Chapter 764
Teddy Bear
Bob, Sheila and Cammy neared one of the locations given up by the Grays that they'd 'interrogated'. The ride there was almost in total silence. Sheila didn't feel good about what she'd needed to do to get the answers they wanted. She tried not to enjoy her 'work' but she still did, even if it wasn't as much. Cammy was silent but held her hand for much of the journey as Bob drove.
Cammy felt the future weigh on her and knew it wouldn't be long until John or Cameron claimed Savannah. Her future would then be in the past. The past she'd spent with Sheila. She looked at Sheila and smiled.
Sheila looked at Cammy and leaned Cammy's head on her shoulder. It was an unspoken closeness. A closeness forged by time.
Cammy readily accepted Sheila show of affection.
Sheila, like Jesse, craved the submissiveness of another female.
Bob watched in the rear view mirror but said nothing. It was pleasing just to watch them share silently with their closeness. It made him wonder what that was like. He'd seen all the couples do it. What was different here is that Cammy and Sheila were both Terminators, one of them wasn't human. Maybe it was like Savannah said and Terminators were more like 'mechanical humans', at least the female ones.
He saw they approached the target area. He needed to refocus and stay alert.
At the location they were given, there were several shabby looking buildings and not much traffic, the placed looked run down and derelict.
"We're here." Bob said.
Cammy lifted her head off Sheila's shoulder and looked around.
"This looks like nothing." Cammy said. "This place is ugly."
Sheila knew the intel was good. She'd done enough 'interrogations' to know when the person spoke the truth. She could see it in their eyes.
"He told me the truth." Sheila said. "You scanned him as well when you held him."
Bob didn't like what he'd witnessed in the old granite quarry. He wasn't usually close to such aggressiveness. It was only when they'd taken down Scavengers in the future that he'd witnesses the after effects of what was done in those camps.
Cammy continued to look around the area.
"I still see nothing." Cammy said.
Bob looked at the area. There were many failed businesses. They didn't know what anything was when they looked at it. The Skynet forces would conceal whatever they did.
"We need to use caution." Bob said. "That's the whole point for them to be hidden. They don't want to attract attention. There are a lot of abandoned office and factory buildings for them to use."
Sheila checked with John Henry on the drones available to them.
"We still have two drones at our disposal to use." Sheila said.
Bob didn't think it would be a quick response. Certain precautions needed to be taken during the daytime for obvious reasons.
"It's daylight now." Bob said. "They've landed in a secluded location before sunrise. If we need them, they will come."
Sheila picked up on his last word and decided to run with it. It was in her nature to be 'crude'. It made her feel better to spark a little controversy.
"That sounds like a plan." Sheila said as she winked at Cammy.
Cammy was happy to see Sheila a little more like her normal self. It made Cammy feel more like her normal self too. She wondered what Savannah was up to. She would have liked John to 'plow' Savannah in the back of the van as they drove so Cameron could watch it. She bet that would have ground her gears some. She looked around some more. She needed to refocus.
Bob didn't want to hear the sexual banter. It wasn't something he partook in. He often did wonder what it would be like to be with a female. Females seemed to be what both males and females wanted to be with. He'd witnessed plenty of sex acts over the years. It seemed that sexual encounters with males and females lasted from thirty seconds to several hours. The males were usually satisfied and the females usually weren't. Jesse told each of the male Terminators if they every wanted to 'try it' one time she would accommodate them. Cameron told them if they touched any of the Resistance females, either human or Metal, they would be made an example of and terminated. He didn't need to hear it or be tempted.
"Don't start that." Bob said.
Sheila knew how to 'dance' around issues that arose. She turned it around on Bob.
"Someone has a 'dirty mind'." Sheila said. "I didn't say what you thought."
Bob was no stranger to the word games. He knew what Sheila said made him think that. He could play word games too.
"Maybe I didn't think what you thought I thought." Bob said. "You're not River."
Sheila continued to play along. She knew that Cammy and anyone who shared her DNA looked almost exactly like River.
"No, but she's 'close enough'." Sheila said as she touched Cammy.
