Chapter 316

Don't Let Go

Gail checked her surroundings again as Cameron departed.

Cameron followed her Metal inside the building.

Gail heard the shooting start soon afterward. She knew Cameron sent two of their drones to cover the area, just in case.

Gail watched as a van pulled up. She readied her M82A1 Barrett 'Light Fifty' and took aim. She decided to notify John Henry. Gail was worried about Cameron. To have Cameron be upset at her, would be better than Cameron damaged or terminated. She felt that Cameron needed to be protected.

As soon as Savannah led John away, John Henry reactivated the surveillance. He also deployed Bob and his Strike Force, they were on the way. That happened as soon as he received Gail's call.

Gail went over everything that happened so far with John Henry.

"Roger, the drones are on the move and the target is identified." John Henry replied.

They were all aware Cameron and her Terminators were already involved.

John Henry thought about what Savannah did with John.

He knew what Savannah was doing and why. She was 'protecting' Cameron and him. He also knew now that Savannah was truly the 'Chosen One'. She was the product of Cameron's attempts to create the 'perfect woman'. The 'perfect woman' Cameron wanted to be. The 'perfect woman' Cameron could never be herself for the future and for John….

As Gail searched for a target, the first drone fired a missile. The van exploded in a fireball. A lone skeletal figure smashed its way out of the flaming wrecked mass. It was a Terminator with its sheath burning off.

Gail took aim and fired once. The smoking figure fell and no longer moved. Gail searched for additional targets as she heard the second drone circling overhead in a search pattern.

Cameron was confronted by two Grays who tried to move in back of her. She turned and cut both of them down with her M4. One of her Terminators found a target and opened up with his M249 to their left.

She heard the drone and then the explosion outside. A few seconds later she heard a single round from the Barrett. She knew Gail watched her back from outside. This was going hot real fast. She moved ahead.

Cameron was aware Gail called John Henry for assistance. She wasn't happy with that decision but understood it. Gail wanted to look out for her and protect her. The operation was a little hotter than she'd anticipated, so maybe it wasn't a bad thing. She worried about John being angry at her if she was shot up if things went too far off the plan. That seemed to be the direction they were headed.

Gail watched and saw two SUVs approach. They split off in different directions. She could see Bob and Jim. They each drove an SUV. She needed to get inside and help Cameron. She motioned for Bob and Steve to come to her. Jim and Tom were on the other side down the street. They were ready for any surprises.

"Steve, watch for any new targets." Gail said as she handed him the Barrett. "I need to assist Cameron."

Steve thought he should go.

"I will do it." Steve said.

Gail took his M79 and bandier of extra rounds.

"Thank you but I have it covered this time." Gail said. "Bob, follow me."

Gail led the way and moved out.

"Affirmative." Bob said.

He checked the belt on his M60 as he followed her in. He could see she was worried.

Gail and Bob entered the building.

Gail knew that Cameron was risking herself for her. It bothered her greatly, she wasn't sure why. She remembered there was a lot of tension when she arrived from the future. She didn't understand Cameron at that time. She also knew she owed Cameron her life for reactivating her and 'fixing' what was wrong with her. It was the termination of Duplicate Jesse. Cameron fixed that the best way that she could, she provided her with Jesse. Cameron always tried to protect the future.

Cameron was started to take rounds. All she could think about right now was how angry John was going to be. Now she was angry. She knew she was already damaged. She might as well end this. She moved from cover to finish off her targets.

She noticed movement off to her side. It was a new threat. Behind her she heard the M60 open up and the new targets fell. She saw Bob and Gail moving to reinforce her. Gail fired an HE round from her M79 into the doorway the men emerged from.

Bob and Gail joined Cameron.

"Hit it again." Cameron said.

Gail fired a second HE round into the doorway, just to make sure.

"I have two Terminators with me, they have green vests on." Cameron told Bob.

Cameron hoped to avoid any 'friendly fire'.

"Affirmative." Bob responded.

Cameron wanted to give Bob and Gail some reassurance.

"They know what all of our Friendlies look like." Cameron added.

Cameron and her new crew rounded a corner and came face to face with one of her Terminators. He nodded at them and went to join up with his teammate. They all saw he'd been damaged.

Gail brought Cameron up to speed on the events that happened outside. Based on size of the flaming figure it was a male Terminator she'd popped.

Cameron's Terminators rejoined them saying the building was secure and all threats on this level were neutralized.

Bob and Gail began searching the area.

"Over here." Bob said.

Bob found the entrance to a lower level

Cameron spoke to her two Terminators.

"You two, secure this area until we return." Cameron said. "We have three Friendlies outside and two drones with us."

Cameron looked at Bob and Gail.

