Chapter 818

We Got Them

Cameron and her team quickly gathered all the items that appeared to have any value or a potential for a lead. Any more information about this group they could gather would help them eradicate them. That was something that she planned to do personally since they'd threatened the Young family.

"It looks like we have anything of value here." Cameron said. "Let's go."

Sheila looked at the four dead men.

"What about the stiffs?" Sheila asked.

Cameron liked to redirect the blame as often as possible to another group for the activities they did themselves. There was a new group of drug runners that she wanted to frame for the 'murders' at this location.

"I have it covered. I have some of my Terminators coming to clean up." Cameron said. "It will look like a drug deal that went bad. Narcotics will be left here and an anonymous call made."

Ally was a little upset she needed to dig a grave big enough for five men with Cammy earlier. She didn't think that manual labor was her forte. She was with Cammy now as they tracked the target vehicle. She didn't say anything. She knew that no one liked a nag.

Anna wasn't part of the earlier operation that dealt with the five Grays.

"Why did you hide the other bodies?" Anna asked. "You could have left them here as well."

Savannah didn't want to get into that. There was still a certain amount of guilt that she felt for allowing and encouraging what happened.

"No." Savannah said. "Some of them couldn't be found by anyone…."

Cameron didn't want it to become an issue. There'd been a threat to the Young family. There was going to be retribution for that.

"I needed answers." Cameron said. "We got them. All of these people are going to die."

Sheila looked away. She was bothered by what she needed to do with Savannah there.

Savannah went to Sheila and gave her a hug. She didn't want Sheila to worry about it. She felt as guilty as if she'd committed the acts herself. She'd given her approval.

"It's fine as long as you don't take pleasure in it." Savannah said.

Sheila looked at Savannah and nodded.

Cameron liked Savannah's earlier suggestion about a Trojan Horse. She wanted to take advantage of the fact that they now possessed one.

"Let's go." Cameron said. "Sheila, you can drive their vehicle. We may need it to infiltrate later and we may be able to use it."

Cameron and Savannah left for their pick up truck. Once they reached it, they headed out after Cammy and Hanna.

Sheila and Anna followed them in the Gray's vehicle.

"I don't like this car." Sheila said. "It's too old and it looks ugly."

Anna didn't think that they would have it for very long.

"It runs doesn't it…." Anna said as a statement.

Sheila could tell Anna wanted to ask her some questions about earlier in the operation.

"You want to ask me about the other Grays." Sheila said.

Anna was aware of some of the things that happen on Cameron's 'off the books' operations. She knew that sometimes those carried over into the Resistance operations.

"The thought crossed my mind." Anna said. "Young Allison doesn't condone that type of activity. CamNet shields most of it from her at Savannah's request."

Sheila wasn't really sure what she should say. She believed there was a specific reason for that.

"Savannah isn't protecting me. She's protecting herself." Sheila said.

Anna knew that more and more Savannah was willing to 'cross the line' for various reasons. It wasn't just one thing here and there.

"I think we're all aware of that." Anna said.

Sheila heard what Savannah said as she drove the truck when she was in the back of it as she worked on the Grays. She knew Cameron heard it as well and Cameron did nothing to stop it. She didn't either. Based upon what she was doing at the time, it would have seemed a little hypocritical to her to do that.

"She's growing darker inside." Sheila said.

Anna wasn't sure that was entirely Savannah's fault. She thought all of those around her were a bad influence as well, especially Sheila.

"You don't help her." Anna said.

Sheila knew that she wasn't a good influence but she thought that the problem was much deeper. Because of the nature of it, there wasn't much that anyone could do about it.

"Almost getting killed as many times as she has will do that to someone." Sheila said.

Anna was aware Savannah faced more danger than most of those in the Resistance. What happened to her family was another contributing factor. Sheila's actions certainly didn't help any.

"Maybe so, it still shouldn't be cultivated." Anna said.

John and John Henry watched the drone feed. They saw one of the occupants in the car they had under surveillance jump out of the moving vehicle as it slowed for a stoplight. It appeared they wanted to get away from the others. They ran across two lanes of traffic. They were almost hit by a car. It was clear that was someone who wanted to get away from where they were, really bad.

"You were right, Cammy." John said. "One of them just bailed."

