Chapter 1217

I Was Next

Derek and Kyle we're in the line for the buffet. Sarah and Riley were only going to get dessert items.

Kyle wasn't so sure about getting more food. He could eat it, but he really wasn't very hungry.

"Are you sure about this, bro?" Kyle asked.

Derek looked at the big selection of food.

"I don't think it could hurt anything to try some." Derek said.

Derek and Kyle each loaded up a plate with additional food.

Kyle only dished up a small portion of several things.

Derek looked at his plate with satisfaction.

"I have ham, bacon, sausage and corned beef hash." Derek said.

Derek felt he was off to a good start.

Kyle looked at Derek's plate with a little apprehension.

"There is nothing like a dose of protein in the morning." Kyle said. "This is much better than the garbage pile."

Kyle only took about half of what Derek took.

Sarah and Riley moved over to the pastry section to make a few selections.

Kyle noticed Derek look pretty beat.

"You look tired." Kyle said.

Riley drained Derek dry. He was tired.

"I'm going to need a vacation after this vacation." Derek said. "Riley is a little more rambunctious than normal."

Kyle felt Sarah gave him a pretty good workout too.

"I hear you." Kyle said. "Once they get started, they don't want to stop."

Derek looked around. He wasn't so sure he wanted to say anything but thought he needed to. The coast was clear.

"Riley's wearing me out." Derek said. "I'm not as young as I used to be."

Derek was afraid he was going to have a 'failure' at the rate Riley was going. A guy could only do so much.

Kyle caught his drift. Sarah was wearing him down too. It was like she never got enough.

"Don't forget, females have a distinct advantage over us when it comes to performance." Kyle said. "They are good to go all night."

Derek felt it was even more.

"I would have to say it's apparently all day as well." Derek said.

With those two statements, the brothers remembered a song about something similar last night at the live performance in the main theater.

"What was the name of the one song again?" Kyle asked.

Derek had been thinking the same thing. He knew right away which song it was.

"It's called, 'All Day And All Of The Night'." Derek said. "I think it's Riley's new theme song."

Kyle felt the same way about Sarah. He took the concept one step further.

"Now imagine a Metal female. She would never get tired and would be good to go twenty four seven." Kyle said.

Derek looked out and spotted Holly outside the entrance to the buffet through the window. He would like to find out. Holly was his favorite. It was more than just the way she looked too. It was the way she presented herself.

"I can imagine." Derek said.

Kyle didn't catch Derek's drift. He thought about some of the things that went on around the base.

"Look at our girls." Kyle said. "I mean both human ones and Metal girls. They're always at it whenever they get a chance."

It made Derek feel he was inadequate. He was aware of Riley's secret desire. It wasn't so secret. She'd actually made reference to it on multiple occasions.

"I think sometimes Riley wishes she could have a female lover on the side." Derek said. "I'm good with the idea. I want her to be happy."

Kyle knew it was the way of the future. He felt sometimes Sarah felt the same way too. He didn't mention it.

"It was very common in our past, the future." Kyle said.

Derek knew the females all drew the short straw, even from the Resistance sometimes.

"Look how females were treated." Derek said. "It's a wonder they don't hate all men."

Kyle felt some of the men were decent.

"They know some of us never took anything from them and protected them as best as we could." Kyle said. "I never overstepped."

Derek hated what happened in the future. He tried to do his part.

"I never took any more than was ever offered." Derek said. "I know some in the Resistance took more."

Sarah and Riley approached.

Derek and Kyle clammed up real fast. It didn't seem like a good subject to get caught talking about. It was never good to talk about past lovers with the present one. Everyone would want to know how they compared.

Sarah noticed their mood switched rapidly when Riley and her arrived.

"What are you two scheming about?" Sarah asked.

Riley saw it too.

"They look guilty of something." Riley said.

Sarah looked around and decided to play it a little loose.

"Maybe they were wondering if they'd be able to knock off a quickie before we go out." Sarah said. "That's if they're up to it."

Riley giggled.

Kyle was already beat and the day just started. He thought about what Holly said earlier as far as the rooms went. He came up with a plausible excuse.

"The rooms will be freshly made up." Kyle said. "I don't want to cause any extra work for the Metal girls. I feel bad enough they feel they need to wait on us like they do."

Kyle liked seeing all of them in their maid's outfits in the morning.

