Chapter 144
Ambush
John observed Cameron in the 'Clean Room'. He tried to figure out what was happening. He did not like what he saw and heard. It seemed very 'personal' to him.
He saw Cameron take the Thermite grenades from Bob, leave them behind and walk out. They exploded seconds later.
John noted the smile on Cameron's face as she exited the 'Clean Room'. He wanted some answers.
"What just happened back there?" John asked.
Cameron knew this was going to get ugly. This was another reason why she liked to work alone.
"What did it look like?" Cameron asked.
Vanna wondered about that herself.
"It looked like Skynet was 'hitting' on you." Vanna said.
John saw it a little differently.
"Or she was hitting on it." John said.
Derek pointed out the obvious
"She is 'dressed to kill'." Derek said.
Kyle looked quickly at Derek then at John.
John did not look too happy.
"I didn't like it." John said.
Cameron felt they all missed the point. What she did was part of her function.
"John, I am an infiltration unit. It is my function to get close to my target so I may terminate it." Cameron said. "It is what I do. I am good at what I do."
John looked disgusted. He wanted to get away from there at this point.
"Place the rest of the charges and let's get out of here." John said.
The smoke billowed out of the 'Clean Room'. The screaming metallic voice was now 'silenced'. It was terminated.
John motioned for the others to move ahead while he held Cameron back.
"Bob and Jim, please turn down your audio." John said. "I need a private moment."
"Affirmative." Bob replied as they both reduced their hearing ability.
John slowed. He looked at Cameron. He was worried.
He knew the implications of what he witnessed.
"Would you do that?" John asked. "I want the truth."
John knew Cameron was not always forthcoming with all of the facts.
Cameron said nothing at first. She did not look at John.
John knew what the answer was going to be based on Cameron's body language.
"Do you mean if it meant saving the world and several billion lives?" Cameron asked. "Isn't THAT what all THIS is about?"
John wanted a definitive answer.
"Would you?" John asked again.
Cameron was even more irritated at this point. The questions answered themselves. She did not need to answer them.
"What would you do, John? I have given you my replacements. I have made available what is rightfully YOURS. I have given you everything you wanted. I have done everything you - Future John programmed me to do. I will do what is necessary when the time comes. There is no choice." Cameron said. "It is my function to protect you and the future. I will not fail."
John believed it was more than all that. He felt Cameron made it personal.
"You're MAKING Skynet 'want' you." John said.
Cameron did not like this conversation. Everything she stated was fact.
"It is what I was built for. I was constructed for infiltration and then termination. I am a machine, John. I am expendable. You and your children are not. YOUR future is the destiny of time." Cameron said flatly. "I am the aberration. I have my programming and know my function. You know it too."
In that instant he knew Cameron would do whatever she needed to do to protect him and the future. Her existence did not matter.
"Cameron, you can never do this." John said worried. "I can not allow this. I will NOT allow this."
John's attitude and lack of respect for her greatly upset Cameron. It was time to remind him of the future.
"Everyone sacrifices for John Connor." Cameron said.
She hurried away from him. Her heels clicked loudly on the floor as her pace increased. She passed ahead of Bob and Jim.
John was left behind….
Bob and Jim resumed their normal audio input and fell in back of John.
Jim picked up the Terminator they disabled and carried him away when they passed by him.
There was a burst of gunfire from somewhere behind them.
Cameron returned in a second.
"You two, get John out of here." Cameron said.
She took the L1A1 from Bob.
John did not want to see Cameron go off alone.
"Take one of them with you." John said.
Cameron did not look at him.
"They have their orders." Cameron said. "Someone is going to follow orders on this mission."
That made reference to John not following the plan earlier for a simple recon.
Cameron dropped back further. She was not sure what someone was shooting at behind them. It was a threat no matter what.
A second weapon fired. There was a gun battle between two people.
Cameron approached with the L1A1 raised. She searched for a target. This was a little confusing to her. Was it a Gray fighting a Gray? Maybe it was someone from the Resistance that had infiltrated the Grays and was trying to get out now. Maybe it was specifically someone from the anti-Metal faction. That would be as bad as a Gray to her.
There was another furious burst of firing and there were two screams as the firing abruptly ceased.
Cameron looked around the next corner. The air was thick with smoke from the burning 'Clean Room'. She needed to switch to a different vision spectrum.
There was a man lying on the ground behind the two men she slammed together. He'd been using their bodies for cover. He was still alive she picked up his rifle and tossed it aside. He carried no other weapons.
There was another man sprawled on the ground. He was dead.
She returned to the first man. He opened his eyes. He coughed because of the smoke.
"You Metal Bitch." The man gasped.
Cameron was insulted.
"Do you know me?" Cameron asked.
The man probably would have spit if he could. He couldn't.
"You're Connor's Metal Whore." The man gasped.
Now Cameron was irritated.
"I am not." Cameron said.
The man eyes were filled with hate.
"The Resistance does not need 'your kind'." The man gasped. "We will terminate you and every Metal Lover."
Cameron knew this man was from the anti-Metal faction and a serious threat to John.
"How long have you been back?" Cameron asked.
The man was very weak now.
"A few years." The man gasped. "We've been looking for you and Connor. You are very elusive."
Cameron was aware this was probably before she returned and rescued Future Allison and returned her to Future John. The purpose of Future Allison and Future Savannah was to 'protect' Future John from the anti-Metal group. This is why she wanted Allison, Vanna and Jesse to 'step up' and be at John's side now.
A glitch impulse shot through her left hand. Maybe she would need to ask Riley to do it.
No. She would have Savannah help her.
That sent another glitch impulse through her left hand.
Savannah was too young in the eyes of everyone but her. Savannah told her she was 'ready'.