Cammy suspected something like that was going to happen. By pre-arrangement she was going to go after that individual. Hanna's team was to stay with the vehicle they were tracking.

"Send me the images and have the drone stay on them until we get closer." Cammy said. "The tracker is still on the Gray's vehicle."

John Henry could see that things were going to get a little bit more complicated as well as more involved. It was clear that the occupants of the vehicle wanted the individual who fled back.

"The Gray vehicle has stopped as well." John Henry said. "Another man hopped out and is after the first man. The vehicle made a U-turn."

Cammy didn't like the latest development. It was going to complicate her being able to grab the individual herself.

"It looks like not everyone in that group is on the same page." Cammy said.

Savannah was sure there was a lot more going on than they knew about. It was clear to her that there was a second location somewhere.

"We only found sleeping quarters for six at the other location." Savannah said. "We saw more men than that there."

John Henry knew that they'd dealt with more than one group of Skynet operatives. It was most likely that they were from alternate futures as well.

"It's possible we have two different groups of Skynet that may have linked up." John Henry said. "They probably each have different priorities as to what they want to accomplish and when."

Cameron wasn't so sure if this group was two different groups of Grays. Based on how one of them tried to run she smelled a different 'rat'. It was a 'rat' that was very personal to her for several different reasons.

"Or it's an infiltration by the anti-Metal faction." Cameron said. "They're almost as big of a threat to me, to US, as Skynet. If there's an anti-Metal faction involved. I will deal with them personally."

John always saw a problem with Cameron's 'enthusiasm' to eliminate the anti-Metal faction. The anti-Metal faction by definition was part of the Resistance even if they wanted to operate out of the framework of the Resistance and didn't agree with everything it did one hundred percent. They didn't want to have anything created by Skynet involved with what they did. The biggest negative factor to them were reprogrammed Terminators. They'd all known people personally who were killed by reprogrammed Terminators that went 'bad'. They despised Future John for using them in part of his operations. They blamed those deaths on Future John.

"Aren't you reinforcing what they believe?" John asked.

Cameron was upset by John's statement. It seemed like more of an accusation to her. She was from the future. She knew the threat that they represented to both Future John and John.

"Anyone who wants to assassinate you is a threat." Cameron said. "It's a threat to me as well. I didn't pick the fight or the battlefield, THEY did."

Cameron wanted to ask John if he still remembered his lover, DEAD Riley.

The very thought of that made her hand feel a glitch impulse. It still irritated her immensely that John would try to seek comfort in Future Riley when she was right there and made herself 'available' to John. He didn't need Future Riley for anything. That's what she was there for. That was her function. She was there to provide him with the 'comfort' that he would seek from a female.

Now Cameron really wanted to find anyone in the anti-Metal faction, she WANTED some payback. She needed to protect Savannah and Young Allison from them. If they were branded as 'Metal Lovers' they would become targets. She wondered how John couldn't remember this and what happened. How dare he say she reinforced their beliefs. She was going to do this herself now. She was sure that the man who fled belonged to the anti-Metal faction.

"Cammy, you can back up Hanna." Cameron said. "I'm going after the runaway."

Cammy knew a bad idea when she heard it. Based on where she was at right now, Cameron's idea didn't make any sense.

"I'm right here." Cammy said. "I can track them until you arrive. Ally can take the man who went after them."

John didn't want Cameron to become too personally involved in any aspect of the operation. He knew it would cloud her judgment and make her more susceptible to making mistakes. Besides, Savannah was with her. There was no need to endanger her on Cameron's personal vendetta.

"That's a good idea." John said. "Cammy, you're on the 'runaway' until Cameron arrives. Ally can take the other man."

Savannah looked at Cameron and saw she was becoming fixated.

"Don't make this personal." Savannah said. "You'll dull your objectivity. Look at the bigger picture."

Cameron looked at Savannah and nodded. She was back to 'normal'.

She was able to suppress the glitch impulse and refocus. She was glad that Savannah was at her side. Sometimes it was nice to have help.

Jesse watched Gail become more and more agitated. She wanted to help her but knew she couldn't. Not for what was really wrong with her. She still felt that she needed to do something. She wanted to reach out to her.

"Gail, can we talk about it?" Jesse asked.

