Chapter 603

Dust

The team at the base Resistance waited. They were unsure what would unfold. This operation could go in several directions. It was touch and go a little earlier.

A few of the Terminators stopped by the lab and were patched up. It was Cameron's orders they all be inspected when damage occurred. It was a suggestion from Savannah. Savannah didn't make it an 'order' but it was clear she wanted it done. Savannah wanted the Terminators to know that everyone cared about them as individuals.

Vanna, Sarah and Jesse were all ready and waiting. As the Terminators began to filer through it became apparent that there were some missing.

"Where's Cameron?" Vanna asked. "Where are Savannah and Cam at?"

Vanna wanted Cam back for inspection and repair. She knew she was damaged, even if wasn't very severe.

Jesse didn't see Gail either but didn't mention it. She knew Gail was out because of Savannah. It seemed it was something that needed to play itself out.

Al wanted to go on the operation with Cameron but she wanted to keep things simple.

"They're still out. They're transporting something and setting up an ambush." Al said. "Cameron wanted minimal personnel involved. Savannah asked her to double the size of her initial force."

Sarah didn't like Savannah out in the field still either. It seemed Savannah already saw enough combat for a one day. She wondered how protected she was.

"How many are involved?" Sarah asked.

Al thought Cameron knew what she was doing.

"Six." Al said. "They have drone support as well."

Jesse was worried about all of them. It seemed like a small force.

"Six, is double?" Jesse asked. "Do they even know what size force they might go up against?"

That just sounded a little light to Jesse, especially after the engagement they were just in. Now she was even more worried about Gail.

Al only knew a few of the details.

"Negative." Al said and left.

Vanna was visibly upset. It appeared the team that was still out was in danger. Cam was among them.

Jesse could see Vanna was as worried as she was. Both of their Metal lovers were still out in the field.

"Relax, love." Jesse said. "Savannah has three 'Camerons' with her as well as Gail and Bob. You know they will all protect Savannah."

Vanna did know that. They all knew that. There were some other things that began to bother her. They were long range personal issues.

"It's just the idea…." Vanna said. "I have other troubles on my mind as well. Cameron's taking me for some medical exams to a specialist. That has me upset too. I don't think I want to 'try' anymore."

The grief caused by the repeated pregnancy terminations hurt Vanna deeply inside. It seemed each new one hurt her more. It seemed every step was backward, not forward.

Jesse understood Vanna's apprehension. She didn't see it in the same negative context as Vanna did. She didn't see it as a negative to the same extent anyway.

"Cameron has me scheduled as well." Jesse said. "I'll give it another go. What do we have to lose?"

It wasn't a physical issue to Vanna. That was a given. It was the dashed hopes that went along with it. It was a reminder what Skynet did to everyone.

"Our minds are what we have to lose." Vanna said.

Vanna already knew her body was worthless. She didn't need further conformation. These attempts only seemed to confirm her mind was worthless as well. What fault was any of it of hers?

Cammy drove the box truck that contained the captured Skynet mainframe. Savannah sat next to her in the cab and Cameron was next to Savannah on the passenger's side. Bob, Cam and Gail backed them up in a SUV. It was a small force for a high value load. With the ploy of the tracking device attached to a drone, they'd hoped to stay off everyone's radar.

Cameron hoped to accomplish a series of goals with the things she'd set into motion. So far it was a little quieter than she thought it would be.

"John Henry, are there any takers?" Cameron asked. "I would've expected some contact by now."

John Henry sent four drones with Cameron's team. He thought they were covered fairly well.

"I have three drones scouting the area and one following you." John Henry said. "Nothing out of the ordinary has been spotted."

Cameron was actually a little worried because of the lack of activity or contact.

"We've already passed through two ambush sites." Cameron said. "I was sure we would have at least one hostile Terminator follow us."

John hoped that the ploy they set up worked. That was the whole point of doing it in the first place. It was to take the heat off of Savannah and Cameron.

"Maybe they fell for the decoy with the drone and the tracking device they they'd installed." John said. "Everything's been set up for that area."

John Henry checked over the progress and preparations.

"The drone emulating a truck should arrive in thirty minutes." John Henry said. "How soon until you reach your destination?"

Cameron wasn't sure what her destination was going to be at this point. She hoped it wasn't the scrap heap.

"I'll let you know." Cameron said.

Savannah could see Cameron's left hand started to glitch. She silently reached over and took it with her right hand. The glitch stopped. She gave Cameron's hand a gently squeeze.

Cameron looked at Savannah and Savannah smiled at her. It was very reassuring to her.

Cammy glanced over and lowered her right hand off the steering wheel. She placed it next to Savannah's left hand.

Savannah smiled at Cammy and took her hand as well. They were all able to silently support each other and reassure each other this way. Words were unnecessary.

The ride was long and mostly boring. It seemed there were enough things for all of them to think about.

