Chapter 501

Be Careful

Cameron drove the captured Gray vehicle towards the enemy compound. It was to serve as a Trojan Horse. Hanna was with her. She hoped to approach unopposed. She hoped to avoid a gun battle at the gate.

Sheila and Ally were already in place by the outer perimeter wall and gate. They'd snuck up earlier to where Cameron wanted them. They waited for Cameron and Hanna to arrive. They planned to enter after Cameron drove through the gate.

It was decided the drones would strike the complex as Cameron neared the checkpoint in the captured Gray vehicle. That should eliminate a challenge at the checkpoint. The guard would be distracted.

Cameron approached the gate in the appropriated vehicle of the dead Gray. The gate opened as she neared. It was what she'd hoped would happen. The Grays expected the vehicle to return. They should have been concerned with who was in the car, not just the car itself. Routine operations made people sloppy.

John Henry cut all communications earlier. The compound lost contact on what actually happened with any of their teams that were out. They didn't know their strike force was terminated. They didn't know they were about to let the wolf in amongst the sheep. This was routine for them now and they were complacent. They were probably glad some of their strike team returned so they could find out what happened. Grays were often sloppy and this instance proved no different. The Grays at the gate were probably glad that they weren't the ones that were sent out.

As Cameron was about to pass the checkpoint, the first drone made its attack on the opposite side of the complex. She saw the two missiles streak down from the sky. They were immediately followed by two missiles from the second drone. There were four explosions in rapid succession all within a second and a half. The entire west side of the complex was now burning rubble. Confusion and panic would soon be all the Grays felt.

She floored it and rushed past the checkpoint. So far not a shot was fired in return. Two Grays looked at the burning building. They were directly in front of her. She used the vehicle as a weapon and crushed the two confused Grays against a wall. One was still alive pinned against the wall. He still tried to move. He seemed unaware he was bleeding to death from internal injuries. The other Gray was under the car dead. His is flesh was fried by a hot exhaust pipe. White smoke drifted off of his face as the exhaust pipe burnt it.

Cameron wanted to get inside the building. She wanted to see what the Grays were up to. She also needed to use Hanna as her 'secret weapon'.

"Let's go." Cameron said.

Cameron and Hanna exited the now wrecked car.

The Gray tried to call out but was unable to. He slumped over the hood of the car. He no longer moved.

Ally and Sheila entered the compound behind Cameron and Hanna. They'd followed vehicle in on foot. They'd passed by the checkpoint and neutralized the guards. Their way out was clear if they needed to retreat. That was unlikely with Cameron leading the assault. The direction was always forward. They watched the move Cameron made and didn't think the vehicle was drivable any longer.

Cameron tried to view some of the drone footage on her phone. She hoped to get a few clues. Right away she thought something was missing.

"Where are the Terminators?" Cameron asked. "They should've been hit in the initial strike."

Cam lost track of them somehow. She'd tried to light them up herself. There were just Grays running.

"I don't see them." Cam said.

Cam used the 'gun' on a fleeing Gray. They were instantly cut to shreds.

Ally spotted a Gray trying to escape. He ran away to save himself. He didn't care about his comrades. He carried no visible weapon. She ran and caught him in seconds. She held him firmly.

"I have a live one." Ally said.

Cameron wanted their plan to go into effect. She looked at Hanna.

"Go." Cameron said. "Remember to make it look good."

Hanna headed off in that direction to be with Ally. She was briefed on her role as 'Mrs. Weaver'. She would begin an interrogation. By prearrangement Sheila moved forward and teamed up with Cameron.

Cameron and Sheila set off to enter the building. They shot a few Grays who fled from it as they moved to enter.

Cammy was on the outer perimeter on the west side. She was on the outside of the compound waiting. She was ready to respond to any breakaway from the compound with a force of Metal. So far nothing happened.

Cam flew around the compound and the other two fully armed drones orbited as they waited for additional targets.

The first two drones that expended their ordnance moved out on recon. They searched for any new threats. They didn't want anyone or anything to show up to help out the compound that was now under assault. They didn't want any hostile drones to arrive or reinforcements either.

Enemy HK drones would pose the biggest threat to the team on the ground.

John monitored the feeds from the drones and the body cams in the Command Center. It looked like their team held the upper hand. There hadn't been any return fire directed at their forces.

"So far it's looking good." John said.

John Henry wasn't so sure. The enemy Metal disappeared and they didn't know what else was inside the building. Things could happen quick in a combat zone.

"It can go bad real fast." John Henry said. "We don't know everything yet."

Sarah and Kyle watched but remained silent. It wasn't their place to direct the troops. If they were to spot anything, they would say something.

Kyle was on operations like this in the past. Most of them were to try and free captives that Skynet held as workers. They didn't often end well.

Everyone watched the video feeds that came back from all the drones as well as the body cams on the Terminators.

Savannah suddenly became alert. She caught something in a flash of one of the drone cameras. It was a threat but she wasn't sure what that threat was.

