Chapter 141

CPR

Jim went over all the information John Henry gave him and agreed to rendezvous with John's team at the location on the north side.

"I will head that way." Jim said. "See you soon."

John heard the com transmission.

"We are headed there too." John said.

Bob and Derek said they were ready to go.

John wanted to set the charges.

"Let's blow this dump and move out." John said.

Derek did not want to 'close any doors' until they knew a little more.

"Do you want to wait until we find them before the fireworks go off?" Derek asked. "We don't know where they are for sure or why we can't communicate with them."

John knew it could end badly for them. He wanted to cover all the bases.

"We will set a timer for the blast then, in case we don't make it." John said. "We will still take this place down."

Derek wanted to make his position clear.

"I'm going to find them." Derek said. "We are not leaving without them."

Derek was very worried about Kyle and Vanna.

"We will." John said. "Bob, no matter what happens, find them and make sure this place is dust."

"Affirmative." Bob said.

John and Derek looked at each other and smiled. It never got old.

The seriousness of the situation was still foremost in their minds.

Gail did everything to Jesse the same way she'd showed her. It seemed to affect Jesse much more than it did her. Maybe it was because Jesse told her not to stop once she was 'there'.

Jesse lay unmoving on the bed.

Gail checked AGAIN to see if she was still alive.

"…I have… never been… so… satisfied… Gail…." Jesse gasped out slowly.

Jesse never felt this way before. She could see why John was so attached to Cameron. After an experience like this, it would be hard to settle for anything that wasn't Metal.

Gail was very pleased at what she'd learned so far.

"You have given me new 'sensations'." Gail said. "I find them very pleasurable. I want to have more."

Gail took Jesse further than she'd ever gone before. Her physical responses were extreme.

"I was not sure if I was going to go blind or die a couple of times." Jesse said. "You have taken me further than I ever dreamed of or even thought was possible and I've been around the block a few times - quite a few."

Gail thought she was done with the preliminary learning. It was time to go 'full Terminator' on Jesse.

"Do you wish me to turn my programming on now?" Gail asked.

Jesse felt stunned. 'THIS' was just the start…? How could there be anything more intense than what she'd experienced so far?

"Do you mean there's more?" Jesse gasped. "You can do more than what you already have?"

Gail tilted her head slightly.

"I have only just - started." Gail said.

A new fire burnt in Gail's eyes as she approached Jesse. Now Gail was 'hungry for more'.

Jesse grabbed her and pulled her closer.

"Do you know CPR?" Jesse asked in a whisper.

"Yes." Gail said.

Jesse saw this as her chance to try a few things she'd hard about.

"I think I may need it." Jesse said. "If I 'go out', leave me 'out' for a minute or two before you bring me back. I've wanted to try that as well."

Jesse wondered what it was like to be 'dead'.

"I will do whatever you say." Gail said. "Are you ready to learn some new things?"

Jesse thought she knew 'everything' by this point in her life. Now it looked as if there was more to learn.

"TEACH me 'more'…." Jesse begged.

Jesse figured she was in for a time like no other. She knew if she died, this was the way to do it.

Gail moved in to 'take' Jesse.

"Are you ready?" Gail asked.

Jesse looked at Gail and swallowed hard.

"What a way to go." Jesse said. "TAKE ME…."

Cameron was aware that Kyle and Vanna were both missing. This upset and angered her. She knew she needed to protect John and find Vanna. She must get Vanna back for John. It was the 'Natural Order'. Cameron only knew that she must protect Allison and Vanna for John, for John's future. Cameron was highly agitated. Her left hand began to glitch. She needed to worry about the rest of the team too. If John would have allowed her to go, things would be different.

She was going to have a talk with these people, ALL of them. She wanted them to start listening to her. She knew what needed to be done, when and by whom.

Cameron removed her left hand from the steering wheel as it was now affecting control of her driving.

She pushed the appropriated car to its limits.

Her eyes were lit with an eerie faint red glow.

Cameron was furious.

None of this needed to happen the way it was if people would just listen to her.

Riley and Holly walked in and out of the gently surging water. Holly relaxed a little and Riley could feel it. That was much better she thought.

Holly noted every change in Riley as they walked and talked, hand in hand. She scanned Riley continuously. Monitoring Riley's changing sensations was 'stimulating' to her. She wondered what Riley felt as she noted the changes. She found this experience 'gratifying'.

Riley wondered what Holly really felt.

"What do you 'feel', Holly?" Riley asked.

That was an easy question for Holly.

"I feel the sand under my feet. I feel the water lapping at my ankles. The air temperature is…." Holly started.

Riley stopped and looked at Holly. Their faces were inches from each other in the cool darkness of the night air.

That was not what Riley wanted to hear.

"No, what do you feel about me?" Riley interrupted.

Holly tilted her head slightly.

"I feel you holding my hand as we walk. I feel its warmth…."

Riley wanted a little more.

"And?" Riley prompted.

Holly felt very confused at this point. She felt a lot of different things and she was not sure about any of them.

"I feel… different. I feel apprehensive… I feel unsure… I feel confused… I feel that I want 'more'…." Holly said. "I don't know what I feel. I don't know what to feel. I don't know what to do."

Riley moved closer to Holly. She wanted just a little bit more. She wanted to help Holly with some things so she could see 'other' things.

"Look around you. You can see the waves crash upon themselves. You can see the moon. You can see the stars. See everything. See me…." Riley said. "FEEL me."

