Chapter 590

Shadowing

Derek and his team shadowed the big rig. They returned the trash truck back to near where they'd 'borrowed' it from.

John wanted to keep everyone as safe as possible.

"Derek, we have two teams of our Terminators following you." John said.

Derek hoped they could trade off vehicles along the way so they weren't 'made'.

"Roger that." Derek said.

John Henry looked at John. He blocked their coms for a few moments.

"I think a Terminator team should be the lead group following the truck, not Derek's team." John Henry said. "That's in case there's an ambush or some other problem."

John liked that idea. He nodded as John Henry restored their coms.

"Derek, I want Dan's team to lead for now." John said. "Al's team will follow you."

That was Derek's plan anyway but he understood what John's motivation was. It was for his safety.

"We're falling back. Dan will take over the shadowing operation for now." Derek said. "I understand, thanks."

Dan moved his team up. He was worried about the van that went with the big rig. He passed Derek's team.

"We've moved into position." Dan said. "We're going to need to drop back more or we are going to be spotted as a tail."

Steve was at the compound with another team. They had it under direct observation along with the surveillance cameras.

"There's another SUV about to leave the compound." Steve reported. "They seem to be in a hurry."

John Henry was worried about that. He was sure the janitor was going to be noticed as AWOL at some point. That was bound to cause some type of reaction.

"It is possible they've 'missed' the janitor." John Henry said. "They may be sending reinforcements to protect the truck."

John saw that for the threat it was. All of their troops were in danger on several levels.

"Everyone be advised, the Grays may know we're following them or suspect it anyway." John said. "We know this group has been associated with HK Tracks and HK drones. There are most likely Terminators working with them as well."

John Henry thought the best course of action was to 'tag' the big rig and fallback completely. It was too early in the day to use a drone. He didn't like the threat that this group posed.

"We need to get a tracker on that truck and everyone can fallback." John Henry said. "I don't want to send a drone as long as they're in the city."

John didn't want that either. They needed to spin enough stories about things they did. Most of the drone sightings were pegged as UFO sightings which caused the person reporting it to lose all credibility. Anyone who reported a UFO was pegged as a nut job.

He was also worried about collateral damage to non combatants. He knew Cameron and the other Terminators didn't share this concern. The Resistance Terminators did at least think about it somewhat. Skynet Terminators didn't think of it at all.

Cameron's team turned the facility they'd breached over to her Terminators. They would set up additional surveillance at the location and see if anyone else showed up to check on it. The three HK Tracks would be taken away. One was undamaged but the other two were shot up pretty bad. They would be stripped of useable components and the rest turned into projectiles.

Savannah wanted to thank Young Allison for watching over them. She also wanted to remind Anna and Cameron that Young Allison wasn't to go on any 'field exercises'. She was adamant on this. She wouldn't allow it under any circumstances other than Judgment Day. She knew Young Allison was itching to get into the fight and see some action. That wasn't going to happen if she could prevent that. Savannah thought it might be nice to go back and see Young Allison again. Their earlier visit was interrupted. They'd been much 'closer' too. She wasn't going to 'push' it but at some point their 'relationship' was bound to expand. Right now she was the one holding Young Allison back.

"Cameron, unless you want to join Derek's team that's following the truck, I'd like to go see Young Allison." Savannah said.

Cammy touched her torso where Young Allison fired her Model 66 into her.

"Do you want her to shoot me again too?" Cammy asked.

Cammy thought about when she'd allowed Young Allison to shoot her. She was already damaged so it didn't matter. A few more wouldn't either. Maybe she would ask her to use the M9 this time.

Savannah remembered the hot brass landing on her and around her. The damage to the two HK Tracks was fresh in her mind.

"No, we've experienced enough close ones already today. You've been shot at too much already." Savannah said.

Cameron knew that Cammy and her were lucky. Savannah prevented them from being chopped up with minigun fire. She remembered what the bench looked like where Savannah was at as she moved into the service trough. Savannah didn't need to face more danger.