"Cam, off to your right about a hundred yards off the burning side of the structure I saw something." Savannah said. "Lose altitude fast. Drop to the deck and fallback from that area quickly."

Cam did as Savannah instructed without hesitation.

"John Henry, move the drones away that are orbiting." Savannah said. "Prepare them for evasive maneuvers and countermeasures for surface to air missiles."

John looked at the same feeds that Savannah looked at. He didn't see what spooked her. There must be a threat there.

"What did you see, Savannah?" John asked.

John Henry complied with Savannah's instructions. He viewed everything plus more than Savannah looked at. He'd missed whatever it was she'd spotted. His server currently reviewed all the footage.

"I detect nothing." John Henry said. "I'm reviewing everything."

Cam quickly moved away from the compound at low altitude. Down on the deck a surface to air missile would have trouble to get a lock on her. Distance was what was needed right now.

"What was it?" Cam asked. "I saw nothing."

Savannah only saw it for a fraction of a second. She'd been looking at one feed when it flashed by. She wasn't sure what she saw but knew it was a threat.

"It was there." Savannah said. "I saw it."

John Henry reviewed the feeds.

Savannah was sure of something else too. She didn't know what it was but it was close to where Cammy waited to ambush anyone who attempted to flee the compound. The threat put Cammy in the middle.

"Cammy, there's something outside the perimeter past you. It's behind you." Savannah said.

Cammy immediately dropped down and changed her team's position. They might be targeted. They'd watched for the enemy to come from the compound. Not already be behind them.

"I'm searching for movement." Cammy said. "Thanks, Savannah."

Savannah tried to think how some of the enemy could have gotten past Cammy. The only explanation was from underground.

"They must have come up from a tunnel." Savannah said. "I know I saw them."

John Henry still reviewed the feeds. He'd been focused on the compound itself. He thought the perimeter was secured. That apparently wasn't the case. He found what Savannah spotted in a flash of movement. It was bad news for the air units.

"I see it now." John Henry said. "Cammy, there's Metal past you. There are two of them. They are well hidden. They have an FIM-92 Stinger. They're waiting for a drone to come into range. It's an ambush."

Cammy needed to split her team. There were two separate threats now. The enemy Terminators dictated that action be taken against them immediately. The fact they packed a Stinger missile made their termination vital.

"I'm moving half my force to engage them…." Cammy said. "The other half will watch our backs and the compound."

Cammy didn't want a 'breakaway' from the compound. She wanted everyone inside terminated. Every Gray that was inside that compound would stay there. She wanted them dead. The fact they'd tried to terminate Savannah and her earlier, sealed their fate.

Ally moved her prisoner near the wall of the compound.

Hanna joined Ally.

Ally physically held the Gray prisoner.

The Gray looked at Ally and made the connection. It was one of the Terminators they were there to hunt. She was here now.

"You're that 'Metal Bitch'." The Gray said to Ally.

The comment angered Ally. She didn't like being referred to as a Bitch. She knew in this instance it was a case of mistaken identity.

"True on both counts but I'm not 'The Metal Bitch' you think. I'm just 'A Metal Bitch'." Ally said.

Ally shoved him into a corner of the compound by the checkpoint shack. She tore his clothes off and left him to cover naked and alone. She wanted to make sure he was unarmed and intimidated.

The stripped Gary issued a series of threats and curses. She wanted to kill him but she hoped to gather some intel. They had an ace to play. It was time. She played up the hype a little.

"I have someone special that you might want to meet." Ally said. "She's been itching to get her blades bloody."

Hanna walked up. Her figure was silhouetted by the burning compound in back of her.

She was close enough now that the man could make out her features. The Gray now urinated on himself. He seemed unaware he's done so as his body shook with fright. The Gray was almost frightened to death at this point. He was naked and knew what would be sliced off as the 'thing' would attack him.

Hanna stood before him. She looked at him and smiled.

"Do you know WHAT I am?" Hanna asked.

The Gray looked bewildered. This was a fate worse than death.

"NO! We destroyed you." The man whimpered. "You're 'The Redheaded Witch'."

Hanna lifted her arms and looked at them. She looked down at her body. She then looked back at the Gray.

"Do I look destroyed?" Hanna asked. "It's you that I will slowly terminate."

Hanna took a step closer.

There was a foul smell in the air now as the Gray now cowered in his own filth.

Ally could see the man was about to 'snap'. She wanted to play it up some more.

"Carve him up." Ally said. "I want to hear him scream."

Hanna moved closer.

"Let me start with emasculation." Hanna said. "I like to collect the 'junk'."

The man covered his private areas with his hands. He hoped he could make some kind of a deal.

"I can help you." The man cried. "Don't carve me up."

Hanna hoped to get some intel.

"Really?" Hanna asked. "Let's hear it."

The Gray would sell out his compatriots if he could get out of this mess alive. He was sure to die as it was. He hoped to make a deal.

"You have to promise to let me go." The man cried.

