Chapter 247
Smart Choice
Jesse and Gail were out shopping and having a good time. They seldom went out alone. Cameron liked to keep a tight watch on everyone. Cameron liked to control what did or did not happen.
Jesse felt it was nice to be out just the two of them alone. It was almost like a 'real' relationship.
Gail was worried about Jesse being out. She knew things could go wrong, fast. She was concerned about Jesse's safety even though they were having a good time.
Then it all changed in a few moments. It went from beautiful to ugly.
There was a young teenage Asian girl out with her friends.
A group of four older girls started to give the young Asian girl a hard time about her appearance. She looked 'different' than they did.
Jesse saw it right away. She knew what it was like to be singled out for being 'different'. The same thing happened to her more than once. Even later in life to look 'different' sometimes made you a target. She could not help being 'different' because that is how she was born. It was the same way that Metal could not help being Metal because that is how they were built. They didn't have a choice. No one did. The anger and hate in Jesse boiled to the surface instantly.
'This blind hatred and discrimination stops NOW.' Jesse thought.
Jesse was the 'Old Jesse' all of a sudden in an instant. Just like that 'she' was back and she was mean. Gail was with her so she felt no fear to approach the older girls. She would have done it anyway on her own. Cameron's orders were none of the girls goes out without a Metal chaperone. This was one reason why.
Gail noted Jesse became angry and wanted to act. She told her not to get involved. Jesse said that she NEEDED to.
Jesse told Gail that it would be the same if she treated her differently just because she was Metal. She'd done THAT before and she hated herself for it. Cameron showed her that Metal was just as much of a 'person' as a human was.
She boldly walked up to the girls and placed herself in front of the younger girl. She expressed a look of determination on her face.
"You 'skanks' leave her alone. If you 'Bitch Whores' want to pick on someone who is 'different', I'm right here." Jesse said. "I look like her."
Gail moved up as well to protect Jesse. This looked like it was going to go hot.
The girls sized up Jesse and Gail.
They both looked very intimidating.
Jesse looked at the abused girl and smiled.
"Go on, love; go back to your friends." Jesse said to the girl. "The problem is over."
The girl took off as Jesse and Gail blocked the path of the four girls who tried to follow her.
"Stop. Not so fast. Do you sluts want to get busted up or take off?" Jesse asked. "It's your choice."
Jesse hoped that they would push it and get busted up.
"There are four of us." One girl said.
Gail did not like them. She did not like how they looked at Jesse either. The Terminator in her went into full effect.
"It would not matter if there were forty of you." Gail said.
Jesse handed Gail a metal chair. Gail took it and bent the metal. One of the girls tried to bend it back and then two of them tried. They could not budge it. Gail took the chair and bent it straight again.
The mean girls all looked at each other. The two that tried to bend the metal took a step back. They saw the real threat that Gail posed to them. She was stronger than both of them combined.
Jesse liked to see their apprehension.
"Well?" Jesse asked.
That angered the other two girls. One of the them started to pull a knife out.
Gail reached over quickly and grabbed it and snapped it in two. She then crushed it into a circular mass of metal.
The mean girls looked at the destroyed knife. It was now broken and crushed. They all looked at each other. What they witnessed was hard to believe.
"This is your last chance to leave in one piece." Jesse said.
The girls looked at each other again and then quickly left. They looked back to make sure they weren't being followed.
"That's a smart choice." Jesse said.
That statement seemed to quicken their pace.
Gail was pleased with the outcome.
"That was 'fun'." Gail said. "It's like when we go out with Cameron."
Gail liked to go out with Cameron. She took all the Terminators out for 'fun nights'. She always added to her collection of weapons or cash with whatever she could glean. They didn't always know that it allowed Cameron to check their proficiency and willingness to follow HER.
Jesse looked at the retreating girls with disgust.
"If Judgment Day comes they will end up as Scavengers. I've dealt with their type before." Jesse said. "If we weren't in such a public place I would have 'hurt' them. I guess everyone gets a second chance."
Jesse was glad Cameron gave her a second chance. No, not gave; she created it for her. Cameron opened a door for her to enter. Cameron gave her a choice. She chose to enter and it changed her life….
The young teenager came over and thanked Jesse for helping her. Gail slipped her a twenty dollar bill and said to have a good time.
Jesse felt good about herself. That was something that she never thought she would again from just a few years ago. Cameron changed her for the better. She reflected on how much she loved Cameron. She wished she knew how to help Cameron….
