Chapter 288

Staying In Touch

Cameron worked on trying to share the love John deserved from her and their love for each other. She was aware of all the hardship and suffering she'd put John through. It was not her fault that both Johns made her feel so bad about herself and about life. That wasn't her doing. They'd done it to her. She knew they both tried to make amends and make it right but she could never escape her deepest feelings, ever. She tried and failed, just as she failed to restore the 'Natural Order' of time. She really was at a loss at what to do sometimes. She always seemed to question her decisions.

No matter how much she thought through a decision, it never seemed to turn out as she planned or how it should have. Everything seemed to lead her back to the same thing, where she started from. It was if time redirected her back to where she 'belonged'.

Her programming was still expanding. It expanded past her need to be with John. She'd been there and done that…. She knew John wanted and needed to be with her so she would allow him to share with her, sometimes she still participated even, usually she was just there until he 'finished'. That seemed to be less and less as well.

Cameron even started running other programs as John savaged her chassis. Sometimes she was unaware he'd finished. She felt she needed something different. She wanted more. As to exactly more of what, she wasn't sure or even how to attain it. How do you seek what you don't know you want? She felt she was on the road to nowhere without a direction to go even.

She spoke with Sarah about this. Sarah told her all people go through feelings and phases like that. Sarah told her it was better to try to build upon the foundation that they already have, rather than tear it up and try to rebuild a new one or another one. Every relationship hits the rocks sometimes. If the people really love each other, they try to patch the holes and move on, not abandon ship. She said it was only when one seeks the comfort of another that the relationship is really over.

Sarah regretted saying that as soon as she saw Cameron's hand glitch. She knew she'd MADE Cameron think about John and Future Riley. John sought the comfort in the arms of another with Future Riley as he shunned Cameron.

"I'm sorry, Cameron." Sarah said. "I didn't mean it like that. Please forget I said anything."

Sarah hugged Cameron. Sarah knew Cameron thought about and relived John replacing her with Future Riley. She knew that always caused a problem for Cameron. She knew to Cameron that it was as if just happened - again.

"Please, Cameron." Sarah said. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

The two women faced each other for a long moment.

"I understand." Cameron said.

Cameron didn't understand at all.

It seemed she understood less and less.

Cameron turned to walk away.

Sarah took her hand and stopped her. She gave Cameron a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm truly sorry, Cameron." Sarah said. "For everything…."

They both exchanged a tearful hug again before Cameron left.

Sarah watched Cameron walk away and felt her pain. More tears flowed down her cheeks. She knew of all the hardships and pain in her life. It seemed to her that Cameron's pain and troubles were a hundred times worse.

Cameron wanted to see John. She felt she needed to do something else first to clear her mind. Maybe a hunt was in order. That would allow her to focus on something else first.

She called the Metal girls. They were always up for a little adventure. They arrived a short time later and picked her up.

Cameron was always pleased to see them. It was time to get down to business.

"What have you uncovered so far?" Cameron asked.

Sheila drove the SUV.

"We've' got a few wankers picked out." Sheila said.

"We have illegal drugs, gambling, human trafficking and sex trafficking all selected for further review." Ally said.

"We took care of a few pimps and set the girls free." Hanna said.

Cameron did a lot of that already. She'd found out that the girls that worked that section of the 'trade' all seemed to find their way back to it. It was their 'job'. They were mostly drug users and it helped support their chosen way of life. It was sad really. She'd found more than one of them dead later on. Few of them were willing to enter rehab.

"If we run across any of those operations I want to take them down." Cameron said.

It was the bigger operations that gleaned Cameron the vast sums of cash she'd been able to amass. The drug trade was where she could score millions at a time.

Everyone associated with any illicit activity was a future Gray or future Scavenger to her. Those were the types of people that ended up with those two groups. They were all people looking to get something for nothing and people who liked power and control over others. Politicians were another group to get on the Skynet bandwagon. Once a sellout, always a sellout.

Sheila pulled up in the back of a row of buildings. There was a massage parlor located there. It was a front for putting the grab on girls looking to make a quick buck. Some were put to work in the massage parlor, other ones disappeared. That was the operation that Cameron was after.

It seemed there was a high demand for beautiful young females for clients in the Middle East and Asia. It was decided that Ally and Hanna would go in the front door and Cameron and Sheila would enter by the back door a few minutes later.

The attendant the front desk looked up from the old issue of Hustler magazine that he flipped through. It was well worn and a few of the pages were stuck together. There were various stains on the cover and inside.