Savannah was tired, a lot happened so far today. It didn't see like it would be over soon either. They'd battled HK Tracks and been in a shoot out. Everything seemed like it should be winding down. There was still a nagging feeling that it wasn't. She hoped they got everything done without further incident. She felt both Cameron and Cammy gently squeeze her both of hands at the same time. She started to drift off. The woman she loved, BOTH of 'her', sat here next to her. There was one on each side. Her head bobbed a few times, her eyelids felt heavy….

"Cameron!" Savannah nearly shouted as she sat bolt upright.

Cameron and Cammy were both alert. They looked in all directions for danger. They wondered what happened that they'd missed. Everything was almost peaceful for a short time.

Savannah almost drifted off earlier. That relaxation allowed moments of forced thought to be replaced with subconscious thought. Something that nagged at her suddenly called out to her.

"I'm worried about the device that located the tracker. It just came to me that it may be transmitter or receiver too." Savannah said. "Where is it?"

Cameron gave it to Cam earlier

"It's in the SUV Bob's driving." Cameron said.

Savannah looked around. She didn't see the SUV.

"Where are they?" Savannah asked. "They were in front of us."

Cameron looked in the side view mirror on her side of the box truck. The support SUV was right in back of them.

"They're behind us now." Cameron said. "Bob, are you getting this?"

Bob received all the transmissions.

"Affirmative…." Bob said. "The device is shut off. Cam is holding it."

Savannah knew there were various degrees of 'off'. A phone was a perfect example. 'Off' didn't always mean a device wasn't capable of doing something else in the background.

"It may be 'off' but it might still broadcast as well." Savannah said. "Or even be able to accept signals."

Cameron understood the full implications of that suggestion. Someone could be tracking them at this very moment.

"Have you detected anything, John Henry?" Cameron asked.

They started the operation with a five mile communications block. It disrupted a wide area but it was done to protect their teams. John Henry immediately doubled the jamming zone.

"No, I've increased jamming of all communications in a ten mile diameter of your position." John Henry said. "CamNet has done the same. She's increased the diameter to fifteen miles. We've double jammed everything."

They knew the equipment they captured also seemed to be able to get a signal out and call for help. That is where the force they faced earlier came from and they knew where to go.

John understood the threat for what it was. They were complacent that they'd pulled a fast one on Skynet. It may still be the other way around as it was earlier.

"Destroy the device." John said. "I'd suggest you use Thermite on it to destroy it completely. Do it now."

Cameron worried they'd been deceived. She wanted to be ready to act on a moments notice.

"I want the four drones with us hot. Watch the sky as well." Cameron said.

Cam took immediate action. She understood the severity of the threat as well. They were most likely targets now.

"I've ripped it in half, Gail and I are crushing the pieces to dust as we speak." Cam said. "I suggest a route change."

Cameron hoped to get a clue as to how the device worked.

"Did you see anything when you broke it in two?" Cameron asked.

Gail and Cam used their Terminator strength and speed to crush everything.

"No." Cam said. "Every component is crushed. It's all almost dust."

The teams decided to take evasive action. They figured they were all 'marked' at this point.

Cammy took a right turn. She went two streets over and turned right again. They were now headed back the direction they'd come.

Cammy checked and the last ambush they'd run through hadn't packed up yet. She suggested a plan to Cameron. It seemed like a good one.

Cameron was sure they'd been played at this point.

"We're headed back toward the last ambush site from the opposite direction this time. Have them ready and in place." Cameron said. "There should be a Terminator trying to track us. If they tracked us with the device, I think that may be why they haven't shown themselves."

With the increased jamming zone, John Henry was able to identify a potential threat. With their current actions, it seemed pretty credible.

"I've detected there are three vehicles that have been playing 'leap frog'. They've slowly gained on your position." John Henry said. "They've now all stopped."

Savannah knew that Cameron's first instinct would be to hit hard and use every weapon at her disposal. The drones could do that right now. She thought some caution was in order. They didn't need a string of destroyed vehicle pointing in the direction they were going.

"We're still in the city." Savannah said. "We need to take each of the vehicles one at a time. We can't use the drones unless it's an emergency."

Cameron believed using all the tools at her disposal was the best choice. Then again, she didn't want to create an 'incident' that would get authorities involved. It would be more work for her to 'fix' that. She already seemed to have enough 'fixing' to do. There was an elaborate 'fix' set up for the previous action they'd just left.

John Henry watched the enemy vehicles split up as they began to search for the Resistance team. The current action seemed to indicate that the destruction of the Skynet device prevented the Grays from tracking the team.

"The three vehicles have split up. There's a white van, a black SUV and a silver sedan." John Henry said. "One is headed the way they were traveling. The other two have taken off, one to the east and another to the west."

It was clear the vehicles were searching for them. They may not think that they were headed back the direction they came from at first. With John Henry's jamming field in place they wouldn't be able to communicate or coordinate their efforts except for face to face talking.

Cameron wanted to stay away from them. If they remained split up they could take the vehicles out one by one. They may have a predetermined meeting area too. It appeared that for right now they'd outmaneuvered the enemy.

"Keep a drone on each of them." Cameron said. "They're all headed away from us now."

