Chapter 667

Two Minutes Out

Cameron was in the dry river bed when she first heard it. It was a drone. She looked around for cover. There was no place to go. Wait, the noise was different. She was able to relax a little. She could tell by the sound that this was a smaller drone. She looked over the top of the crumbling dirt bank or side wall of the dry wash. There was a man with a young boy there. They didn't appear to be a threat.

She observed them for a short time and determined they weren't involved but actually in danger themselves. She wanted to try and get them away from there. With the van close by, they were all in danger.

Cameron decided to approach them. She wanted to look non-threatening.

"Hello." Cameron said.

Cameron saw the father give her a once over, twice. Maybe she looked a little too non-threatening.

"Hell – low…." The father said as he leered at her.

Cameron didn't like the way the father said 'hello'. She could almost feel his eyes 'strip' her as he looked at her. It was evident what was on his mind. It was a very uncomfortable feeling. She determined that the man was lucky that there was a small child with him. She believed what he thought about as he looked at her was enough to justify his termination.

"Hi." The young boy said with a smile.

Cameron explained she was out for a hike. The father said he'd bought the drone for his son but she knew it was really for himself. He was probably going to spy on his neighbors sunbathing nude once he learned how to operate it properly.

She suggested there was a better spot a few miles down the dry wash and that a lot of low flying helicopters used this area as a corridor.

Cameron knew the information would be relayed to Cam.

Cam was able to hear Cameron's conversation and the clandestine message for her through her com. She knew that her initial response needed to be limited in its scope.

"I'm two minutes out." Cam said. "I'll pass by you low but not too low. Hanna will check out the van. We'll make one pass only at this time. If we loiter or circle we may draw more attention or provoke a response."

Cameron again warned of the danger to the father and son. She said they might be hurt or they could be responsible for an accident. She explained that the liability for the accident could be quite substantial.

The steady 'CHOP', 'CHOP', 'CHOP' of the Huey could be heard. It grew louder by the second.

Cam made her pass only one hundred feet above them and slightly off to the side so that she would be closer to the van.

The small boy was thrilled and said he wanted to be a pilot. The father collected the drone and they drove off. He thanked Cameron for the heads up. Before he left he once again gave her a 'visual assault'. She was left with the feeling that the man groped all of her private parts, even though nothing actually happened.

She was very uncomfortable after the encounter. It's served to reiterate her first thoughts about the visual 'assault'. If the man hadn't been with the boy, she knew she would have terminated him. She needed to refocus and get back to business.

"What did you see?" Cameron asked.

Hanna was able to get a good look at the van as Cam flew by.

"I spotted a body." Hanna said.

Cameron quickly looked around her.

"Where is it?" Cameron asked.

"It was inside the van." Hanna said. "It was slumped over the driver's seat."

That seemed highly unusual to Cameron. It only further added to the mystery of whatever was going on there. She did receive some good news however. Her two Terminators were about to arrive on the scene.

She directed her two Terminators to approach the van in their SUV as she hurried to it on foot. She reached the van. She approached the van cautiously and looked inside of it. There was a man slumped over the seat. He was shot once in the head. She removed the tracker from the van and searched for any others. There were none. Her two Terminators arrived a short time later. They pulled up to a stop near the van since she didn't find any explosives.

Cameron directed one of them to drive the van away and stash it for now. They might need to use it later on for an infiltration mission. It was always good to have a 'Trojan Horse' available. A search of the dead man and van turned up nothing.

She was left with more questions than answers with the latest encounter. She went over what just happened. One of the Grays was driving the van just a few minutes ago and someone shot him. Whoever shot him couldn't be too far from where they were in the semi remote location. Her first thought was the man with the boy and the drone. The man didn't seem the type. It appeared his interests and desires were directed elsewhere.

"Cam, I want you to come back and fly the length of the dry wash. I want you to look for anyone who's around." Cameron said as she headed back to her SUV. "There may still be someone nearby. I heard dirt bikes in the distance when I first arrived. It may be unrelated."

Cameron also knew it may be related.

Whatever they would uncover was unknown. It appeared that the Gray was targeted. Somebody knew who he was, even if they didn't know what he was up to. Maybe they did know what he was up to. Maybe that's why he was dead. Either way it still indicated the group that killed him was willing to kill in broad daylight.

Cameron was soon alerted to the new discovery up on the mountainside. Cammy reported that she'd just come across another dead individual. They've been killed with a knife. It appeared that whoever the second group was, attempted to tie up some loose ends. It was possible it could be the precursor to an all out assault as well.

There was a new coldness on the mountain. It had nothing to do with the current weather condition either. It was from the new discovery.

They all saw the image on the man's forearm.

Savannah knew what it was as well.

"It's a Skynet work camp tattoo." Savannah said.

Jesse was well aware of everything that it represented.

"It's the mark of the beast." Jesse repeated.

