Chapter 155
Homeward Bound
Cameron moved through the jungle. She was close enough now to hear where the airfield was. There was activity occurring there. She quickly and silently made her way to the outskirts of the target area. She spotted the small airfield. She was on a timetable to act before the truck arrived.
She watched them refuel the plane from a small tanker truck. The pilot went back inside the jet when they finished. The copilot went off elsewhere. He fooled with his pants as he walked. The tanker truck moved off to the side and parked by a hut as soon as the refueling was complete.
Cameron moved up and took out a guard. He watched the activity inside the perimeter instead of on the outside like he should have. She took out two more guards. She moved to the hut to see what else was inside. She snapped the neck of another guard as well as the driver of the tanker truck. She took his rifle. It was in better condition than the one she held.
She looked over the fuel truck controls. She set them so only a lever needed to be moved to start the fuel flow. She then tore the metal head off the hose. Once the fuel flow was activated, there was nothing to restrict its flow.
Cameron went over the time schedule. She was ahead of where she figured she would be. The inattentive guards made her attack easier.
She quickly moved to the plane and went in the open door. The pilot never looked as she came up behind him and snapped his neck. She moved back to the door of the plane to see if anyone spotted her enter it. No one did. The copilot was on his way back to the plane. He zipped up his fly. She moved from where she was to behind the door of the plane for better concealment. The copilot entered and she broke his neck as well. She took his sidearm and chambered a round. She stuck it behind her back.
Cameron quickly checked inside the plane. She found a large sum of cash in a duffel bag. She thought raiding the drug trade would be an effective strategy for her to get a hold of cash. The drug trade was involved with big money.
She could use that money to set a new operation up. It would be her operation. She could do things outside the scope of the Resistance that way. She wondered if she was laying the first seeds of herself as 'Skynet' with that thought. Two acronyms popped into her head as a name for it.
The first acronym:
CAMERON
Communication
And
Monitoring
Encryption
Roving
Overview
Network.
The second acronym:
CAMNET
Communication
And
Monitoring
Network
Encryption
Tracking.
She liked that last one.
She did not want to dwell on this. The fear that she became 'Skynet' bothered her.
The truck was coming. She heard it and so did the remaining men at the airfield. A group of men gathered. They expected to unload it like they always did. They were all complacent in their jobs.
Cameron exited the plane while they were all distracted. She did not want to be too close to it when the shooting started. She moved well away from it so it would not be damaged. She took aim at the gathered men and fired the rifle. The group of men fell. She dropped the empty rifle and used the pistol she'd taken from the copilot. It was a Glock 17. She shot anyone else who appeared each once in the head. She scanned for any more targets, there were none.
She motioned for Allison to park the drug laden truck next to the fuel tanker.
"Open the valve on the tanker and let the fuel run under the truck. It is the green lever." Cameron said. "Just flip it."
Cameron tossed both deceased pilots out onto the ground. She looked over the instruments and controls and started the jet. She was ready.
Allison parked the truck where Cameron indicated. The girls got out of it and flipped the lever on the fuel truck. They watched the fuel as it began to flow on the ground. They headed for the plane.
Jesse took a flare with her that she'd found inside the truck they arrived in. She paused when they were about fifty feet away. She ignited the flare and tossed it toward the trucks. The fuel flowing from the tanker truck was headed right for it. She ran and joined Vanna and Allison as they boarded the plane.
Cameron ushered them in, closed the door behind them and locked it. She hurried back into the cockpit. She secured herself and started to taxi the jet. She started down the short runway. She lifted off smoothly. The plane was already airborne as the fuel tanker exploded behind them. It set the drug laden truck next to it on fire as well.
She checked the instruments and gauges. Everything was in order and they carried a full load of fuel. She'd checked the 'flight plan' the pilot marked on a map. She knew where she was and where she was going to go. Her destination was different from where the drugs were headed but she should have sufficient fuel.
The jet screamed into the darkness of the night….
Cameron felt a little apprehensive as to what awaited her. Either way they were homeward bound.
'Homeward Bound' by 'Simon and Garfunkel', played in Cameron's mind.
Cameron wanted to stay off of any radar and not get intercepted by anyone. She did not want anyone alerted to their presence. She did not want to be detected by the authorities or by John Henry. She wanted to arrive unhindered and unannounced.
Allison moved up to the cockpit after a short while. She sat next to Cameron. There was a set of head phones on the copilot's seat. She lifted them up and sat down.
Cameron stared straight ahead and checked the gauges periodically. The one that bothered her was the fuel gauge.
"Is everything alright?" Allison asked.
Cameron glanced at her.
"We are burning a lot of fuel at this altitude. It is a good thing this plane has extra fuel capacity." Cameron said.
Allison stared into the total darkness. There was no moon.
"Can you see?" Allison asked.
Cameron looked ahead of her.
"I see everything." Cameron said.
Allison could not see much of anything except some patches of something from time to time.
"What are those white things I see every now and then right under us?" Allison asked. "They look to be only a few feet below us."
Cameron was just above the water.
"Those are waves and white caps." Cameron said.
That did not make sense to Allison. They seemed right there below them.
"Aren't we high in the sky?" Allison asked.
Cameron gave her a brief description.
"No. I'm flying fifteen feet above the Pacific Ocean at four hundred and fifty knots. That is why we are using so much fuel. I want to avoid detection. There is enough fuel for us to make it to California. This is what this plane has been modified for. It can fly like this to do the drug smuggling." Cameron said. "I will set down at one of the smaller airports in the Los Angeles area, maybe at Santa Monica. We will have to be ready to move fast once we touch down. I want you to inform the others and then get some rest. We still have four more hours of flight time."