Savannah was worried they were in marked vehicles. There could be enemy air activity as well. It seemed they were still in the hot seat.

"If they have HK drones, they'll be coming soon to search for us." Savannah said. "If we were observed at the location where the attack went down they have a description of these vehicles."

John thought the best thing for the team was to find overhead cover.

"Maybe you should head for a freeway underpass and wait there. They won't be able to detect you there as easily." John said. "Or maybe wait in another abandoned building for awhile."

Cameron didn't want to run or hide from danger or any 'threat'. She wanted to draw them out and terminate them. She wanted a body count.

"I want to take down the three vehicles that are pursuing us." Cameron said.

John reflected Savannah's earlier warning. They needed to use moderation unless it was an emergency.

"I don't want to use the drones in the city." John said. "Unless we HAVE to…."

Cameron wanted to make it personal since they'd tried to dupe her.

"No, I want to take them myself, one at a time." Cameron said.

John didn't want to endanger Savannah further. He thought he'd word his question carefully.

"What about your 'cargo'?" John asked.

John Henry noted an additional threat now. It was a threat identified before.

"The last ambush has identified another white van identical to the others we've encountered." John Henry said. "It's the fourth vehicle identified so far."

Cameron looked over at Savannah. She didn't like the new threat. It seemed there would be additional ones at this point.

"Have the ambush take it down." Cameron said. "Be alert for any Terminators."

"Roger." John Henry said.

Cameron wanted to thin the enemy herd.

"I want to go on the offensive." Cameron said. "I don't like being the mouse."

Cammy didn't want to play around. She knew it would take longer since Cameron wanted to make it personal. She just wanted the threat ended.

"Then let's go after one of the vehicles and send the ambush after another one when they finish up with the van." Cammy said. "That will leave only one we haven't engaged."

Savannah wanted to remind them that the threats on the ground weren't the only threat.

"We still need to watch for HK drones and keep track of the other van that continued in our original direction." Savannah said.

John Henry watched the drone footage of the other white van as it was stopped and the threat eliminated. It happened very swiftly.

"The ambush team has staged a traffic accident and the second van has been neutralized. There were four Grays in it. All of them have been terminated." John Henry said. "They've stashed the van and will reset the ambush."

Cameron could see it was better to make things happen now.

"Have the ambush team go after the vehicle that went to the west." Cameron said. "If there is still no HK drone activity, we're going after the vehicle that has gone to the east."

John Henry set things in motion. He wanted to make sure they knew who their target was.

"No HK drones have been detected." John Henry reported. "You'll be tracking a black SUV, they've returned to the direction you were originally headed. The ambush crew is after the silver sedan to the west."

Cameron knew there would be one additional threat.

"That leaves the white van on our original route." Cameron said.

John Henry would send the information to their phones.

"Everything is covered. I have a drone tracking each of the vehicles. I'm sending you drone video and locations." John Henry said.

Cameron was more than happy to go on the offensive.

"We are on it. Keep us posted on hostile drones and the other white van." Cameron said. "We're closing in on our target."

Cameron wanted to end the known threat of Grays.

Sheila previously removed her clothes because this was going to be an extended 'interview'. That meant it would be messy.

Ally gave the Gray the option to end things swiftly if he cooperated. That didn't appear to be the case. She shrugged her shoulders and looked at Sheila.

"He's all yours." Ally said to Sheila.

Sheila laughed and approached the Gray.

"I'll scan him while you question him." Ally said.

Sheila began to ask questions. She started with her fist. She could hear ribs break with every blow. It appeared the Gray was going to tough it out.

She was dissatisfied with his answers so far. It was time to step things up. She hit him harder. The Gray screamed and issued threats and curses.

"You can say 'goodbye' soon, love." Sheila said.

The Gray blacked out.

"I'm not sure this Gray knows that much." Ally said.

Sheila didn't either.

"I just want a location." Sheila said.

The Gray began to come around. He was in agony.

Ally hoped to speed things up.

"It only will only get worse from here." Ally said. "I'll end it swiftly. I'm sure you know by now that she's unstable."

Sheila laughed.

"She actually likes doing this to people." Ally said.

Sheila moved closer to the Gray.

The Gray looked over to Ally.

Ally touched the back of the Gray's neck.

"I'll make it swift." Ally said. "You don't need to suffer."

Sand In The Wind

The relentless hot blistering sun beats down
Baking the dry thirsty dirt till it cracks
The weight of daily life is a heavy burden
Upon the heart, mind and soul it attacks

Alone in the endless wilderness is deadly
A horse is led to water but does not drink
The seeing are blind, the hearing are deaf
The intelligent are unable to clearly think

Those that are not nurtured, watered or fed
Grow weary and weak are soon left for dead
Confusion and anxiety fills the mind and head
The writing is on the wall, even if it's unsaid

They grovel with uncertainty and fear
Hope, beauty and joy they rescind
Their house of cards collapses and to dust
Love and caring fade away, like sand in the wind

Nobody