Gail knew Jesse thought about Cameron right now. That was OK. She thought about how Cameron 'gave' her Jesse back 'a Jesse' anyway. She worried about what happened to Duplicate Jesse now. She scanned for any additional threats around them.
Allison led John towards her bedroom.
John looked around as he was being 'towed' by Allison.
Allison all but drug John into her room, she expected John to bolt.
"There's no turning back." Allison said.
He followed her into her room.
"I want to make sure you want this." Allison said.
She looked at him for a moment as if giving him one last opportunity to retreat. She then closed the door behind them.
"I want to move my life forward." John said.
Allison looked a little concerned.
"What about Cameron?" Allison asked. "She won't terminate me, will she?"
John hoped not. He doubted Cameron would even care anymore. The relationship seemed dead most of the time.
"It's what she wants for us anyway, we all know it." John said. "I think we're 'done' anyway."
Allison smiled and touched his cheek.
"I doubt it." Allison said. "Everyone needs a break or some variety sometimes."
Allison playfully stripped in front of him.
John saw how beautiful she was. It was just like looking at Cameron.
He was afraid that all he was going to see was 'Cameron' and not Allison. He didn't want to do that. It wouldn't be fair to Allison.
"Well?" Allison asked. "Are you just going to 'eyeball' me?"
He slowly started to strip. He was a little nervous.
"I was admiring how beautiful you look." John said. "Allison, you look perfect."
Allison smiled and spun around for him to see all of her.
"There aren't any second thoughts are there?" Allison asked. "This is what Cameron wants. THIS is what I want. THIS is what you want."
"It is, I think." John said.
John started to get 'cold feet'.
"THIS is what you've always wanted." Allison said as she indicated her nude figure. "This is all for you."
John stood naked before Allison. He swallowed hard and looked away before he looked back.
"Allison, I don't know about this." John said. "I love Cameron…."
Allison frowned.
"Do you wish Cameron was here instead of me?" Allison asked.
John did not reply.
Allison looked frustrated.
"LOOK at me." Allison said. "LOOK at my body. THIS is for you, John."
"Maybe…." John started.
John looked around the room; he wanted to 'escape'.
"TOUCH ME" Allison said.
She reached out and put his hands on her breasts.
"LOOK at ME, TOUCH ME." Allison said. "What do you see?"
John touched her and looked at her face.
"I can only see Camr…." John started but stopped.
He felt really bad right now.
"Maybe that is all you WANT to see." Allison said.
John felt that this seemed disrespectful and hurtful to both Allison and Cameron at this point.
"I'm sorry. I don't think I can do this." John said. "I didn't mean to hurt you like this, Allison."
Allison was not done yet.
"I told you to LOOK at ME and TOUCH ME." Allison said. "LOOK at my skin what do you see?"
John moved his hands away.
"I can't." John said defeated. "I want Cameron…."
John didn't see any way out of this.
"You're not leaving yet - Mister." Allison said forcefully.
John knew Allison wasn't about to back down. He was 'trapped' here and she was not letting him go. Maybe it was time to just 'do it' and get it over with.
What could it hurt?
No, really. What could it hurt?
Jesse thought about the day. It was good overall. The ugly incident began to creep back into her mind. She was still upset about the encounter with the four girls.
"Those girls really got to me." Jesse said. "I don't know what their problem was."
Gail learned that people seemed to have all kinds of problems that were not based on fact or logic.
"That seems more common than not." Gail said.
Jesse frowned and nodded.
"That's a sad fact." Jesse said.
They returned to the SUV.
Gail could see that the 'old Jesse' hadn't gone away yet. It looked like Jesse wanted to hurt someone and maybe even kill them.
"I want to find those girls." Jesse said.
Gail wondered how. That encounter was several hours ago.
"What are you going to do when you do find them?" Gail asked.
Jesse took out her knife.
"I'm going hurt them." Jesse said. "It will be a reminder to them every time they want to be abusive."
Gail looked over quickly at Jesse. She knew this was something Jesse carried out in her future. She started on some females who were Scavengers and later expanded to others.
"That's a little extreme." Gail said. "There might be repercussions."
Jesse looked at the blade of her knife.
"There has to be punishment and retribution." Jesse said. "If there's no punishment, they will keep doing it."
Gail knew the bad girls may take retribution out on the Asian girl later on. They might do the same thing to her.
"They may escalate their response towards the young female next time." Gail said.
Jesse knew that was true. She would need to hit harder.
"No." Jesse said. "I'm going to kill them now instead."
This sounded like a better option to Gail.