Gail was troubled by many things. She wasn't sure how to address them or even if she could.

"I don't know." Gail said. "I feel the 'need' to do more."

Jesse understood the need to do more. She felt that way herself. She didn't believe that was the actual issue even though it was a manifestation of it.

"I know what else is bothering you." Jesse said. "I know what is really bothering you."

Gail felt very confused and upset right now.

"I don't know what to do." Gail said.

Jesse wanted to try to give Gail something else to think about. She knew how destructive Terminator behavior could become once they fixated on something and couldn't let it go.

"I'm supposed to help Vanna." Jesse said. "Can you come with us?"

Gail didn't want to get sidetracked in case she needed to leave in a hurry

"I might be needed." Gail said. "You go help Vanna. I need to speak to John."

Jesse felt the same things Gail felt now before herself. It was like her life gets stuck in a loop of frustration. She wanted one thing and even though she had it already in reality, she still wanted that one other thing 'more'. The feeling ate away at the mind as much as it did at the heart. She'd been down the road Gail was stuck on before.

"Look, love." Jesse said. "I know what it's like to feel what you feel."

Gail didn't want to drag Jesse deeper into this. She didn't want to fight with her with her either.

"Please, help Vanna." Gail said. "I don't want to argue with you."

Jesse knew from experience that once you dug yourself into a hole, you needed to dig yourself out of it to move ahead in life.

"OK, love." Jesse said. "You know where to find me but first you need to find yourself."

Jesse gave Gail a tight hug and a deep kiss and left. She wanted to tell Gail not to forget what she already possessed but decided not to say anything. In order for Gail to help herself she would need to figure it all out herself.

Gail liked what she shared with Jesse and could tell Jesse wanted to help her right now. She didn't listen and she could see that hurt Jesse as well.

She headed to the Command Center. When she arrived she saw John and John Henry hard at work coordinating the developing mission.

She walked in and stood there. She didn't say anything.

John looked over at John Henry for a moment. He knew a problem when he saw one. He would do his best to try to help resolve whatever troubled Gail.

"Gail, what's up?" John asked.

Gail wasn't sure how to explain herself to John. She'd just turned her back on Jesse a few minutes ago.

"I want to do more." Gail said.

John and John Henry looked at each other again.

"Cameron already assigned you a function." John Henry said.

Gail gave John Henry a dirty look. She wanted to say that wasn't a 'function'. It never was. It was what she wanted and based on what she felt. It wasn't her 'job'. She wasn't a 'Metal Whore'.

John could see that John Henry clearly upset Gail even more. He wanted to try to defuse the situation before things got out of control. He dealt with Cameron enough times to know how these things went.

"You've done quite a lot lately." John said.

Gail wanted to do more but she wanted to do something very specific as part of what she did additionally.

"It's not enough." Gail said. "I want to protect Savannah better."

John Henry saw this more as a Terminator issue.

"She has Cammy and Cameron to protect her." John Henry said.

Gail gave John Henry another dirty look.

"Cameron endangers Savannah." Gail said.

John was a little surprised to hear Gail say that. He was worried a statement like that could produce some negative repercussions from Cameron or perhaps even CamNet.

"I won't disagree with you there." John said. "I'll try to assign you to more missions where Savannah is involved."

Earlier in the day Gail checked and Savannah was with her future mate and they were going to go swimming. A few hours later she was in the middle of a combat operation where she still was.

"It seems so many of them 'just happen'." Gail said. "Like the one today did."

John was painfully aware that it was more than just today.

"And the day before and the day before that and…." John said. "I get it."

John Henry quietly called for Cam to come and take Gail away and try to calm her down. She arrived in short order.

"Hi, everyone." Cam said as she winked at John. "Hi, John."

Gail knew they'd called Cam to come for her. She didn't want to become a problem or disrupt the operations of the Command Center.

"Let's go." Gail said.

Cam tilted her head slightly to the side.

"Where are we going?" Cam asked.

Gail wasn't sure yet. She just knew they needed to leave the Command Center.

"I don't know." Gail said. "We can go to wherever you were going to take me to."

Gail and Cam left.

John and John Henry looked at each other for a long moment and then returned to the operation. They knew that Cammy was about to go after the Gray that exited the vehicle.