Cammy picked up the dead man and moved him deeper into the trees for now.

"So what do we have?" Savannah asked. "Was this someone tracking the Grays who got careless? I don't remember seeing this man."

Cammy checked her files and hadn't seen him earlier either. She thought of the other two individuals that attempted to film her in the shop area of the upper station. This individual wasn't one of them but that didn't mean they weren't associated. There seemed to be quite a few unknowns in play and everything that happened up there.

"I don't know." Cammy said.

The girls got Cameron's report about the dead Gray in the van. Cammy gave her findings to Cameron.

Cammy was very dissatisfied by what the implications were. The Resistance was as big of a target to the anti-Metal faction as it would be any version of Skynet.

"It looks like we have a faction of the anti-Metal group that may have infiltrated the Grays or was hunting them." Cammy said. "We'll stay away from the trail. I'll lead. Gail will bring up the rear."

From her past experience in two different futures, Savannah knew there could be a few other options that were just as distasteful as the current one. It usually involved turncoats from the Resistance who now worked with the Grays. She knew that they were especially despised by both Derek and Kyle because they'd turned traitor against their brethren in the Resistance. Those individuals were usually responsible for a bunker or tunnel system being attacked and cleaned out by the Skynet forces. The survivors were taken prisoner and sent to work camps where all of the females were assaulted at some point along the way. She knew that some of the females never made it out of the Gray's sleeping quarters.

"This could also be more than one faction of Grays that are working against each other." Savannah said.

The girls knew that everything just turned even more dangerous. They all put their light gray sweatpants on over their other pants. Savannah put the two halves of her M4 together. She inserted the magazine and charged the weapon.

Jesse looked over at Gail and then handed her M4 to Cammy.

"Here, love." Jesse said. "You can do more damage with this than I can."

Cammy took it from her.

"Thanks." Cammy said as she put the two halves together and charged the M4.

Cammy slung it under her coat as Gail and Savannah previously did. They could all bring them into use instantly but not alarm anyone who might happen to see them. It would also produce a moment's hesitation if they stumbled across the Grays. They would look like hikers at first glance. Being all 'female' would seem to make them less of a threat. The Grays may also try to capture them so they could sexually abuse them as well if they thought they were only female hikers.

Gail handed out the extra magazines that she'd been carrying in her backpack.

Cammy checked their current position and her image of the satellite map that she had on file.

"This divergent trail doesn't follow a route to the summit." Cammy said. "The three men Bob was after must have taken it. That's why we couldn't locate them along the main trail. This guy may have been their contact or maybe just careless. Either way his cover was blown. He clearly paid the price for whatever his infraction was."

Jesse wondered what the price was for those who opposed Skynet and all the death and oppression it represented.

Savannah wondered about the trail. If it didn't go to the mountain top, where did it go? Why were the Grays interested in it and where did this trail lead to? Right now it appeared to be the trail of death. She hoped that none of them needed to take that journey.

"Where does this trail go?" Savannah asked.

Cammy zoomed in on the satellite image in her file to see exactly what was along or at the end of this trail.

"There were some old cabins located there once. It appears that a fire destroyed most of them." Cammy said.

Jesse hoped that they could corner the Grays somewhere along the way. They might even be able to trap them there.

"I have a feeling a fire is going to destroy the rest of them." Jesse said.

Savannah was worried that they were about to be sidetracked.

"We might need to back up Bob and Steve." Savannah said. "They have at least one Terminator to deal with."

Cammy knew they wanted to wait until dark before they made their move against the Grays.

"We still have light for a few more hours." Cammy said. "If Bob and Steve run into trouble before then, Gail and I will go to assist them. You and Jesse will withdraw."

Savannah wasn't about to withdraw as long as they were Resistance members up on the mountainside, especially if a firefight broke out.

"We'll see." Savannah said. "Let's check out the cabins first."

Jesse doubted that Savannah would withdraw. She'd been with Savannah when they took down the old helicopter base. She would stick with Savannah whatever Savannah's decision was. She didn't plan to withdraw either as long as the enemy lived. The fact that they'd taken a female hostage to assault only furthered her resolve for justice. She knew exactly what the female captive currently experienced. She'd been through it many times.

The four girls headed off. They stayed well away from the trail. Cammy and Gail were on the highest alert for threats. They knew the threats were there, they just didn't know where. They all hoped to find the threats before the threats found them.

John Henry and John received the latest reports from both Cameron and Cammy in the Command Center. It wasn't a pleasant development.

"I'd hoped it wasn't the anti-Metal faction again." John said.

John Henry could only apply the latest information to what they already knew.

"Apparently…." John Henry said.

John was somewhat relieved that it hadn't been an ambush and set up of to draw one of them in.

"At least that wasn't a trap for Cameron." John said. "That's the only not so bad news."

John Henry thought he should float another theory.