"Follow me." Cameron said as she led the way.

Bob and Gail followed her down. Their weapons were ready.

This was the unknown. It didn't bother them in the slightest. They were with Cameron, they would follow her anywhere….

Allison and Vanna lay on Vanna's bed. It was the bed that was once 'their' bed. The bed they'd shared for years. It was the bed that they both longed to share again….

"I think my Duplicate was barren as well." Vanna said. "My body is too damaged from our future. Skynet has made me barren. I'm like most of the other women we knew. My body is worthless…."

Allison wasn't sure that was written in stone. There could still be help for Vanna.

"You don't know that for certain. Cameron suggested you give it a few months and try it again." Allison told her. "Anything is possible."

Vanna was aware she wasn't the only one who was affected.

"What about Jesse and you?" Vanna asked. "How are you doing?"

Allison was worried about Jesse and herself. It wasn't a good feeling to need to worry about this.

"I haven't experienced any problems or been told I have any – yet." Allison said. "I'm being scanned all the time now. I don't know about Jesse other than that Cameron is worried about her as well."

Vanna really wished she would have tried to get pregnant sooner. A lot of years were wasted now.

"Savannah, Young Allison and Young Jesse all have much greater importance now." Vanna said. "We should have listened to Cameron sooner. If Judgment Day happens, we don't stand a chance at having kids. Their bodies will be ruined as well."

Allison knew this was all on them. They hadn't listened.

"Cameron has been trying to make us listen to her. We've been deaf to her." Allison said. "We've disrespected her. We've hurt her more by not trying to hurt her in other ways…."

Vanna thought of this non stop since she'd 'found out' about herself. She'd also thought about something else. It was almost like her moral compass no longer seemed to function. At this moment in her life, she didn't care. She knew that animals were ready to reproduce as soon as they were physically able to do so. Humans were no different. That's how it was since the beginning of time until only a hundred or so years ago.

"Allison, Savannah is 'old enough'…." Vanna said. "She's been ready for a few years. Her body can do what mine can't…. She IS me and I AM her."

Allison looked over at Vanna. She could see Vanna was serious, dead serious. It seemed like a terrible idea to her. She didn't want to see Savannah bred like an animal and her baby taken away from her.

"No, we're not forcing her into that. We can't breed her like an animal. Sure it's like that in the future but this isn't that future." Allison said. "I can't allow that. Let her have a life first and grow up some. It HAS to be HER CHOICE, not Cameron's or not yours. I won't allow that."

Vanna held Allison's gaze. She didn't want to back down. She wanted a baby of her own.

Allison didn't think Vanna thought clearly right now. She didn't want to do this to Savannah.

"It's SAVANNAH you're talking about." Allison said. "OUR SAVANNAH…."

Allison wasn't pleased with THIS development.

Vanna felt bad inside right now.

"I'm sorry. I was just thinking…." Vanna said. "Hold me, Allison. Please don't ever let me go."

Vanna wasn't going to leave it at that. It was time she TOLD Savannah what her newest 'duty' was going to be, for both of 'her selves'. She feared Judgment Day even more now. It already may be too late….

Al and Ed moved on to another location. They doubted there was going to be any Coltan found.

They'd dumped the box truck and were back in the SUV.

"I think that was the right thing to do." Al said.

Ed was not bothered by the 'justice' the one female took on the dying thug.

"If you mean about the females, I do too." Ed said. "I can see it's not right for them to be abused like that."

"Cameron is correct in her belief that the people associated with drugs and vice will end up as Scavengers in the future." Al said.

"If they don't end up as Scavengers they will most likely be sellouts and end up as Grays." Ed said. "I really don't know if there is a whole lot of difference between those two groups for their actions against females."

They drove for a few miles into an industrial area.

"The other box truck was spotted in this neighborhood." Al said.

"Let's hope it proves to be a little more fruitful in regards to Skynet." Ed said.

"If we come across any more operations like that last one, I want to take it down anyway." Al said. "We don't want any of our girls to fall prey to those people."

Ed thought their girls were protected fairly well.

"That won't happen before Judgment Day." Ed said. "It's possible that all Metal will be hunted and targeted for termination by the surviving humans. They will lash out at anything they perceive as a threat."

"John and our team won't allow that." Al said.

"He will most likely be targeted for termination by them as well." Ed said.

"Savannah will stand up for us." Al said.

"She maybe targeted as well." Ed said. "She will need to be under the protection of Mrs. Weaver to insure her survival."

A cat ran across their path. It was followed by a dog. Al was driving. He needed hit the brakes some to avoid an impact. That might not have been a concern a few years ago.

"Savannah would be happy you didn't terminate the canine." Ed said.