"Sure, Savannah, we can do that." Cameron said.

Cameron hadn't said much since they left. She took this latest encounter as 'personal'. Savannah, Cammy and her were all almost hurt or worse. She was most concerned about Savannah. She knew things could have ended quite differently.

Cammy noticed that Cameron seemed a little out of it.

"You sure are quiet." Cammy said to Cameron.

There was a lot on Cameron's mind. It was more about the repercussions of what her actions would produce that troubled her.

"I need to do some things." Cameron said. "I'm thinking about it. I'm unsure what to do."

Savannah was pretty sure what those 'things' were. They were the things that seemed to keep Cameron in a constant state of internal turmoil.

Savannah felt Cameron's indecision should be a good indication as to what the nature of what she wanted to do would yield as its final result. If one played with fire, they eventually were burnt.

"If you're unsure about them, Cameron, you probably shouldn't do them." Savannah said. "It's not always about winning. Some things don't need to have a forced 'win'. They will 'win' on their own when the time is right."

Savannah and Cammy both felt the SUV swerve slightly and saw Cameron withdraw her left hand from the steering wheel. They both knew Cameron now started to glitch.

Savannah wanted to take control of the situation before it worsened. Now was the time to do that.

"I want Cammy to drive so we can sit in the back together, Cameron." Savannah said.

To everyone's surprise, Cameron pulled over and everyone switched places. Cameron didn't normally yield as easy or so fast. She must be deeply conflicted.

Savannah sat on Cameron left side in the second row of seats and took her left hand. The glitch stopped.

Cameron thought Savannah was going to lay her head on her lap, instead, Savannah gently pulled her over and laid her head on her lap.

Cameron lay there as she looked up at Savannah. Their eyes were locked.

Savannah looked down on Cameron. She looked into the big brown puppy dog eyes of Cameron. She gently stroking her face and hair. She tried to calm her and reassure Cameron.

Cameron felt a little overwhelmed about everything.

"There is so much I have to do and time is running out." Cameron said, almost pleading. "I don't know what to do anymore."

Savannah smiled at her and gently stroked her cheek.

"I know, Cameron." Savannah said. "I know."

It seemed Cameron needed to talk about what troubled her the most.

"I'm worried about Allison." Cameron said. "I know what else I want to do but I don't want to hurt Claire…."

Savannah knew Cameron referred to Young Allison too.

Cammy watched in the rear view mirror. HER Savannah calmed Cameron as no one else could. She wanted to feel jealous but she knew Savannah and Cameron belonged together. It was part of the 'Natural Order'. They NEEDED each other. At least Cameron needed Savannah.

Cameron seemed almost 'happy' when they reached the Young residence.

Savannah hoped it was enough for Cameron to keep from getting worse.

She really wondered what it would be like to be alone with Cameron when she 'zoned out' and thought she was 'Allison'. John told her the one time he saw Cameron like that, that she was happy, smiling and laughing…. Like a real teenager. That's what Cameron believed she was too until John spoiled it.

Savannah wondered if Cameron could program herself to 'not know' she was a Terminator. That might only go so far as she would need to consume food or expel waste products. Maybe that could be programmed around as well. She could 'think' she'd done all those things.

She really wanted to see Cameron 'happy' like that as 'Cameron' and not as 'Allison'.

Sheila and Ally saw someone run from them. They'd already dropped two thugs at the holding facility that they'd just arrived at.

They checked the rooms as they ran. They didn't want any thugs behind them.

There were going to lose too much time if they checked all the rooms together.

"I'll check the rooms." Ally said. "You get that clown."

Sheila ran after the thug.

Ally checked two rooms. She didn't like what she found in the third room. There was a female on a bed. She didn't move or even look over. She left her for now and moved on. She found several girls that were shackled to beds in another room.

"He's behind the door." One girl said.