Holly looked around. Her gaze finished on Riley.

"You are beautiful, Riley." Holly said. "You make me feel 'different' inside…."

Riley moved her face even closer to Holly's face.

"You are beautiful too, Holly…." Riley said.

Riley was unsure but she needed to do this 'RIGHT now'. She needed to make a move, even if it was the wrong move.

Riley kissed Holly.

Holly did not respond.

Riley kissed her again.

Holly still did not respond. She was not sure what she wanted. She felt very confused.

"Riley, I don't know if I am ready for 'this'…." Holly said.

Riley felt she may have gone too far too fast. It was worth a try anyway. It was time to back peddle some.

"We can wait. I want to spend more time with you." Riley said. "I'm sorry if I pushed too hard."

Now Riley was worried she pushed Holly too far too soon. She could not help it. Her time with Cameron made her want 'MORE'. The truth was that Holly was not Cameron.

Holly wondered if turning off her programming like Cameron recommended was the right move.

She stopped scanning Riley because the scans were no longer pleasant but 'fearful'.

Holly knew she'd hurt Riley by accident. She was just too unsure of herself and how to proceed. She did not want to close the door all the way.

"I would like that. I want to spend more time with you. I want to know YOU better as a person. It excites me to be with you." Holly said. "I feel things that I have never felt before."

It was true. Holly now possessed a series of ever changing scans from Riley she would review them over and over. She would try to analyze what happened.

Riley felt this whole mess was her fault. She tried to recreate something that happened with someone else. Every person was different, even if they were Metal.

"We can take it slow, I like that better anyway." Riley said. "It will make it even more special. I did not mean to push you so hard. I'm sorry…."

Holly did not feel Riley pushed too hard. It was more that she was not yet ready for 'THIS'. Her feelings were already focused on another…. This experience only seemed to make her want that person more now that she'd gotten a 'taste'.

John went to lead the team from the building once the charges were planted. Bob stopped him and moved in front of him. Derek took up the rear position.

"We don't know what we are facing here." Bob said. "This is no longer a recon mission. This is an assault of some type. You know the rules."

John did not want to make an issue about it. Bob was right. This was a violation of what Cameron made him promise. He knew this was going to be a problem with Cameron now. She'd only agreed not to accompany him if it was a recon. He'd turned it into an attack. Now Vanna and Kyle were unaccounted for and their exact whereabouts was unknown.

"We have movement at six o'clock." Derek said. "We have a tail."

Bob quickly led them off to the side and dropped back to engage the target.

John was now on point but they were going to hold and eliminate whoever attempted to 'bird dog' them.

The team was behind some machinery now. They tried to make it look like they'd turned the corner and not moved into position to set up an ambush.

Derek watched the flanks and John watched what was in front of them. They did not want to get surrounded or pinned down.

Bob spotted the targets. They'd been moving stealthy. He thought that was a good spot by Derek. Now that it looked like they turned the corner their 'shadow' moved more out in the open. The Grays did not want to lose visual contact.

There were two Grays. Bob noted that they were both armed with an AK-47. He thought that was a poor choice for a weapon. There was little to no accuracy with one of those weapons. It was good for putting out rounds but not much else. Those rounds could still kill, maim, injure and damage.

Bob waited to take them down. He wanted to see if there were more or anyone trying to flank them. He only spotted the tail of two Grays.

Derek checked their flanks one more time. He moved back next to Bob.

"Let me 'pop' them." Derek said. "I really dislike Grays."

Bob covered the two men while Derek took aim.

The Grays slowed as they approached the corner they'd gone around and set up the ambush.

Derek sighted and fired twice. Both Grays went down.

"Nice shooting." Bob said. "They were both head shots."

Derek was pleased with his marksmanship.

"Thanks." Derek said. "Let's move out."

John wanted to stay on point but Bob moved in front of him again.

"I'm sorry, John." Bob said. "I need to do this."

John was a little irritated. He had more freedom to operate on his own when He was in the alternate future. Then again Mrs. Weaver backed him up whenever she was around. It was most of the time. He was never sure where she was some of the other times. She backed him in the end and that was all that really mattered.

Bob spotted Jim where they agreed to meet and headed that way.

John's team rendezvoused with Jim at the last reported location of Derek and Vanna.

"There is nothing here." John said as he looked around.

Bob zoomed in with his vision.

"I see footprints." Bob said.

"Yes they go to here and stop." Jim said.

"There are four sets. One is Metal." Bob said.

Bob and Jim looked around. Bob reached down and touched something.

A large flat 'rock' slid to the side….

It was a concealed opening.

Jesse stopped moving. It appeared her breathing stopped.

Gail was about to start chest compressions.

"No, love, THIS is how I want to die." Jesse gasped "Again…."

Gail smiled and moved towards Jesse.

"I can do 'this' until my power cell runs out…." Gail said.

"Heaven, here I come - again…." Jesse gasped.

'Shake, Rattle And Roll' by 'Bill Haley', filled the room.

Burning Flame

I know the feel of love
I know the feel of fire
I know you can be burnt
When you touch the fire

I feel its rising heat
I must risk the pain
I want to share who I am
Or surely I will go insane

I see the burning flame
Higher and hotter it burns
Which is stronger the mind or the heart
Oh how the heart yearns

I reach my hand lovingly
Into the burning flame
I feel in searing pain
This is freedom from shame

Burn me to death
If you must
I will not retreat
For in you I trust

Nobody