"How are things going Cammy?" John asked.

Cammy knew where the Gray was at from the drone image.

"I'm on foot following them." Cammy said.

Savannah was a little worried that Cammy may end up in the middle of some type of altercation.

"Be careful, Cammy." Savannah said. "We don't know what's going on there."

Cammy knew that Ally was close by if she needed her.

"I am." Cammy said. "Ally is following in the SUV."

Hanna followed the Gray's vehicle. She had the added advantage of the overhead drone footage. It gave her a better overall picture of what was about to unfold.

"The Gray vehicle is now in front of where the first man is headed." Hanna said.

John didn't like how his people seemed to be concentrated into one area all of a sudden.

"I don't want our people bunched up." John said.

John Henry now had control of both drones. He was worried about both of their teams being spotted now.

"CamNet has released both drones to my control." John Henry said. "With the Grays searching for their man, they may spot Ally and Hanna. They should both fallback for now."

John didn't want either one of the vehicles to be identified. Savannah released the drone that stayed with them at the building once they'd joined the chase.

"You heard him." John said. "We have two drones watching everything. Cammy is on foot following them."

Cameron and Savannah we're able to catch up to the Gray vehicle quicker than anticipated. It appeared that CamNet assisted them through 'traffic management'.

"Cammy, we're still a few minutes away." Cameron said. "If you can terminate the second man, do it. I want one drone on the first man and the second one on the Gray vehicle."

John could see Cameron wanted the first man alive if possible.

"Why do you want the first man?" John asked.

Cameron did want the first man. It was for a very specific reason too.

"I think he's from the anti-Metal faction." Cameron said. "Sheila and I are going to have a 'talk' with him."

Cammy had a clear visual on both of the individuals that were out of the vehicle.

"The second man has caught up to the first man." Cammy said. "He just pulled a gun on him."

Hanna was still behind the target vehicle. She'd dropped back some but still had them in sight.

"The Gray vehicle is headed towards them." Hanna said.

Cammy spotted the Gray's vehicle seconds later. it didn't appear that she was going to be able to take down either man at this point.

"I see them." Cammy said. "They've forced the first man back into their vehicle."

John Henry didn't want their people to remain bunched up like they currently were.

"The drones have them covered and the tracker is working." John Henry said. "Everyone can fallback."

Cameron was very displeased by the recent turn of events. She wanted the individual that she believed was from the anti-Metal group. She decided to step things up herself.

"I'm taking the lead." Cameron said. "Everyone else can fallback."

John was glad that Savannah was with Cameron. It might moderate her response. Then again, Cameron may corrupt Savannah even more.

Cameron and Savannah cut their coms at Savannah's urging.

"Cameron, you don't need to push this yet." Savannah said. "The goal is to see where they go."

Cameron felt a deep compulsion inside of her.

"I know, Savannah." Cameron said. "It's something else."

Savannah believed Cameron let past events cloud her judgment. That was never anything good for anyone.

"It's the anti-Metal faction that's bothering you." Savannah said. "You're dwelling on the past. I can't blame you for that but right now you need to be here in the present."

Savannah reached over and touched Cameron's hand.

Cameron looked over and Savannah smiled at her. She didn't want to endanger any of the teams and she didn't want to endanger Savannah specifically.

"OK, Savannah." Cameron said.

Savannah didn't think they had enough information to go on as far as anything different. They did have information on the Grays however.

"We need to look at the bigger picture first." Savannah said. "We don't even know if any of the anti-Metal faction is involved. We do know these Grays are from the future and are up to no good."

Cameron knew that anytime Skynet was involved with anything that it was up to no good. She still tried to contemplate what exactly happened at the mall.

"I still don't understand the whole episode in the store." Cameron said. "Why was that Gray 'working' there?"

It didn't make sense that a Gray would have a job. It must have been for something more than obtaining money.

Savannah thought that would have been one of the first things Cameron found out.

"Did you ask him during the 'interrogation'." Savannah asked.

Cameron was aware that anyone back from the future was always short on money. It wasn't normally obtained through a legitimate source of work. There were other more expeditious ways to get a hold of cash quickly.

"He said they needed money." Cameron said. "We know Grays and Resistance fighters both steal to further their goals and fund their operations."