Derek added his two cents worth. He knew how Terminators operated. If they were given a job, they liked to see it through until completion.

"Even if we fix the room, they'll take it apart and fix it again." Derek said.

Riley respected the devotion of the Terminators. She looked over where she'd last seen Gail and Holly.

"They take their duties very seriously." Riley said. "We have two bodyguards now in one of the safest places any of us could be. Look at them. They are both watching for any threats to us. They WANT to protect us."

Holly entered the buffet area. She headed straight for the group.

"The jet will do another flyby in a few minutes." Holly said. "It's Cam and John Henry on their way back to Van Nuys."

Sarah wondered how the girls were protected.

"Who's with the girls?" Sarah asked.

Holly didn't want Sarah to worry.

"There are four Terminators with them. Dan, Frank, Ken and Lou are watching over the girls." Holly said. "There's space on the patio to sit between here and the pool if you want to go outside."

There were giant picture windows in the buffet area. They extended from just above the floor to the ceiling.

"Can we see any more from out there than we can in here?" Sarah asked.

Holly looked at the giant windows. She figured the view was identical. She thought only the decibel level would be different.

"No." Holly said. "The window seats here are magnificent."

Kyle thought Sarah wanted to stay inside.

"I think we'll watch it from in here." Kyle said.

Derek nodded at Holly.

"Thanks for letting us know." Derek said.

Holly smiled.

"It will be as you wish." Holly said.

Riley smiled at Holly.

Holly came closer and quietly spoke to Riley. The flyby wasn't the only thing she'd been updated on.

"Precious is fine and everything is normal." Holly said.

Riley was glad to hear it and glad she didn't need to 'ask'. She felt she'd already asked too many times since she'd been on the ship.

"Thank you for telling us." Riley said.

Derek watched Riley check out Holly. He did the same.

"I appreciate it." Derek said. "We both do. Thank you, Holly."

Holly smiled at all of them and went back to her 'station'. She was there to do a job and she intended to do it.

Earlier:

Hanna received a call from Holly. They were given a complete rundown on what was going to happen with the guests.

"Let's get the rooms switched and everything made up." Hanna said.

Ally wanted to start with the Honeymoon Suite.

"We can move Derek and Riley's things out first." Ally said.

When they went into the suite, everything was packed and ready to go.

"They made it easy for us." Hanna said.

Ally noticed how it seemed to bother them because the Terminators 'served' them on the ship.

"They feel bad we're assisting them." Ally said. "They're all very independent."

They carried the things outside the private area and into the first suite. They brought along the selection of dresses and suits they'd been provided with.

They both wondered about Sheila.

"Are we going to talk about it?" Hanna asked.

Ally didn't want it discussed.

"No." Ally said. "What's done is done."

Hanna knew Holly and Gail both volunteered after Sheila did.

"Holly and Gail are ready to go next." Hanna said.

Ally knew who John would pick first.

"John will want Holly." Ally said. "We both know it."

Hanna didn't think it would be a surprise for anyone.

"We've heard the stories how Holly was his 'confidant' with Cameron 'hiding' inside of her for fifteen months." Hanna said. "It sounded like a new level of perversion for Cameron to torture John like that, especially while she 'dangled' Holly in front of him everyday."

Hanna wasn't really sure how John was able to resist her.

Ally needed to make a slight correction.

"It was actually Duplicate Cameron." Ally said.

Hanna saw no difference.

"What's the difference between them?" Hanna asked. "They're the same program. They're the same individual."

Ally knew Duplicate Cameron, both of them, were temporal aberrations caused by the TDE malfunction. At the point they were created, there were three identical versions of Cameron.

"None, there is no difference." Ally said. "She was a Duplicate of Cameron, not a clone or alternate reality version. She was a Duplicate in the same timeline."

There was some speculation the second Duplicate Cameron wasn't a Duplicate but the original Cameron. It's why she ended up with River. The second Duplicate Cameron went through all three time transfers during the malfunction. Cameron here now only went through one, the first one. It seemed logical the first Cameron or the second Duplicate Cameron would most likely be the original Cameron. Since they were all identical, there was no way to tell. All three of them ended up with the same locket beneath their left breast. It was all the proof anyone needed to know they were all identical and the same individual.

They put everything in the new suite and made sure all was in order. The only thing that was left in the Honeymoon suite was the extra short maid's outfit. There was a note on it that said it was for Jesse.