Cammy was aware she could 'play' quite a cast of 'characters'. She was no stranger to any of them. 'Cameron' was the most popular one. That was easy to do for her since they ran the same program. River and Young Allison were also popular.
"I'm 'close enough' to a few individuals." Cammy said.
Sheila asked Cammy to play all of them in the past. Eight years was a long time for a Terminator since they didn't need to sleep. She liked whoever Cammy played.
"Damn, straight." Sheila said.
Bob wanted to get the job done. He knew how important it was to John.
"Quiet." Bob said.
Sheila didn't want Bob to be upset.
"Relax, love." Sheila said. "I don't see anything."
Bob was a little on edge with some of his earlier thoughts. He still though about what Jesse said every time he looked at Sheila now. His sheath responded in ways that it normally didn't. He better understood why John often needed to 'adjust' himself.
"That's the point." Bob said again. "They don't want us to see anything. We need to look harder."
Cammy thought about what Sheila just said. It bothered her. She wanted to be 'seen' as who she was, as Cammy.
She only allowed Savannah to call her 'Cameron' during those special moments of pleasure and fulfillment. The others were just for fun.
Cammy felt a little uptight. She felt the need to 'get away from it all'. A compulsion to 'leave' overcame her. She figured that was another bad trait she'd inherited from Cameron.
"I'm going to look around." Cammy said as she abruptly exited the SUV.
Sheila was caught off guard. She was replaying the files of the times she'd been with Cammy in the past.
"Wait." Sheila said but Cammy was already out.
Bob reached back and stopped Sheila from following her.
"This isn't a good part of town." Bob said. "We'll need to watch her."
Sheila mulled over some of the possibilities. Cammy was way too good looking to be out on any of the side streets. The only females that populated this part of town were used up drug abusers who turned tricks for drugs.
"I don't think she'll get 'jumped'." Sheila said. "Then again, it might do her some good."
That statement sounded absurd to Bob.
"How is that possible?" Bob asked. "That sounds like a bad thing no matter how you look at it."
Sheila and Cammy needed to tone down their responses when they were in the past. They needed to be careful with any terminations that popped up. They could terminate the wrong person and change something in the future which was the present for them. Even people that needed a haircut and a good beating could only be dealt with carefully.
"Our combat skills have been a little underused." Sheila said.
Sheila was afraid she may have said too much. No one knew of their 'adventure' into the past but a few. She hoped Bob didn't press her on that.
Bob thought they were all in perfect form from what he'd seen.
"You all did a good job the last few days." Bob said.
Bob wondered what Sheila actually referred to. This would require further investigation. He would look into it. He wasn't sure if it was something Cameron sanctioned or if it was some rouge operation. Since it involved Cammy, maybe Savannah was involved or approved the mission. If Savannah was involved, he would look no further. Savannah was trusted by all beyond question.
Cameron told all of the Terminators that Savannah always knew best and her decisions would always be the correct ones.
Cammy was tired of waiting. She was a little steamed about what Sheila said. She hadn't seen a lot of combat action over the last few years in the past.
She wanted to hit the target and move on to the next one. The 'Cameron' in her wanted action. To think of Savannah and her 'special moments' reaffirmed she was 'Cameron'. Maybe she would go inside the building herself and look around. It's what Cameron would do.
Cammy knew it was really Cameron that bothered her. Cameron was ready to 'claim' Savannah and push her away. She knew Cameron 'provided' Sheila to her as a consolation. It worked too, at least stuck in the past it worked. Now she was back and Savannah was more desirable than ever. Ally and Sheila loved each other, even if they'd never admit it. She was an intruder into that relationship. It didn't make her feel good. Ally was supposed to go with Sheila for that time period into the past. Cameron decided to 'punish' her for some slight infraction. The punishment was to be away from Savannah for that time period. In that respect eight years was a long time.
Then there was John. He was ready to 'claim' Savannah as well. Cameron pushed long enough and hard enough on him to wake him up as to his true destiny. She was in Cameron's future. She saw what the future held and what the future offered. It wasn't her.