Cameron indicated the map the pilot used as to where they were and where they were going to go. The entire flight would be over water.
Allison went into the main fuselage and filled Vanna and Jesse in. The girls talked about what happened so far. This was not the adventure they thought they'd been headed for. That was supposed to be to Cameron's future. They way things shaped up, they would be gone less than a day, even though more than fifteen months had passed. It gave them all something to think about.
Cameron neared the California coast.
Jesse came up and sat in the copilot's seat.
She looked out into the darkness and could not see anything.
"How are we doing?" Jesse asked.
Cameron could think of a deeper answer to that question. She decided to keep it simple.
"We will touch down in twelve minutes." Cameron said. "I'm monitoring air traffic at the airport I want to use. We will set down between two scheduled flights and taxi off to the hanger area. Get everyone ready to move. I want to take the duffel bags and weapons with us. We are going to dump this plane and commandeer a vehicle. We want to get away from the airport before anyone figures out what happened."
"Roger." Jesse said as she touched Cameron's arm and moved off.
Cameron closed in on her landing zone. She popped up from the surface of the water and completed her turn. She was over the land now and still very low. She was as low as she could fly safely. She approached without lights and chopped the speed to just above stall speed with the gear and flaps down. She set down on the runway and quickly taxied to the hangers. She turned off the engines as soon as the plane stopped. She parked as close to some vehicles as she could. She opened the door and they exited. They appropriated a parked van which was the closest vehicle.
They took the money and weapons with them. They didn't know what awaited them or what their future would be. They drove out of the airport and onto the street. It did not appear that anyone was after them. There was no one who followed them.
Cameron knew they were in good shape if they needed to survive on their own. With plenty of money, guns and a Terminator, what more would they need? If they needed to start a new future for themselves, they were off to a good start.
Cameron got on the 405 freeway and headed for the Valley. She became increasingly apprehensive the closer they got. Traffic was moderate but they made good time. She was well aware that John's actions in her absence would determine her fate. Her fate determined the girl's fate as well.
The girls all gave her encouraging support. It was really still the same day for all of them. It was sort of surreal. It was like they went on an adventitious 'day trip'.
Cameron wanted to go over her plan and make sure everyone agreed to it still.
"I don't know what we will find when we get there. I would like to take a look myself first. If I see Riley and John together, I will leave. We can all leave together. That's if you still want to leave with me. You are free to stay if you choose." Cameron said. "Is that acceptable to you three?"
They all planned to go with Cameron.
"Yes." They replied.
Cameron wanted to make sure they understood they could make their own choices.
"If any of you wishes to remain at 'home' you may. It is your choice. Please don't tell them I survived. Let John think I am 'dead' so his life can move forward." Cameron said.
The girls were apprehensive as well. They still wanted to go with Cameron.
Cameron threw out some more options to them. She did not want them to feel obligated to her. There were still choices they could make.
"If one of you wishes to claim John for yourself, I would appreciate that." Cameron said. "That may involve some conflict if John and Riley have mated and produced offspring."
Allison did not want Cameron to get ahead of herself. She could see it was troubling her to point out the options.
"Why don't you tell us what you find first and then we can decide what is best for everyone at that point." Allison said. "Is that agreed upon ladies?"
Vanna wanted to go with Cameron but she would go wherever Allison went. She did not want to lose her again. Once was enough.
"I'm with you whatever you decide, Allison. I will not leave you." Vanna said.
Cameron wanted Jesse to remember her past at the base.
"Jesse, if you want John or Derek you may stay here or come with me." Cameron said.
Jesse thought that was a no brainer. She loved Cameron more than ever.
"I will follow you, Cameron." Jesse said. "I will follow you to the ends of the Earth or the end of Time."
Cameron knew that was what they girls already did by coming with her in the first place. They already took that leap and followed her to the ends of the earth and what could have been the end of time.
Cameron looked at Jesse.
"Thank you, Jesse, I won't forget this." Cameron said as she gently squeezed Jesse's knee. "I won't forget what all you have done for ME. I promise to take care of you."
Cameron glanced at the three girls who would NEVER leave her side. Cameron KNEW what love truly was…. These girls were willing to sacrifice everything for her. She knew sacrifice was the true test of love.
"No matter what happens next, one way or the other. I PROMISE to take care of you in whatever way I can." Cameron said.
They neared the base.
Cameron felt 'fear' as she drove. She was aware that a lot can happen in fifteen months. If John moved on she would accept that. She knew it was her fault for leaving. John chose Riley before. It should be no different this time. Cameron noted her left hand glitched out of control. She tried not to cry as she drove. The tears still ran silently down her cheeks. Jesse gently wiped them away.
Nobody could wipe away the tears in her heart.
Homeward Bound
Home
Where is home
Some say it is where the heart is
Maybe it is from where one no longer will roam
Home should be where one is comfortable
There should be no problems or strife
It is where one wants to stay
So they can live out their life
To make a home complete
The comfort of others is sought
There may be some battles fought
What was left behind should be forgot
Home is where the future is built
One can grow and live for tomorrow
In times of hardship or sadness
Another's strength they may barrow
Once love is found
The other should be crowned
Happiness and joy may abound
The direction always will be homeward bound
Nobody