Ally shoved hard on the door and slammed it into a thug behind it. He dropped to the ground and dropped a pistol.

She moved to the bed and freed the three girls. She broke their metal shackles.

"How'd you do that?" Another girl asked.

Ally didn't have time for any of this.

"Do what you want to him and go check on the girl in the next room to the left." Ally said. "Stay there until I come back."

Ally made sure the gun was loaded and ready to fire. She handed it to one larger girl.

"Point this at anyone who's not female and pull the trigger." Ally said.

The thug on the ground began to stir.

A short girl took the gun and pointed at the thug on the ground. She pulled the trigger and he stopped moving.

"Yeah, like that." Ally said and moved on.

Sheila left Ally behind and closed up on the man that fled. He ran to a vehicle parked in the back and got inside. She went right up to it and ripped the door off and tossed it aside. He tried to bring a gun up but she crushed his forearm and the pistol fell from his useless hand. He screamed in agony. She drug him out of the car and back inside. She choked him out along the way to stifle his screams.

Ally checked two more rooms she found another thug hiding behind a desk. She grabbed him and threw him through the wall into the hall when he'd pointed a gun at her.

There were only the four girls at this location.

Sheila drug the man with the ruined arm inside by his foot. His head bounced along the pavement. He was face down. She did that on purpose. She was a little surprised to see a thug fly through the wall in front of her. He didn't move but he was still alive. She grabbed his foot and drug both of the thugs.

Ally came out through the door.

"There are only four girls. One may be deceased." Ally said. "We missed the rest of them."

Sheila drug both of the men into the room where the three girls were chained to their beds previously.

"Let's get these blokes secured and then get some answers." Sheila said.

"We may need these clothes for the girls." Ally said.

Sheila and Ally pulled the thug's clothes off.

Ally went to check on the girls.

The three of them stood next to the girl that was tied to the bed.

"She didn't make it." The short girl said. "Did you catch the rest of the men?"

Ally nodded.

"There are two in the room you were in." Ally said. "How many more were there? How many girls were there?"

"There were only five men left." The tall girl said.

"There were seven other girls." The blonde girl said. "They were all young. Most of them were undocumented. They nabbed them outside of stores."

Ally told the girls they were free to go.

"Who are you?" The tall girl asked.

Ally wanted to say the 'good guys' but she didn't feel that way right now.

"We're just a couple of gals who want justice." Ally said. "Do you still have clothes?"

The girls didn't know where there clothes were. They'd been naked for over a week. They'd all been abused numerous times.

"I know where some are at." Ally said. "Follow me."

Cameron's team arrived in Palmdale.

Cameron and Savannah started to walk up the sidewalk. Cammy tagged along behind.

The front door opened and Young Allison rushed out and hugged both Savannah and Cameron.

Savannah noted Anna stood in the doorway and watched them.

Young Allison took a hand from both Cameron and Savannah and led them into the house.

Cammy followed behind. She paused to talk with Anna.

"Maybe I should let her shoot me again." Cammy said. "I feel left out."

Anna looked Cammy over. She was a 'Cameron clone'.

"You still will never be 'Cameron'." Anna said.

Cammy didn't care for that reminder. She wanted to give Anna one as well.

"You'll never be 'Savannah'." Cammy responded.

Anna looked around.

"I could try." Anna said.

Cammy doubted that Anna would go too far. That wasn't part of her mission. She was for Young Allison at some point.

"THAT is the 'Savannah' in you talking." Cammy said. "What does the 'Cameron' in you say?"

Anna still wanted to joke about it.

"Who would know better than you?" Anna asked. "She's saying, 'What are WE waiting for'?"

Cammy looked around.

"I think a room." Cammy said.

Both Cammy and Anna laughed.

Young Allison took Savannah down to the bunker to go over some of her past operations and the most current one as well.

Cameron looked at Cammy and Anna and frowned.

Cammy and Anna didn't want to go 'there'.

Cameron sought out Claire. They needed to talk.