When they returned to the private area, the Master Suite was being made up.

Hanna and Ally looked at each other.

Someone was in there getting everything in order.

Ally felt a spark of hope shoot through her.

"Sheila!" Ally said as she looked in the room.

Jim looked down at his uniform.

"Hardly…." Jim said. "There are several ways to tell the difference. I wear the proper uniform, all of it."

The happiness faded from Ally's face.

"Is Sheila still in with them?" Ally asked.

Jim felt it was her new 'assignment'.

"It would appear she has a new function at this point." Jim said. "At least her chassis has a new function I should say."

Ally wasn't going to let Jim get off easy.

"It really gives you something to look forward to." Ally said sarcastically.

Jim didn't look forward to it.

"Indeed." Jim said. "I would have preferred if Cam would have come on board."

Ally would have preferred it as well. It would put one more buffer between her and Cameron's abuse of the female chassis.

Hanna wanted to finish the suites up with Ally.

"Let's just get everything ready." Hanna said. "WE can finish up here, Jim."

Jim explained the current situation. He filled them in on what was happening at the old newspaper plant.

"There's a lull in the activity." Jim said. "Savannah and Cammy are about to question a topless female."

The information piqued Ally's interest. Maybe they could save the female prisoner for Sheila. It might break Sheila's spell with Cameron and John. Sheila could do what she really wanted to do. Sheila could do what she enjoyed doing as much as sex. She'd like to take a look and see what was happening.

"Is there a video of it?" Ally asked.

Jim hoped it would be a distraction for Ally.

"Yes." Jim said. "You can go watch it if you want and I'll finish up here."

Ally almost scoffed at the wording of Jim's answer.

"I think there's a lot of finishing up that needs to be done." Ally said. "I wish they would finish up with Sheila and let her go."

Ally looked in the direction of the Owner's Suite and slowly shook her head from side to side.

John Henry listened to Cam's plan. It sounded reckless and irrational. It sounded like something Cameron would do.

"I don't want you to create an international incident." John Henry said.

Cam calculated where the ship would be.

"The ship will still be in international waters." Cam said.

It was bound to ruffle some feathers.

"I don't think it's the point." John Henry said. "It's a bad idea."

Cam wasn't dissuaded by John Henry's negativity. She blew him off.

"You know I'm still going to do it anyway." Cam said. "It's still going to happen."

John Henry knew one mistake at low altitude left them no room for recovery.

"Don't misjudge and put us in the 'drink'." John Henry said.

Cam sent her plan to CamNet. She wanted whatever happened to be covered.

"I've informed CamNet what I'm going to do." Cam said. "That's good enough. She can take care of everything."

Cam started both engines on the jet. Everything checked out.

She was given immediate clearance and took off. All traces the jet ever landed in Ensenada were erased as soon as it was off the ground. Any video files were also erased.

Cam stayed low once she was off the ground. She hadn't gained much altitude. She dropped back down to the surface of the water once they were out past the shore.

John Henry spotted their target.

"I see the ship." John Henry said.

Cam was very low over the water.

"I do too." Cam said. "I bet they don't see us."

John Henry figured they would show up as another ship they were so low. He noted Cam pushed the engines right up to the red line.

"We'll probably show up as a surface contact on their marine radar." John Henry said. "Your speed is excessive for this altitude."

Cam felt everything was under control.

"We're not squawking anything and CamNet will mask us." Cam said. "I'll trade speed for altitude as we near the ship."

John Henry knew the root of the irrational behavior.

"I know why you are doing this." John Henry said.

Cam looked over at John Henry.

"Then be glad it's me who's here with you and not Cammy." Cam said.

John Henry was glad. He figured Cammy would do something even more extreme.

Vanna started her work in the lab. Precious was nearby in her stroller. Vanna checked on her every few minutes.

Samantha didn't think it was necessary for Vanna to keep interrupting herself.

"She's fine." Samantha said. "I can hear when she wakes up."

Vanna didn't have the same luxury. She needed to rely on the old fashioned way.

"I can't." Vanna said. "I need to learn to be attentive."

Vanna felt a little guilty about leaving Samantha and Cam both to look after Precious at times last night.

Allison looked at some of the monitors. The screens would change periodically to different views.

"Who's controlling these?" Allison asked.

Vanna was unsure. Normally it would be John Henry. He wasn't at the base currently.

"I think CamNet is." Vanna said. "It could be JH."