There were so many things to worry about.
She was deeply lost in thought.
"Are you lost?" One man asked.
Cammy was startled.
"What?" Cammy asked surprised.
Cammy looked around. Where was she?
"Are you OK?" The other man asked.
"It's too early to be drunk, unless you're on drugs." One man said.
"Maybe she is looking for a 'good time'." The other man said.
"This is a decent girl." One man said. "Watch your mouth."
"Are you going to kick my butt?" The other man asked.
"If I have too I will." One man said. "It won't be the first time. You leave her alone. This is a respectable girl. Look at her. She's not 'trash'."
"Are you referring to me?" The other man asked.
"If the shoe fits…." One man said.
"Hey!" The other man said.
Cammy could see the situation was tense. They men seemed to be together but that they were a powder keg at times.
"I'm sorry." Cammy said. "I didn't mean to cause trouble for you. I was looking for someone."
"Here?" One man asked.
Cammy was aware that street people knew all the ins and outs about where they 'lived'.
"Actually it's in those buildings over there." Cammy said. "I must have walked past them I was so worried."
"Those people are trouble." The other man said.
"Believe me, if he thinks so, they are." One man said.
Cammy wondered if the two men would end up in a fight soon. She hoped to gain a little more information.
"What did they do?" Cammy asked.
"They keep trying to recruit some of the 'down and out', especially Veterans, like us." One man said.
It sounded like a 'Gray recruiting center'.
"What do they need people for?" Cammy asked. "Who are they?"
"They're some kind of fanatics or cult group." The other man said.
"Some of our 'associates' have turned up dead or missing, the ones who were recruited." One man said.
"They got some mean looking dudes too." The other man said.
One man looked over Cammy's shoulder.
"Wow!" One man said. "Look at her."
Cammy looked back over her shoulder.
Sheila approached them rapidly.
"That's my girlfriend." Cammy said.
That revelation seemed to spark both men's fancy.
"Can I ask if it's girlfriend - girl friend or girlfriend - lover?" The other man asked.
Cammy felt no shame for her feelings. Why would she?
"It's both." Cammy said. "We share everything."
Sheila walked up. She looked ready for combat. She eyed the two men with disdain.
"Who are these blokes?" Sheila asked.
Cammy could tell Sheila felt protective of her.
"Her accent is just as hot as she is." The other man said.
Sheila moved so a nipple ring popped out along with what it was attached to.
Cammy quickly stepped in.
"Thanks." Sheila said as Cammy readjusted her top for her.
Sheila knew the two men would be off guard now. They'd be dreaming of 'other things'.
Another figure approached from behind them.
"Holt Crap!" The other man said. "It's one of THEM."
It was Bob.
Bob came around from the other direction opposite of where Sheila arrived from. They wanted to make sure the 'threat' was contained if it turned out to be a problem.
"Relax, love." Sheila said quickly.
She saw the two men become alarmed when they spotted Bob.
"He is with us." Cammy said.
"No worries." Sheila said.
Cammy wanted a good excuse for being there and asking questions.
"We're looking for his 'brother'." Cammy said.
The two men looked nervous.
"There are a few dudes that remind us of him inside those buildings." One man said.
Cammy hoped for some 'inside information'.
"We think they have his brother." Cammy said. "Can you help us get him back?"
Sheila wanted to butter them up some. She'd come to the same conclusion that Cammy did. It wasn't uncommon for them to use street people for information about drug dealers or the sex trade on Cameron's off the books operations.
"A couple of 'fine gentlemen' like you two probably know all the 'ins and outs' around here." Sheila said.
It was clear these two men were borderline Scavenger material but currently more like 'tunnel rats'.
"We do." The other man said. "We don't go around there any more."
Based on the satellite photos Bob viewed, he drew a diagram in the dirt with a stick.
"Show us." Bob said.
That seemed to terrify the men even more when they heard Bob speak.
"What's in it for us?" The other man asked.
Bob spoke without thinking it through.
"You get to live." Bob said. "That's if you help us."
The men looked like they wanted to run.