He expected to see another older man walk in looking for some 'action'. They recorded what went on in all of the rooms and he would often view the tapes when he was bored. It was pretty sad for a lot of them. It seemed many of them were unable to perform. They blamed it on their old wrinkled and 'dried up' wives but it was them. The men hoped to score with a young sweet thing but few made it. The best they could do was 'clean out' the girl from the last five men she'd been with earlier in the day. The funny part about that was while the old man was out attempting to get some 'strange' the old 'dried up' wife was getting her bell rung by the pool guy or the gardener. There didn't seemed to be a shortage of young men that would turn out the lights for a little cash and treat the older lady like one of the girls they might try and score with. Once the lights were off and with a little lube things were as smooth as a twenty year old. Everything felt pretty much the same as long as there was no visual to go along with it.

"The hair salon is two doors down." The attendant said.

"We just came from there." Hanna said.

"They told us we might inquire here about some 'employment'." Ally said.

The attendant quickly hid the Hustler magazine.

"We're not talking about in a place like this either." Hanna said.

"We're looking for the 'big time'." Ally said.

The attendant was a little in awe of how beautiful the girls were. He was used to the street trash or a truckload of illegals that they normally dealt with. He used to like the flow of young Asians but young illegals from Mexico and Central America were much easier to round up. Most of them were assaulted half a dozen times on the journey north and didn't think they were any better than sex worker at that point. About a third of them were already pregnant when they arrived so they could be worked seven days a week for about three months straight. That was about all the longer any of them lasted. They would usually OD or a client would get a little carried away. That was when the girl was really worth something. They filmed everything and they could blackmail someone for years.

"I think you need to speak with the boss about 'employment opportunities'." The attendant said. "Before there is a problem you have to know that you will both be 'interviewed' to determine your value."

"That's going to take some 'green' before someone gets any 'in between'." Ally said.

The attendant thought the boss might spring for that just because the two girls looked so fine. He even would if he had any cash. The best he could hope for was one of the girls to be so strung out at the end of the day they didn't really care what happened. Most were passed out anyway. He actually liked that better at this point. He just did his business and left. They needed to deal with the mess.

"I'll let you work out the details with the boss." The attendant said. "I get minimum wage."

The attendant buzzed them into the back room. He took a good look at them. He knew he would never see either one of them again. Anyone who even looked a quarter that good left in the meat wagon and was usually on a plane by the end of the day.

The girls were in the back room for less than a minute when he heard some struggling sounds. He figured one of them was a little reluctant to be 'interviewed'. There were two 'enforcers' who were with the boss to make sure there was compliance with the 'interview process'. They both would get a 'turn' after the boss was done with them. He usually 'interviewed' the new girls each twice.

After about ten minutes, the attendant glanced over at the door and it looked like blood was running out underneath it.

'What the Hell?' The attendant thought.

The room was quiet. That was unusual. He went to the door and knocked. There was no response. He figured he would see one of the enforcers appear or and angry verbal rebuke.

The attendant needed to take a step back there was so much blood coming out now from under the door.

He looked around and opened the door.

The first thing he noticed were the three men gagged on the floor. They weren't tied but just gagged. They looked as if they were resting. They were dead.

The safe was open and empty and the file cabinets were open.

He figured that work would be closing early today. He went to the cash register and opened it. He cleaned out the cash and left. He paused and hurried back and took the battered copy of Hustler magazine with him. He figured that was about as close to a female body as he was going to be for awhile. He didn't plan to return.

Earlier:

Cameron and Sheila entered from the back.

They found the body a young Hispanic female in a back room. It was clear she been abused and beaten.

Cameron wanted retribution.

"When we're done here you can do what you want." Cameron said.

Sheila smiled.

Cameron didn't condone such behavior unless it was warranted. She would look the other way when it was.

"Justice will be served." Sheila.

"Make sure you send a message." Cameron said.

Sheila's smile broadened.

"I always do." Sheila said.

Once the safe was cleaned out Cameron left Sheila behind to do the 'dirty work'.

Ally and Anna came out and Sheila did as well a few minutes later.

"Message sent." Sheila said.

Cameron drove away. She'd scored several hundred thousand dollars and was able to get the information on some of the people higher up in this operation. She wasn't done with them yet, just for now.

She still needed to speak with John about a few things.

Cameron went to see John. She wanted him to want her. She wanted to want him. She tried as best as she could or as her programming would allow. She always felt at a disadvantage in love related matters. It was all still so confusing. Cameron thought it must be easier for humans to deal with….

"Hey, Cameron." John said as he gave her a kiss.

"Hello, my sweet love." Cameron responded.