"It still could be a trap. It just might be more elaborate than we thought." John Henry said.

John didn't even want to comment on that new bit of information.

"I want Sheila and Ally to get half the Metal Strike Team up on the opposite ridge from Bob and Steve so they can move in without being spotted." John said.

John Henry was aware where the first Iroquois was at.

"She's on it." John Henry said. "Cam will be available as soon as she is done spotting for Cameron. She needs to fly the length of the wash on the way back."

John wanted to have all the equipment available if it was possible.

"What about the repairs to the Blackhawk?" John asked.

John Henry was aware with the second UH-1 helicopter on site that everything was covered now even if the Blackhawk remained un-flyable. He thought that was good planning on CamNet's part. He didn't know Young Allison pushed the issue.

"It should be flyable by nightfall." John Henry said. "Cam will be able to fly the rest of the Strike Force in directly if the Blackhawk isn't ready."

John contemplated the additional flexibility that they now had with two working helicopters and possibly a third helicopter.

"I want Sheila to hold at the position she sets down at." John said. "We may need her later on for a quick extraction."

John Henry could see how that would be a big help in an emergency.

"That would definitely speed the response time." John Henry said.

Earlier:

Sheila saw the Blackhawk parked on the ground up ahead as she approached the landing zone.

She made a quick approach and set down away from the Blackhawk. She didn't want any more debris than necessary interfering with the work in progress on it. She left the UH-1 running.

Sheila watched as a team of four Terminators arrived with all their gear. Tom was the team leader. They tossed out the looms of wiring for the remaining team members to use on the Blackhawk.

Tom checked over his Strike Team. Once everyone was secure he gave Sheila a 'thumbs up'.

She cranked up the power and the UH-1 lifted off. She could feel the extra weight. She knew the higher elevation would rob her of additional lift as well. The extra power with the governor adjustment would come in handy.

Sheila flew back the way she'd come before she crossed over the freeway and headed up the back canyon. She was at the LZ in less than nine minutes. She set the Iroquois down and shut it off. The giant rotor slowly spun to a stop. Tom's team was already out and away before it did.

Tom and his troopers headed for the mountain top a few ridges over. Sheila and Ally saw them disappear over the first ridge. They took the opportunity to go over the helicopter's equipment. Everything was sound and in order. Now they waited.

Cam flew for five miles along the dry wash. She didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"Cameron, I have nothing." Cam reported.

Cameron checked around the van before one of her Terminators drove it away.

"Thanks for checking." Cameron said. "I spotted some dirt bike tracks near the van. I heard some earlier as well."

No sooner had Cam spoken than she spotted an irregularity. It fit in with what Cameron just said.

"I see two dirt bikes further up. They've turned off and are headed up a canyon." Cam said.

Cameron hoped that this was the break that they needed. She didn't want to inadvertently alert anyone.

"Keep flying and head for the desert base." Cameron said. "I don't want to spook them."

Cam gave Cameron the coordinates where the two dirt bikes went. She picked up some altitude and headed for where the two drones and the Blackhawk were staged. She set down in the same spot that Sheila and Ally used once she arrived. She cut the power and the massive blade slowly spun to a stop.

Al came over and filled them in on everything. Cam and Hanna took the down time to check everything on their helicopter out. It all checked out. Cam checked and readjusted the governor on her chopper a little further. A little additional 'redlining' couldn't hurt….

Cam went over and checked the progress on the Blackhawk herself. It should be ready for testing in thirty more minutes. If not, her copter was good to go on short notice.

Cameron received the location from Cam and headed out. She directed her Terminators to return to the packing house once they'd stashed the captured van. She would investigate and deal with any anti-Metal people herself. It was these people who'd destroyed her life with Future John and forced him to send her away. They also took HER John away from her…. That was Future Jesse and Future Riley who were responsible for that.

She noticed her hand started to glitch. The pain of that loss never went away, either of them. She wanted to be with Savannah right now. That was obviously not going to happen for a little while longer.

"Tell Savannah I'll be delayed in reaching her." Cameron said.

John Henry knew what Cameron was after right now and how she would respond.

"'I'll relay the message." John Henry reported.

John Henry went over everything as it developed on the mountain. There were five separate operations currently in progress plus the locations of the three helicopters.

"I'm aware of everything." Cameron said. "Get a Stinger team to back up my Terminators at the old packing house, just in case. We know they have several drones there."

None of this operation appeared to be winding down but rather ramping up.

The worst part of it all was that the night was still yet to come.

Miss

I miss their touch
I miss their kiss
I miss their love
I MISS ALL THIS

Where did it go
How was it lost
Passion and feeling
Melt into frost

I won't let go
I want it back
I try to ignore
Every mean attack

I never take
I try not to stray
Is nothing I say
More than a bray

I hope pray and try
Get slaughtered sad and cry
I will give up on NONE
Until they MAKE me die

Nobody