Sheila wanted to ease their minds some. The spots of dried blood on Bob's clothing didn't help either.
"He's just fooling about." Sheila said. "He is like a big Koala Bear."
Cammy wanted to put it in more common friendlier terms.
"She means a Teddy Bear." Cammy quickly added.
Sheila smiled at the two men.
"Show him what he wants to know." Sheila said.
She moved just right again and the other nipple ring was now visible along with everything else.
Cammy looked around and re-orientated herself as to where she was. She'd been very inattentive.
While Bob and Sheila questioned the men, she slipped back to the SUV and retrieved some MRE packets they kept in the 'company cars' as well as some cash.
Cammy returned just as the 'briefing' finished up.
"Did you get everything?" Cammy asked.
Bob clearly didn't care for the two men. They'd provided him with enough details to formulate an entry plan.
"Affirmative…." Bob said.
Cammy knew Bob was ready to terminate the two men.
"We don't have very much." Cammy said. "We appreciate your help."
She gave them each an MRE packet.
"Thanks." They both said.
"I used to hate these, now it is like a steak dinner to have one." One man said.
"I agree." The other man said.
Cammy went over to Bob and reached in his pocket. She came out with two 'Twenties'. She actually held them in her hand the whole time but wanted it to look like Bob carried their money. It was doubtful anyone would try to take anything from him.
The men's eyes were as wide as saucers.
"Is that for us?" One man asked.
Cammy hoped they would leave peaceably. She did want a public disturbance.
"We don't have much." Cammy said. "You fellas take off and have a good time. We need to find his brother."
The two men looked at Bob, Sheila, Cammy and then at each other.
Cammy held a Twenty out for each of them.
They both started to take them. Cammy held them firm. She was sure there would be gunfire soon. They didn't need any witnesses.
"You need to leave here for now." Cammy said firmly.
"Consider us gone." The other man said.
"Thanks." They both said again and hurried away.
Bob looked at the two men with disgust.
"We should have terminated them." Bob said. "They will become Scavengers."
Cammy felt the one man was just down on his luck. She saw there was still some 'good' in him.
"One may, the other won't." Cammy said. "That's my 'observation'."
Cammy went out with Cameron and Savannah sometimes when Cameron tried to help some of the homeless. Cameron tried to prevent Scavengers. It was an idea supported by Savannah. They hoped to set a few lives straight and maybe there would be a few less Scavengers in a Skynet future. They might even join the Resistance in the future.
Sheila was anxious to get things started. They definitely had a solid lead here. Cammy missed some of the details.
"Let's get to work here." Sheila said. "Here's what we know."
They filled Cammy in on all the details.
Bob was used to the way John handled things.
"We should wait until dark and have drone support." Bob said.
Cammy wanted action. She was still wound up tight.
"I'm tired of waiting." Cammy said.
Sheila looked down at her nearly topless form.
"We don't have our body armor." Sheila said. "I don't want to end up like I've 'seen Cameron'."
Cammy didn't see it as a big deal. Cameron was perfect again.
"Everything will regenerate…." Cammy said. "I was able to experience some of that 'recently' even though it seems like a long time ago."
Sheila knew Cammy referred to some things she'd done..
She wasn't so sure about that everything on Cameron regenerating. She knew Cameron was without a nipple for months once. It was from repeated damage in the same location multiple times with complete sheath loss in the area before everything could regenerate. It took new DNA from Allison to fix it.
"I'll trade anything on my sheath for yours that is damaged." Cammy said.
Bob hoped Cammy was talking to Sheila.
Silver Lining
We look all around
For the Silver Lining
Nothing can be heard
Beyond our own whining
All of life is empty and dull
Gone are things once shining
Our burdened mind into overload
Impossible thoughts combining
Each second soon gone forever
Our bodies and minds declining
Our bleeding hearts calling
For our true lover pining
Even alone and outside
Life's drudge is confining
Seeking impossible perfection
Our mind keeps redesigning
Finding never ending excuses
Character dissected like strip mining
Does it take a neon sign
To see the Silver Lining
Nobody