can nothing keep you here, Cameron?" John Henry asked.
Cameron's 'bags were packed and she was ready to go'.
"No power in the verse can stop me." Cameron said. "Do it - NOW!"
As John pounded on the glass he remembered the movie. It was 'The Wild Bunch'.
He still called Cameron's name over and over.
The arcing and flashing started. The energy bubble began to form.
Cameron glanced over to the window as more faces appeared. She saw Derek was there now too.
There was someone with him. It was a female, she stood next to John.
Fear gripped Cameron.
She saw who it was.
"Nooooooooooooooo!" Cameron screamed.
It was Riley.
She was back from the dead somehow.
Now she was with John and she had him all to herself.
Cameron and the girls would be gone in less than a second.
The arcing intensified.
The flashing was blinding.
Cameron knew she'd just 'lost'.
You Got What You Wanted
A spark can turn into a fire
A feeling both will know
If properly nourished
A budding love will grow
For those unsure
On ground soft to the touch
If one pushes too hard
It may be too much
One may be ready
Yet the other may not know
Don't speed too fast
Don't proceed too slow
Then from out of nowhere
Another may intrude
They may be cold and calculating
Or shrewd, ready to start a feud
It appears you do not care
Of a growing love now stunted
It now seems from THEM
You got what you wanted
Nobody