Chapter 304

Cousin

Before she left, Cameron informed John Henry that Ally would be taking her place until she got back. If Ally was unavailable, he was to speak with Cam.

John Henry notified Ally about Cameron's request for the female Gray. He knew this was most likely a mistake but it was what Cameron wanted.

Ally said she would rather terminate her and not take her into custody. She was afraid what Cameron would do again. She'd needed to help clean up the 'mess' Cameron made with 'Nobody'.

What disturbed her most about the whole event was how elated Cameron was afterwards. It was very unusual. Nothing seemed to make Cameron happy anymore.

John Henry handed the file over to Ally with a lot of trepidation.

"Cameron has some 'enhanced interrogation' planned for her." John Henry said.

Ally reviewed the file. This all seemed unnecessary to her.

"She's a teenager." Ally said. "She hasn't even committed her crimes yet. I should just terminate her. There is no need to fool around with her."

Ally knew there would be a mess to clean up again when Cameron was 'done'. She didn't understand why Cameron wanted to do these experiments. There was no advantage to being human. There were multiple options available to Cameron for what she wanted.

John Henry didn't want any trouble with Cameron. Her orders were to be obeyed. He didn't like Ally's hesitation to carry out her job.

"It's Cameron's order." John Henry said. "Carry it out and don't ask questions."

Ally knew it wasn't worth being deactivated over. She didn't want to end up looking like the last test subject.

"I will do as Cameron has requested." Ally said.

Ally thought she would see what Cameron was up to. She figured this girl would end up the same way, maybe worse. She believed it would be worse if it was somehow possible.

She thought it was very strange that Cameron would take such pleasure in such behavior. It was very un–Terminator like. She felt it was some type of 'personal' issue. It seemed as if Cameron experienced more and more of those. It made her wonder if she would ever become that 'unstable'. She sure hoped not.

Ally was unsure what she would find and if she did, what she should do about it. If she wasn't careful Cameron would reprogram her or place her own spare chip in her chassis. She decided to take the female into custody and do nothing else. Cameron could start the 'interrogation' when she got back. She liked being operational or 'alive'. She knew that Cameron terminated several Terminators already. Cameron made sure they all knew she'd deactivated other Terminators before that were Resistance Terminators. It was an unspoken threat for total obedience. Nobody questioned Cameron's authority or dominance.

She looked forward to her new assignment with Jesse and Gail. She was still a little miffed she wasn't able to choose Allison. Jesse or Vanna were fine choices as well. Cameron made the selection. Nobody was going to challenge her decisions.

Jesse boldly stood in front of her younger self and sister. The group of girls didn't intimidate her.

She wasn't about to back down.

Jesse faced off against the five girls.

"These are my 'cousins'." Jesse said. "If you have a problem with my cousin, then you have a problem with me."

The mean girls were not used to this aggressive and threatening behavior. The size of their group usually gave them the advantage. They'd never felt threatened by any group let alone one female. It was clear if there was an altercation that some of them were going to be hurt.

"There's no problem." The biggest girl said.

She knew Jesse could hurt them physically.

Jesse wanted to drive her point home.

"There won't be in the future either." Jesse said as she looked each girl in the face. "Will there?"

Two girls looked like they were ready to run.

"No." Two girls said.

Jesse moved closer to the other three. She was ready to strike.

"Will There!" Jesse said as fire burned in her eyes.

It was a statement and a command. It wasn't a question.

"No." All five girls said.

They apologized to Jesse and Young Jesse and then left.

They all looked back several times as they left. They were afraid they would be pursued or attacked.

Jesse turned and faced Young Jesse and her sister. Her heart fluttered to see how beautiful they both were. A soft smile appeared on her broad lips.

"Thank you." Young Jesse said as she looked closely at Jesse. "You look more like a 'sister' than a cousin. You look more like me than my sister…."

Jesse and Young Jesse shared a long look. For both of them it was as if they looked into the mirror of time. There was a connection there that they both felt.

What Young Jesse looked at and thought was impossible as she knew things to be. The idea was still there in her mind. She felt somehow that she looked at 'herself'.

Jesse explained she was the niece of the 'wealthy relative' that passed away a few years back and left money for her family. She'd come into town to look them up since she was visiting the area.

Young Jesse said her parents talked about it and said she knew she was coming today to visit them.

"Needless to say, when I saw you I knew you must be part of my family." Jesse said. "I came with two of my friends."

Young Jesse noticed her friends. One packed a set of knockers that didn't quit and the other was stunningly beautiful. She'd looked at Cameron and kept looking at her. She was so captivating….

"I saw them earlier." Young Jesse said. "They looked very nice."