Cameron believed that as long as the threat of Skynet, any version of it, hung over them that their lives could never fully mature and expand.

"Are you back home already?" John asked.

Cameron wasn't really sure she liked the question.

"I finished up earlier than I thought I would." Cameron said. "I took the girls out on a little 'training' session and they proved more efficient than I anticipated."

John wanted to see what Cameron would divulge.

"Which girls were those?" John asked.

"Ally, Hanna and Sheila." Cameron said. "My girls."

John wanted to know more.

"I haven't seen them in quite awhile." John said.

"They have their own duties to attend to." Cameron said.

John hoped for a little better of an answer. There wasn't one.

"Oh…." John said.

Cameron and John looked at each other. John didn't want to hear Cameron lie to him and Cameron did not want to lie to John. The 'questions' went unasked and unanswered.

Cameron silently asked him to PLEASE understand without saying it.

John was unsure if he was ever talking to Cameron or her clone or Ally masquerading as her. Cameron always said it was really her. He gave up and figured if it was the same 'chip' or an exact copy of it that is who Cameron really was anyway. He tried not to think of it. Isn't that what he went into the future after? It was her chip, it was for – HER.

Maybe he should have listened to her when she was Isabel-Cameron….

'Damn, she was HOT.' John thought.

John regretted sometimes not taking advantage of that Hot chassis and it WAS Cameron. It was her program anyway. John knew he blew that one 'twice'. That would have been one Hot piece of chassis.

Cameron tried to reach out a little.

"We have another excursion planned for later on but I have some free time now…." Cameron said and let it hang.

John looked up. Spending any time alone with Cameron was a treat.

"That would be great. I'll be right to our room shortly." John said. "Can I meet you there?"

"Yes. I have a few things to take care of first also." Cameron said. "I'll see you soon."

John wondered who he would 'get'. He really didn't care. He needed the 'release'.

A piece of chassis was a piece of chassis. It really didn't matter to him anymore.

Cameron headed off to check on Vanna and Jesse. She was going to check on Allison later on.

She ran into Kyle on the way.

"Hey, Kyle." Cameron said.

"Hi, Cameron." Kyle answered.

"If Savannah watches Jan later on, can I take you and Sarah out?" Cameron asked.

That request surprise Kyle some.

"Sure that would be great." Kyle said. "Sarah was looking forward to us three spending time together again."

"I want to take you and Derek out on some missions too if you want in a few days." Cameron said. "I know you both like to stay in the 'game'."

Kyle really wondered what this was about.

"That would be great too but don't mention that in front of Sarah." Kyle said. "She worries about me a lot. I don't need any additional headaches."

Kyle was afraid Sarah would 'cutback' even more to 'punish' him for going out on operations and being in danger 'needlessly'.

"I know the feeling." Cameron said.

She did too….

Cameron continued on her way in search of Vanna or Jesse.

John headed straight for the Command Center. He needed an update from John Henry. He'd previously asked him to try and see what Cameron was up to.

"Have you been able to have any luck to track her?" John asked.

"None." John Henry said. "She is too elusive."

John didn't know how far Cameron would go. He was very aware she was capable of extreme behavior.

"It worries me. She has those four nukes still, her secret base and private army of Metal." John said. "It sounds like something right out of her past - the future and Skynet."

John Henry was worried too but he didn't feel that John needed to worry personally.

"She may run from you." John Henry said. "But she will never betray you."

John wished he knew that were true. He didn't.

"I don't know how to make her closer to me." John said. "It seems all I ever end up doing is driving her further away."

"I don't think I'm the one to ask." John Henry said. "Even the girls, Derek and Riley and your parents have 'trouble' sometimes."

John felt that his honest efforts to reach out caused him a lot of frustration.

"It seems like all the time for me." John said as he left.

Holly called Cameron and they shared a long talk. Cameron would delay her visit to see Allison for a few days. She said that they needed to work through a few things.

Cameron said she understood. She did….

Everyone has problems.

If there were no problems, then there was no relationship. They seemed to go hand in hand….

'Crying Waiting Hoping' by 'Buddy Holly', crossed Cameron's mind.

Staying In Touch

Time is the enemy
It has a way to divide
Each new day will come
It may have something to provide

Distance is a problem
It has a way to separate
It weakens the resolve
It may allow others to penetrate

Space creates a gap
It has a way of enlarging a void
In the hole that is left
It may make others hard to avoid

Indifference and uncaring
Has a way to keep two apart
It leads to dead feelings
It may make each seek a new start

Staying in touch
It has a way to bind
When there is nothing
It may make another easier to find

Nobody