Al thought so too. It was also the 'right thing' to do.

"Not everything needs termination." Al said.

They passed a row of industrial buildings.

"These buildings all look closed." Ed said.

"That sounds right up Skynet's alley." Al said. "They might squat in a building to stay off of the radar. They might even terminate the owner too and do the same thing."

The drove down the alley to the end and turned around and came back.

"Nothing stands out here." Ed said. "We must check all of them."

"I don't think any Coltan is being processed here or fabricated." Al said. "They need an active machine shop."

There was another box truck tracked to this area by John Henry. That is where the lead came from. They didn't know the nature of the cargo.

"This could be another drug operation." Ed said.

"Let's see what we come up with." Al said.

Al parked the SUV two blocks away behind another building. There was security camera in the back of the building that John Henry took control of. He could watch the SUV for them.

They made their way over the fence at the back of the property. The walked alongside of a building to the street. They crossed the small street and went along a side of another building. They reached the back alley of the target location.

They previously asked John Henry to take care of any alarms or surveillance cameras for them.

They moved up to the first building. It was dark and quiet. They moved around two sides of it and forced open a side window on the third side.

They entered the building. It was vacant and there was a lot of dust built up on all the interior surfaces. The restroom was the same. No one was in this building for a long time.

They went over the side fence to the next building. This building showed that there were some lights on inside.

The satellite photos indicated that this building was equipped with three long skylights. They used the roof access ladder in the back to get up on the roof.

The moved up on each side of the first skylight and looked in.

There was some machinery inside.

The next skylight showed more of the same.

They moved up to the third skylight.

"I can see personal items on your side below you." Al said.

They conversed in a low decibel level that only a Terminator could hear.

Ed could not see them directly below him.

"I still don't see anyone." Ed said.

"It looks like they work with plastic here." Al said. "Wait. I see someone."

Ed carefully walked in back of the skylight to move over to where Al was at. He didn't want to make any roof noise.

"I see them." Ed said. "That person lives here."

"I think it is one of the employees." Al said. "They are most likely undocumented and can't afford to live anywhere else. They can also serve was the night watchman."

They watched the man open a can of beans and eat it out of the can without warming it.

This building didn't look like it was associated with Grays or Skynet.

They went down the ladder and were about to go over the wall into the next property.

"Wait." Ed said in a low decibel level.

They could hear some movement.

They both peered over the fence and spotted something low on the ground. It was a cat. It picked up their predator pheromones. It hissed and ran off.

They went over the wall.

They went to where the cat was at previously. There was a door in the side of the building. It was locked. There was a old pie tin with some scraps in it and a small bowl of water. It was almost empty.

"Someone feeds the animals here." Al said.

The building was dark. They moved around the three sides of it except the front.

They moved back to the side where the cat was at. They looked at the door near the food containers. It sounded like it just shut.

Ed touched Al's arm and pointed at the old pie tin. There was more food in it and the bowl was full of water.

They tried the door. It was locked.

"Would Grays feed an animal?" Ed asked.

"I don't know." Al said.

Ed lifted the bowel of food and was about to throw the contents over the fence on the side they entered from.

"Just dump it by the dumpster in the back." Al said. "The animal will find it."

Ed left and returned thirty seconds later.

Al scratched on the door and made some feline sounds.

They moved to either side of the door but stayed in the shadows.

The door opened and a head poked out.

"You must be hungry today." A male voice said.

They took the old pie tin inside.

Ed moved up and caught the door before it closed.

Al and Ed moved inside. They could hear the person rustling some type of packages. There was a TV on over where they were at. It was turned very low.

Most of the workroom floor was empty. There were some crates near the back. They moved over to look inside of them. The tops were loose but rested on top. They lifted the lids and viewed the contents.

"These are cheap imported toys." Ed said.

They heard the person set the old pie tin outside. They closed and locked the door.

They checked all of the crates. They contained cheap clothing and some purses.

"This looks like stuff they sell at a swap meet." Al said.

They looked further to see if there were drugs in the containers but none were found.

They went to the rear door and quietly opened it and slipped out.

It looked like this might all be wasted effort. They moved on to the next building.

Don't Let Go

Many pass before us
In life's daily lotto
Who will become a friend
Who will end up a foe

At what point in time
Will their true colors show
Will it light the path forward
And glow like a rainbow

Around some issues
One must always tiptoe
If one seeks a trio
It will end in a veto

The one whose heart is touched
Is often set aglow
Upon each other
Their love and trust to bestow

Many temptations appear in life
One must buckle up and forgo
The future is tied into each other
That becomes life's escrow

Who is the one
The heart and mind will know
It is at that point in time
You don't let go

Nobody