Cameron and Gail faded into the background as the mean girls left. They wanted Jesse to be with her family undisturbed.

"They left so that I can catch up with the rest of my family. That's if you don't mind. I didn't want to intrude unannounced until my appointment but I didn't like what I saw happen here." Jesse said. "I know how brutal some people can be, for nothing."

Young Jesse didn't want to get into the details but she'd dealt with the mean girls before. Her sister was not with her then.

"I could have handled them but they would have hurt me a little." Young Jesse said. "I've done it before. I hurt them too."

Jesse couldn't help but think that 'she' just did.

"Yes, you could have." Jesse said.

Young Jesse smiled at Jesse.

"Thanks again." Young Jesse said.

Jesse gave both of them a hug, especially her sister. Seeing her sister meant so much to her. She was alive!

"Let me buy you girls some food and we can talk…." Jesse said.

Cameron and Gail moved off and watched from a distance.

Cameron looked around and saw her Terminator was gone. She figured what they went off to do.

'Great.' Cameron thought.

She headed off to stop them from terminating the girls. She intercepted them and said if it happens again to only break a leg the first time and make it look like an accident. She wanted the same thing for the boys. If the trouble persisted, then they could do what was necessary…. Young Jesse would be protected, just in case…. John must never face assassination. This was better than Cameron hoped for. Young Jesse and her sister as well, could both be held in 'reserve' for John. Cameron felt excited and happy, her hand no longer glitched.

Bob wasn't sure what that last raid was all about. He did like to see Sheila topless but she would do that anytime, especially if someone asked her to do it.

He was a little worried about the level of violence she used. She went out of her way to make that man suffer.

That wasn't a Resistance operation but it was still unnecessary violence. He was worried about the Restorators now. Sheila ran Gail's program with the 'Neural Interface' with Jesse. Steve and Tom were there too and they were Restorators. Now he wondered if there was some hidden agenda happening in the background and now he was part of it.

Maybe he read more into it than there was.

He wanted to see what else Sheila was up to.

Jim was supposed to meet him.

He spotted Jim at the meeting point right on time. He left his SUV and went to Jim's SUV.

Bob opened the door and sat down. They exchanged pleasantries. They made sure their coms were off. CamNet was probably going to be all over this anyway. He was sure John Henry was in the dark about it.

"What's this about?" Jim asked.

"I'm not really sure." Bob said. "It was some black ops stuff with Sheila and CamNet."

Jim looked nervous. He looked around.

"I've needed to do a few of those ops myself." Jim said. "The Metal girls do a lot of things for Cameron on the side. Sheila is very violent. I think she enjoys violence more than sex."

Bob was aware of some mental disorders where violence was 'sex' to some individuals.

"I think that is just the 'Jesse' in her." Bob said. "She went through a lot in her future."

"It seems all the female infiltration units have problems, some more than others." Jim said. "I was able to get Sheila's location from John Henry. I asked him where all the female Terminators were at. I didn't want to get specific."

That seemed like good thinking on Jim's part. It didn't tip their hand.

"That was a good idea." Bob said.

Bob looked over the information.

"Are we going to stay off the grid?" Jim asked.

Bob thought that was best for now.

"Yes." Bob said.

"What happens if we get in a jam?" Jim asked.

"We're Terminators." Bob said. "We send whoever threatens us to the 'promised land'."

Bob asked Jim to drive back to the area where the 'van incident' happened. The van was gone so someone collected it. The location where they intercepted the van at was burnt. There were bullet holes in the walls by the burnt out front.

"What happened here?" Jim asked.

"I don't know." Bob said. "Maybe someone thought they got sold out and wanted some payback."

"It happens." Jim said.

Jim drove to another location that John Henry provided him with. He spotted the vehicle that she currently drove.

"There's Sheila vehicle." Jim said.

"She's driving a delivery van?" Bob asked.

"She picked it up across town." Jim said.

"Where are Steve and Tom at?" Bob asked.

Jim wasn't sure why that mattered.

"I didn't check." Jim said. "What are we after?"

"I really don't know." Bob said.

There was gunfire inside the building that the delivery van was parked in front of.

Bob pulled his M9 out and looked for a target.

"I have an M4 in the back seat." Jim said. "There are also two LAW rockets and an M79."

Bob looked behind him and picked up the M79 after he handed Jim his M4. He selected an HE round from the bandoleer of assorted rounds.

There was a loud crash and a body flew through the glass front doors and landed in the street.

Sheila hurried from the building and headed for the delivery van. There was an explosion from somewhere inside the building.

"What's going on here?" Jim asked.

"I don't know." Bob said.

"Maybe we should contact her." Jim said. "We might need some coordinated response."

Jim went to activate his com.