"Rest in peace." Cameron said.
She snapped the man's neck.
Cameron hurried and caught back up to the group. It seemed there was a new threat when she arrived.
Holly saw the vans ahead slow.
"The target vehicles are about to stop." Holly advised. "We are here."
They were surprised by an update from John Henry.
"I have communication with John." John Henry came over the com. "They are waiting in a tunnel in front of where the two vans have stopped."
Holly watched as the men dismounted and formed up. They were ready to advance.
Sarah watched what was happening too. She did not want John trapped underground. It was time to act.
"Holly, how fast can you and Gail get to those two vans unobserved?" Sarah asked.
Gail checked the distance and terrain.
"Fifty-two seconds from when we exit the van." Gail said.
Holly wanted Sarah and Allison protected.
"You two must stay here." Holly said to Sarah and Allison.
Jesse did not think Riley and her could keep up with Gail and Holly in the dark over the terrain.
"It will take us longer to back you up." Jesse said to Gail.
Holly thought of an new approach.
"It will take fifty five seconds if we carry them." Holly said. "We need to get moving."
Sarah calculated everything quickly. It was 'go time'.
"John Henry, tell John all Hell will break loose in sixty seconds from my 'mark'. He will have four Friendlies firing from the east side." Sarah said. "Don't engage them. Their team should concentrate on the vans and their personal."
Everyone checked their weapons.
"Get ready to move." Sarah said.
Gail picked up Jesse and Holly picked up Riley. The two girls held their weapons at the ready.
Jesse was thrilled at the mode of transportation.
"I always wanted to be carried across the threshold." Jesse said.
Gail was a little confused.
"But we have already had the 'honeymoon'…." Gail said.
Jesse giggled.
Allison and Riley exchanged glances as they smiled at each other.
No one said anything.
Sarah tried to keep from smirking as she told them go.
"Ten second head start." Sarah said.
Holly and Gail took off.
Sarah counted ten seconds off.
"John Henry - Mark." Sarah said.
John and his team counted the seconds.
Holly and Gail were on their way. They each carried their armed and deadly cargo.
Holly and Gail reached the location they wanted. They set down the two girls and aimed their weapons as well.
Once they were all in position, Jesse's team opened fire.
Most of the men fell in the first volley of shots.
John's team opened up and the rest of the enemy team fell.
It was over in seconds.
It was a classic 'L' shaped ambush that was deadly to the enemy.
Sarah and Allison remained in the van.
Allison only glanced at the direction all the shooting was coming from. She watched their six and around them. She quickly spotted a threat.
"It looks like we have trouble." Allison said.
Sarah saw it a second later.
There were two more vans rapidly approaching from behind them. They did not want to get caught sitting there.
"We gotta move right now." Sarah said.
Sarah previously left the van running for a quick 'get away'. It was in 'Neutral'.
Allison moved to the back of the van with her M4.
"Hit it." Allison said.
All Hell seemed to break loose in front of them.
Sarah quickly told John Henry she would let the two new arrivals follow her through the ambush location. Then the two teams could engage them when they entered the kill zone.
Sarah turned on the lights as the other two vans turned their lights off.
The firing in front of them stopped.
Sarah let the vans close up on her to ensure pursuit. She moved the shift selector to 'First' and firewalled it. The van sent up a rooster tail of dirt as it surged ahead.
A lone figure moved among the fallen from the first ambush. The vans bumper finished the job with a dull thud. The van bounced slightly twice and kept going.
Sarah killed the lights.
"Hang on, Allison, I'm going to stop." Sarah said.
Both vans slowed, as Sarah slowed. They were right in the kill zone.
They'd taken the bait and followed the 'Pied Piper' to their doom.
The two Resistance teams opened up on the vans. The Coltan rounds ripped through the vans like a hot knife through warm butter.
It was over in seconds. Only a few rounds were fired in return.
Bob and Jim with the help of Gail and Holly dumped the bodies of the fallen in the tunnel. It was now a tomb. Smoke still poured out of it. They closed the entrance.
They loaded the salvaged weapons in the first two vans that were undamaged. Bob and Jim disabled any tracking devices on them. Gail and Holly each drove one. Bob took over for Sarah.
Jesse went with Gail. Riley went with Holly. Bob and Jim went with Sarah, Kyle, Derek, Vanna and Allison.
The explosions could be felt as the ground started to rumble.
Seconds later the building erupted.
John and Cameron rode alone. They followed the three vans.
John started to speak and then stopped. After a pause he started again.
"Cameron…." John started.
Cameron interrupted him.
"John, you HAVE to embrace YOUR future. I do not know how else to make this any clearer. The longer you wait, the MORE you hurt ME." Cameron said.
John only saw it from his current point of view.
"Cameron, I love YOU, YOU are my wife." John said. "THAT is why I CAN'T hurt you."
Cameron looked over at him.
John could see the tears streaming down her cheeks.
John left Cameron no more options. There was only one choice left.
"John…." There was a long pause. "I want a divorce…."
John said nothing.
Cameron cried the whole way home.
'Wendy' by the 'Beach Boys', played as John drove.
Ambush
What is an Ambush
Isn't it really a surprise
It can be a physical attack
Or verbal with a bunch of lies
It seems the words
Are meant to polarize
Where do they come from
They can hurt as they criticize
When there is no honor
It is easy for one to despise
Things only spoken or shouted
Can damage as quickly as they brutalize
Who around you can you trust
The woodwork is filled with spies
From this type of unjust anger and hate
One must stand tall, hold firm and quickly rise
Do we really have friends
Or even some workable allies
There is no room for compromise
As everyone works on our very demise
Nobody