Allison saw there were two detainees. She was a little surprised they weren't terminated.

"They've captured two people at the old newspaper plant." Allison said.

Samantha knew their time was limited if they were associated with Skynet.

"If they're Grays, they'll be terminated." Samantha said.

Allison wasn't sure who they were. She checked out the body cam images. She was a little surprised at the way events developed.

"It looks like two girls and one is topless." Allison said.

Vanna was instantly intrigued. She checked Precious and went over to look.

Samantha could see them clearly from where she was at.

Allison had seen the look of people who looked like they did before. It was never anything good.

"They look sickly." Allison said. "They look like females out of a Skynet work camp."

Vanna thought it sounded bad. She knew how brutal Gray's could be to captured female prisoners. There were worse things out there.

"It's better than a Scavenger camp." Vanna said. "They'd look even worse. They'd probably be missing a few things as well."

Vanna thought about some of the things she'd witnessed in the past, the future.

Samantha didn't like the interest Vanna and Allison showed in the two females. She didn't believe they were from the future.

"They look malnourished or like drug users." Samantha said. "They should be terminated to end their suffering."

Vanna didn't like Samantha's statement. She personally knew a lot about suffering.

"You'd be surprised how much suffering one can endure." Vanna said.

Vanna felt she was at the edge more than a few times. She didn't think she could take it anymore at times. She didn't want to take it anymore. She just wanted it all to end. It didn't end and she could take more. Look where she was at now.

Allison stood and gave Vanna a hug. She didn't want her to think about the past, the future. It was always terrible when someone's mind drifted there.

"Some have suffered more than others." Allison said.

Vanna knew all the females suffered eventually. She thought about some of the things she'd needed to do to survive.

"Every female got a taste." Vanna said.

Allison spotted the new arrivals.

"I see Savannah and Cammy are there now." Allison said.

Vanna was satisfied with Savannah there. She believed things would be handled justly. If the girls needed to be terminated Savannah would have Cammy snap their necks for a fast termination. She didn't believe they would be shot.

"Savannah will make a fair determination based on what they uncover." Vanna said.

Allison wanted to hear what was being said.

"Let's listen." Allison said.

Vanna went and checked on Precious again.

"I need to change her." Vanna said.

Samantha was right there.

"I can do it." Samantha said.

Vanna felt she needed to stay in the game. Precious was her responsibility. She didn't want to seem like a slacker.

"Thanks. I'll do it this time." Vanna said.

Allison looked back at Vanna and then concentrated on the body cam footage. She remembered Vanna and her were 'with' girls who looked just like those two before. There were times when they hadn't looked much better themselves.

She remembered Vanna was with every female who'd recently been abused. Vanna wanted to show the abused girls they were still 'someone' and their body belonged to them, not the abusers. When Vanna was young, an older woman 'helped' her the same way and showed her life still had more to offer. Vanna stayed on the same path ever since then. She was very happy Vanna showed her the same path as well.

Cammy started to speak with the topless detainee. She started softly but soon hardened as the female seemed to be uncooperative. The female wanted to know where her shirt was at.

Savannah watched from the background.

Cammy ignored the female's questions and kept her questions coming.

Savannah was afraid the two homeless females were sent in there to lure some of them to the location. She quietly took Cammy off to the side to speak with her. She informed her of her concerns.

Cammy's dislike of the females grew more intense.

"It means they're collaborators." Cammy said. "I'll terminate them."

Cammy turned to go but Savannah stopped her. She saw things a little differently.

"They're probably being played." Savannah said. "These people will do anything for drugs or some money for drugs. They have nothing."

Savannah didn't think they had a whole lot to live for once they'd reached the 'hooked' stage of drug use.

Cammy felt no pity.

"It's a chosen lifestyle." Cammy said. "They can seek help. There's plenty available at taxpayer expense."

Savannah didn't want an argument.

"For some maybe they can, not for all of them." Savannah said.

Savannah looked around. It was dark and she didn't think she could be identified.

"It is pretty dark inside here." Savannah said. "Let me question her alone. I want to remove her blindfold."

Cammy looked at Savannah.

"I'll take it off. " Cammy said. "I won't go far. I'll be nearby."

Cammy made a point of affixing the silencer to her M9.

"Don't touch her." Cammy whispered. "Try to avoid physical contact with her."

Savannah walked up and faced the female. Cammy pulled the girl's blindfold off and walked away.