"Wait." Bob said. "She looks like she's out of danger."

They watched her move over and run over the man's legs she'd thrown through the glass door. He screamed loudly before he blacked out again.

They tailed her from a distance.

"She will probably spot us." Jim said.

They watched her make another stop and go inside another building.

There was some more gunfire a few minutes later.

Three men came out of the building and surrounded the delivery van. They all carried weapons.

Jim charged his M4.

"Do you want me to 'pop' them?" Jim asked.

One man opened the back and looked inside. He pulled out a couple of bodies that were tied up.

"Wait." Bob said.

A few seconds later the delivery van blew up.

The rear door on Jim's SUV opened.

They both spun around.

"Thank. It looks like a need a lift." Sheila said.

Bob wanted to offer some explanation as to why they were there.

"We wanted to back you up." Bob said.

"You might want to turn your coms back on then." Sheila said.

"Did you know we would be here?" Jim asked.

"CamNet indicated that I might have some alternate transportation available." Sheila said.

There were more men that came out of the building.

Sheila picked up a LAW rocket.

"I'm going to borrow these." Sheila said. "Get ready to drive away."

"I have an HE round in the M79." Bob said.

"Feel free to join the party." Sheila said as she armed a LAW.

She leaned out the side window and fired the LAW rocket. She wanted to keep the blast exhaust out of the interior.

Bob fired the M79 a second later. He reloaded and Sheila fired the second LAW rocket.

"Go." Sheila said.

Bob fired one more HE round as Jim drove away.

"I think we're done here." Sheila said.

"What was this about?" Jim asked.

"I needed to pit three different gangs against each other." Sheila said. "In a few days after they kill each other off a lot, I should be able to mop things up."

"What would have happened if we weren't here to pick you up right now?" Jim asked.

"I was going to take one of their cars." Sheila said. "John is going to need us soon so I figured I could ride back with you guys."

"None of this seems like good planning." Bob said.

"I think that depends on who is actually doing the planning." Sheila said. "You were here when I needed you as John will soon need us."

"CamNet seems very active." Jim said.

"When the cats away the mice will play." Sheila said.

Somehow Bob wondered if he'd just been played.

Jim headed back to the base. He let Bob off at his SUV.

Sheila moved up to the front with Jim.

"I didn't want to look like Miss Daisy." Sheila said with a giant smile on her face.

John wanted to take advantage of Cameron being away. He wouldn't need to take any flack for being out in the field on an operation.

"I want to go after the two Grays." John said.

John Henry could see this was already a bad idea. At least half of it was already taken care of.

"The female's been dealt with." John Henry said. "Only the male needs termination still."

That was news to John. The targets were just identified.

"Who took care of the female?" John asked. "Cameron is out of town."

John Henry was afraid this was about to be a problem.

"I believe she scheduled Ally to deal with the female." John Henry said. "It's done."

John was a little confused.

"Did she uncover the information herself?" John asked. "How did Cameron know?"

John Henry wanted to keep it as factual as possible.

"It was her initial research I followed up on it when she went on her current mission." John Henry said. "The female was a Gray in Cameron's future."

John Henry hoped John would leave it at that. He didn't want to upset Cameron or whatever she was doing or planning.

"Let's go get the male then." John said. "We have to hurt Skynet as much as possible in the present."

John Henry wanted to make sure there was plenty of Metal.

"Who do you want on your team?" John Henry asked.

John thought Bob would be a good choice. He seemed busy the last few days. He wanted to give John Henry the option to go as well.

"Bob and one other will be good enough." John said. "You may go if you want to get out but I would prefer you stay here with Savannah, just in case. Cameron has beat it into my head you are to protect Savannah if it ever all falls apart."

John Henry would like to get out in the field too sometimes. He also knew his function.

"I know my duty. I'll stay and arrange one other." John Henry said. "Everyone will be ready for tonight and I'll have two drones out before you get there to do some recon."

John needed to think about the problem that developed the last time he was out. Someone knew where they would be at.

"I'm ready." John said. "I hope we don't have any uninvited company like last time."

John was still upset over that mysterious drone. There were too many unanswered questions related to it. He remembered how Sheila and Hanna were there to protect and assist him. He still wondered about what Cameron was doing that day…. He knew she'd been up to something.

Cameron was all over him for a week and then nothing - again.

Defend

Where is the beginning
Where is the end
Is this not all
What we pretend

Into life's darkness
We sometimes descend
Where our thoughts go
As we receive and send

There is only so much time
That we have to spend
We must be choosy
To what we attend

We may find those
Who an escape they will lend
As we crawl from the mire
Allowing us to ascend

Along the journey
Some may become a friend
As thoughts from the mind
Are created and penned

Nobody