Hanna chose her words carefully. There were many was to play the game. She decided to use one of them.

"I will let you go. Amuse me." Hanna said as Ally watched Hanna's back and listened as well. "Tell me everything…."

It seemed the Gray couldn't talk fast enough. He knew his life depended on it.

Earlier:

Cameron and Sheila saw no more targets outside the remaining half of the burning structure. They entered the building.

They'd encountered opposition sooner than anticipated.

Cameron dodged a burst of automatic fire. Some of the rounds struck her vest as she lunged off to one side. Sheila moved to the other side.

A few more shots landed in her direction.

Cameron returned fire and a Gray fell.

Sheila moved to the opposite side of Cameron. She fired twice and another Gray fell.

They passed by a room that looked like the barracks. They noted one bed in the corner with rope on all four corners. No one was in it but it was clear what it was for. Females would be captured and brought there for the pleasure of the Grays. She would be terminated at some point. Usually it was by a Gray that got 'carried away' with torture.

Cameron wanted all the Grays dead before they'd arrived. Now she really wanted all of them dead.

"Everyone dies." Cameron said.

Sheila nodded. She looked around the next corner as Cameron moved up behind her. She spotted a new threat almost immediately.

"Metal." Sheila said.

Cameron glanced over and saw her too.

"Let me take her." Sheila said.

Cameron wanted the frontal sheath section off of the Metal Bitch. If they needed to take her down she wanted that part of the sheath spared.

"I want her frontal sheath covering." Cameron said. "I need to fix the deactivated Terminator we have. I promised her…."

Sheila knew what the deactivated Terminators sheath looked like. It was terrible to look at. She knew that is what Cameron would have looked like now if they hadn't done the repairs.

"OK. I'll try to Taser her." Sheila said. "I'll try to keep her frontal sheath undamaged."

Sheila knew she would personally inspect the 'Metal Bitch' for 'damage' once she was captured.

Cameron and Sheila moved in for the attack.

Cammy moved in on the position where the two Terminators came up from below the ground level. She could only see the male Terminator now with the 'Stinger'. He searched for a target. The female Terminator was out of sight or returned back into the tunnel. She may have slipped away too….

They didn't know the full extent of the Gray's defenses or fortifications.

Cammy searched around but could not locate her. She needed a better shot at the Terminator. She wanted him to expose himself more while he looked in the opposite direction. It looked like it was time for a sucker play.

"John Henry, in thirty seconds send one of the drones in real low. I want it to be heard but to 'cut the grass'. Send it towards the position of the Terminator." Cammy said. "When he rises to 'shoot' at it, I'll take him. I have him zeroed."

Cammy closed in on the Terminator with her group of Metal.

She heard the drone and the Terminator shifted his position to take a shot at it. He didn't realize it was right on the deck. As soon as he rose up she hit him with a Taser, as did another in her group of Metal. The hostile Terminator was down instantly. The Stinger dropped to the grass in front of him.

Cammy moved forward to search for the female Metal. She was nowhere to be seen. She spied the tunnel opening and decided to enter. It was disguised as a drainage ditch. That was why they hadn't detected the threat earlier. She instructed her Metal to deactivate the Terminator and remain on station to complete their original mission. One of her team took the Stinger and readied it for use against any hostile HK drones that approached.

Another of her group would remain at the tunnel exit in case anyone else tried to escape and got past her…. She didn't know the extent of the opposition that faced her. There could be a group of Grays that tried to escape that way as well.

"Let them come out before you zap them." Cammy said. "In case there is more than one of them that tries to flee. If the first one falls before they exit, they may retreat back inside."

Savannah listened to Cammy give instructions to her team. She wanted to be there with Cammy and Cameron. She was still upset Cameron sidelined her. She'd wanted Jesse safe at the base. It was a trade off.

John tried to put it all together. So far Savannah made the good calls. He thought that none of this was over. There could be addition hidden threats.

"Cam, if they deployed one Stinger team there may be more as well." John said.

Cam decided to keep it low and move out of Stinger range. She didn't want to be down on the deck if any HK drones showed up. They needed to move away and get some altitude.

"Roger." Cam said. "I'll fallback for now."

Savannah was worried about Cammy entering the unknown.

"Cammy, be careful…." Savannah said.

Cammy was concerned but not too worried. She was a Terminator and she was about to use her assets. She figured the female Terminator must have gone back that way.

"I will, Savannah." Cammy said. "I'm going after the 'Metal Bitch' and to help Cameron."

Cammy disappeared down the 'rabbit hole'….

Be Careful

Life is about choice
It's also about chance
With a combination of both
It's all part of a dance

Some of the choices
Turn out not to be the best
Throw in random chance
It's all part of life's test

Most people forge on
They take life's blows
They rise with the highs
They sink with the lows

Many a step forward
Leads to two steps back
It appears many things
Are little more than an attack

One must stay positive
Even if not cheerful
Don't lose sight of tomorrow
Always think twice and be careful

Nobody