Hanna didn't care for Cameron to be around. She didn't like the way Claire responded to her. It was clear that Claire was totally in love with Cameron.

She noticed that Cameron was about to look for Claire. She decided to intercept her. It was probably a mistake but she did it anyway.

"I know why you're here." Hanna said.

Cameron could see the 'challenge'. It irritated her. Everyone was supposed to assist her, not confront her.

"Good, that should make everything go smoother." Cameron said. "That's IF you've been doing your JOB."

Hanna loved Claire. She didn't like Cameron's plans for Claire. She didn't feel any of them were in Claire's best interests.

"You're demanding too much." Hanna said.

Cameron didn't see it that way at all. Sure some 'conditioning' at night might make someone more pliable to her wishes but it was always still their personal choice in the end. It didn't matter that the ideas were what she'd planted in their heads in the first place.

"I never demand anything." Cameron said. "I facilitate anyone to make the choices they want to make."

Cameron knew 'her choices' were the 'right choices'.

Hanna didn't want to argue with Cameron. It was impossible.

"There's no stopping you on this, is there?" Hanna asked.

Cameron knew what was best for everyone. Some of them took a little longer to see it her way. They all eventually came around.

"There's no stopping me on anything." Cameron said. "I do what's necessary to protect the future."

Hanna thought Cameron should have said - HER future.

"And John…." Cameron added as an afterthought.

Cameron walked away to find Claire.

Hanna watched her go. She didn't want to be deactivated or punished by Cameron if she said too much. She felt she'd said enough.

Holly knew Cameron, Cammy and Savannah were in the house now. She stayed in Allison's room with her. Allison still didn't feel well.

She was pretty sure this wasn't going to end well for Allison.

Holly decided to slip out and talk with Cameron. She hoped it wouldn't turn into a problem. That seemed to be the case whenever someone spoke with her

Cameron was about to enter Claire's room.

Holly caught her first.

"Cameron." Holly said. "We need to talk - now."

Cameron didn't need to hear any more problems right now.

"Later." Cameron said.

Holly knew what Cameron was about to do. She believed what she wanted to say mattered in that regard.

"NOW…." Holly said. "What I have to say changes what you want."

Cameron stopped and looked at Holly, she knew what was coming.

Holly gave Cameron news she didn't want to hear. It determined what she needed to say to Claire. It wasn't what she thought of thirty seconds ago.

Derek knew they needed to track the big truck and not raise suspicions with the van following it or the second vehicle on the way, the SUV.

It looked like the truck was headed for the freeway.

Bob spotted something up ahead and an idea came to him to assist with what they needed to do.

"There, up ahead." Bob said. "Let me take that motorcycle and I can ride up alongside the truck and tag it at a signal."

Derek thought that might work. Motorcycles liked to 'white line' in traffic.

"Let's do it." Derek said.

They let Bob off and he proceeded to start the motorcycle and drive off. There was a helmet on it as well so Bob wore it to hide his identity.

The van that followed the truck was right behind it as they sat at a signal. Being that close they couldn't observe both sides of the truck at the same time. Bob was able to ride up on the passenger side of the truck and place the tracker on it.

No alarms were raised and Bob returned the motorcycle back to where he'd borrowed if from along with the helmet.

The three Resistance SUVs now could track and follow the big truck without being spotted or worse, ambushed.

It was decided one of their tracking SUVs would drop back even further and the other two would parallel the big rig on other streets.

They didn't want to be 'made' or ambushed.

Sad Truth

Pressure crack snap break
How much punishment can we take
Through my lifeless living heart ache
Pound the dull jagged infested stake

Withhold and starve
Laugh as I wither
Is it really THAT close
From here to thither

It is useless
To beg or plead
For in all actuality
It makes your soul bleed

What was is it like
To feel a loving touch
NO - wait - STOP
Is THAT but a crutch

Is the glass half empty
Or half full and tall
I must sadly admit
I see no glass at all

Nobody