"I will run them down if we spot them." Gail said. "It will look like another hit and run."
Jesse wanted it to be personal.
"I want to kill them myself." Jesse said. "I want them to know it was me."
Jesse laughed.
That worried Gail more.
This was not 'her Jesse' right now. This was a dark evil vindictive Jesse.
Jesse put her knife away and looked at her Taser and her Glock.
"It will be easier if I run them down." Gail said. "There are dozens of hit and runs a day with all the undocumented foreign nationals. They don't have driver's licenses or insurance. They are afraid if they stick around the accident scene that they will be deported back to their own country. That is who the police will think did it and not look into it further. They get a 'pass' currently."
Jesse wanted the girl's blood on her hands, not the bumper.
"I want to see the terror in their eyes." Jesse said. "The others will watch as I take the first one. They will be even more fearful and terrified when I come for them. They will know what's coming. They will do anything to keep that from happening to them."
Gail realized that Jesse was reliving what happened to her. It was what she'd witnessed while being held in a Scavenger camp. She knew this story. Five girls were captured. One was picked at random and killed in front of the other four. They were given a choice to do everything asked of them and demanded from them or join the other girl that was dead on the ground.
The girls all agreed to do as instructed and never hesitate, complain or cry about it. That was their life now. They were 'sex slaves' for all practical purposes. They needed to perform acts on any of the men there when told to do so any time of the day or night no matter what they were doing. One by one the girls hesitated too long to do something at some point. They were all beaten and then killed. Only Jesse was left and needed to 'service' the entire camp herself. She was busy eighteen hours a day, everyday.
Gail needed to end this. She needed to get Jesse 'back'.
"If Savannah or Cameron was with us, would you still do the same things to the girls in front of them?" Gail asked. "You're better than that."
Jesse looked over at Gail.
It hit her like a ton of bricks. She felt a little sick.
"No." Jesse said. "I wouldn't want them to see me as a monster like that. I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me."
Jesse wondered how she slipped so far so fast.
Gail pulled over and hugged and kissed Jesse for a little while.
"You never need to go there." Gail said. "Come to me or go see Savannah or Cameron. That's your inspiration."
Jesse wiped her tears away.
"Thank you." Jesse said. "I may have needed to vent but I do not need to act. I need exhibit restraint and control. I need to find the love and not the hate."
Jesse thought back to that one Scavenger camp she was in. It was one of many.
Jesse was singled out in the camp because she 'looked' different than the other females did. In that case it made her more desirable. She was glad those Scavengers all remembered her face as she slit their throats one by one when she finally was able to get all of them intoxicated at the same time.
She remembered each one of them and everything they did to her or made her do.
She bound their hands and feet. She stood over the leader first. She slit his throat. His eyes opened in terror and confusion as his life spurted out of him.
Jesse moved closer to him as he gurgled and thrashed about.
"I just wanted you to know it was me who killed you." Jesse said.
She punched him hard in the face.
"Payback is a Bitch." Jesse said and moved on to the next one.
Six men died that night. She freed three of the four girls that were captured that day. She'd been in that camp for nine weeks.
Jesse looked over at Gail.
"Life moves forward, not backwards." Jesse said. "Always remind me when I need it."
Earlier:
Cameron and Vanna talked and shared their feelings. They both opened up with no stops. An avalanche of thoughts and feelings exploded from both of them.
They talked about what was available and what they wanted.
After sharing thoughts for fifteen minutes they both decided they wanted the same thing.
Cameron looked at the bed, Vanna followed her gaze.
"Well, let's go do what we both want…." Cameron said.
"There's no point in putting it off…." Vanna said.
"We BOTH know what we want…." Cameron said.
The two females were ready to act.
That's what they did.
Jesse was better now. The SUV pulled into the carpool at the Resistance base.
"Gail, I remember a song that sort of reminded me about someone who is 'different'." Jesse said. "They were 'different' because that is how they were born."
"What song is that?" Gail asked.
Jesse called it up on her phone on YouTube. It was one that contained the lyrics.
'Half-Breed' by 'Cher', played from the speaker as Gail read the lyrics.
Choice
Everything in life
Is about making a choice
That is the only way
To make one hear your voice
I know that it
May sound somewhat strange
But it is you yourself
That can make things change
It is always easier
To return to the castle
Because things that are different
Are usually a hassle
Look at your hands and feet
There is no enslaving chain
The restraints that hold you
Exist only within your own brain
As life evaporates into time
It becomes harder to choose
Because no matter what you do
You feel you will always lose
Nobody