Savannah didn't believe that employment was the goal for the Grays to be in the mall in the first place. There was nothing that would add up as far as that went.

"Was there something else in the mall he was watching?" Savannah asked. "Was there something in the store he worked for? Maybe they found access to something there, like computers or credit cards."

Cameron figured that it was something very specific.

"Maybe there was a target they were watching or looking for." Cameron said.

Savannah learned long ago that there wasn't always an answer for every question.

"Maybe we'll never know." Savannah said.

Cameron squeezed Savannah's hand back.

"We're going to find out what we can." Cameron said.

Savannah was sure the new operation was a long way from over.

"We may run into a Terminator as well." Savannah said. "I have a feeling we will."

Cameron didn't doubt that at all.

"I hope it's a 'Metal Bitch'." Cameron said.

Savannah was a little concerned with Cameron's desire.

"Do you need some more?" Savannah asked. "Do you need another one for something specific?"

Cameron wasn't sure how much of her menagerie Savannah looked through. She didn't believe it was very much if any.

"You didn't check any more of them did you, the Terminators at my facility?" Cameron asked.

Savannah believed it would be as touchy of a subject as it could be contentious.

"No, I didn't. You'll show me and explain it to me next time." Savannah said. "You have a reason for what you're doing or have done. I'm willing to hear what you have to say and why. I trust your judgment. I'm aware you believe in what you do."

Cameron believed if there was some type of issue or problem that Savannah would work with her to resolve it in an amicable manner.

"I do." Cameron said. "They don't always like the way I do things."

Savannah felt a little self conscious about Cameron's statement. She was pretty sure that that was true for anyone. Everyone was their own individual and they all did things that they thought were right at the time that they did them, even if they weren't. There were many ways a person could attempt to justify their actions when there was no justification.

"That's how it is for everyone." Savannah said. "You don't like some of the things I've done. There are things I wish you would have done 'differently'."

Cameron was appalled the first time that Savannah became pregnant. She thought her body was much too young to have a child. She did know that it wasn't uncommon for females of that age to become pregnant much earlier in the third world or as one of the 'wives' in some of the religions where multiple wives were allowed.

"That's true." Cameron said. "We all can do the unexpected or accelerate a process."

The things that Savannah did were done with a specific goal in mind.

"It happens." Savannah said.

Cameron had been able to follow the tracker along with the drone footage to reach her target.

"I have the Gray vehicle spotted." Cameron said.

Cameron and Savannah turned their coms back on.

"John, I see the Grays." Cameron said.

John was a little worried that Cameron might push things.

"Don't get in too close." John said. "I don't want to spook them."

Cameron hoped that the erratic path of the Grays may have some specific destination that was obvious at this point.

"John Henry, have you been able to determine a destination?" Cameron asked.

John Henry felt it was way too early to make any guess about a destination.

"Not yet but their driving is no longer erratic like it was." John Henry said.

Savannah was a little worried that the entire episode may have been a way for their teams to have been identified. Both Cammy's vehicle and Hanna's vehicle we're in very close together with the target vehicle. Cammy and Ally we're both on foot in the vicinity as well.

"Maybe all we really witnessed was ploy to 'make us'." Savannah said.

John was very worried about what Savannah said. The thought had crossed his mind more than a few times as well.

"Maybe we need to turn this over to the drones for now." John said. "I don't want anyone being set up or ambushed."

John Henry was a little surprised when he noticed the vehicle slow down.

"They have slowed and are about to turn into an alley." John Henry said.

Cameron was pleased to hear that. She hoped that they'd just been led to more of the Grays or the anti-Metal faction.

"It looks like we are going to find out." Cameron said. "Real soon…."

Please Remain Calm

There's no need to worry
Even when life throws a bomb
I'm always here for you
Please remain calm

Sometimes I stumble
Sometimes I fall
I always get back up
To heed your beck and call

The damage to my flesh
Seems to always rapidly heal
It's the damage to my mind
That makes everything surreal

From one day to the next
Fighting our battles as they come
I'll never ever give up
They can never make me succumb

So when all seems hopeless
Please remain calm
Think of the book you once enjoyed
Written long ago by L. Frank Baum

Nobody