"Hello." Savannah said.

The girl looked around in the darkness of the interior of the building.

"Is this 'bad cop, good cop' now?" The female asked.

Savannah started with the truth.

"No." Savannah said. "I just need to find out why you're here and how you arrived here."

The girl looked down at her topless torso.

"Why was my shirt taken off?" The female asked. "I saw men earlier."

Savannah wanted to make a gesture of good faith.

"I'm sorry about what happened." Savannah said. "They didn't know you were a female until after your shirt was ripped. They didn't abuse you."

Savannah removed her vest and took her shirt off. She was only wearing her bra now. She put her vest back on over it.

"You can wear my shirt." Savannah said. "I'd like you to turn around."

The girl reluctantly did.

Savannah took out her knife and cut the restraints on the girl's wrists. The girl turned around and faced her. She handed the girl her shirt.

"You can have my shirt." Savannah said. "I'm sorry your shirt was ruined."

The girl was a little uneasy as she took the top.

"Thanks." The girl said.

There were some empty crates there. She motioned for the girl to sit down. The girl asked about her friend.

"She's being questioned on the other side." Savannah said.

She said all they needed were for the questions to be answered and then they could go.

The girl looked at Savannah in the near darkness.

"You're not like them." The girl said.

Savannah didn't want to get into it. She didn't think any two individuals were the same. She knew it applied to Terminators as well as humans. Cammy was different from Cameron or Cam. They all ran the same program.

"We're all different." Savannah said. "I have some water and an energy bar."

The girl looked at Savannah with hungry eyes.

"I'd like that, thank you." The girl said.

Savannah handed her a small bottle of water and the energy bar. She also needed to establish some parameters.

"Once we get everything cleared up you can go. You can't stay here." Savannah said. "This is a restricted area."

The girl seemed a little more comfortable in Savannah's presence. She spoke freely.

"We ran in here to hide." The girl said. "We ran away from the man in the truck."

Savannah could see where this was headed. She quickly put the pieces together. She didn't like where the discussion was going.

"Were you abused?" Savannah asked.

The girl looked in the direction Savannah indicated her friend was at.

"My friend was." The girl said. "I was next."

The girl sobbed. It was a painful, troubled sob.

"Go on." Savannah said.

The girl shook her head as she spoke.

"It's happened so many times I just let it happen anymore." The girl said. "It's going to happen anyway. I get beat less if I don't resist. I don't participate, but I don't fight back anymore. I let them take what they want from me. I don't care anymore. I don't even curse the fact I was born a female anymore."

The words stung Savannah deeply. They were similar to Vanna's words to her about her assaults. It sounded like the same type of thing. It made her wonder if the girls were really from the future. It had been speculated earlier they may have been based on their appearance.

"Would you like to go to a shelter?" Savannah asked. "Are you hooked on drugs?"

The girl looked where her friend was.

"My friend may be. She uses anyway." The girl said. "I'm not. I'm not trading my body for 'junk'. Enough has already happened to me."

Savannah hoped her story wasn't a lie, even if she hoped it was a lie. The reality of it sickened her. She felt the need to do something.

"Do you want help?" Savannah asked. "I'll take you to a shelter or see you are put into drug rehab and given medical care."

The girl tried to see Savannah in the darkness. She was quiet for a moment before she spoke.

"You've done this before haven't you?" The girl asked.

Savannah couldn't help but think about all the girls from the future. It was too late to help any of them because of what happened to them. This wasn't the future.

"I've tried to help the less fortunate." Savannah said. "I have family members who've suffered much as you have."

The girl looked around in the darkness. She couldn't make out any details.

"Who are you? Who are these people?" The girl asked. "I don't even know what this place is."

Savannah wanted to help the girl but the girl needed to want to help herself.

"They're people who will help you if you're willing to help yourself." Savannah said. "Everything's a waste of time unless you're willing to help yourself. Do you have any family?"

The girl looked away from Savannah.

"I can't go back home." The girl said. "It all started with my step dad when I was younger."

Savannah knew what was next. She didn't really want to hear the details.

"Do you want to involve the police?" Savannah asked.

The girl was aware she wasn't handcuffed.

"I don't think you're the police." The girl said.

Savannah was ready with a cover story.

"We're private security." Savannah said. "There was a cult who set up shop in here and killed some young females. They were dismembered while they were alive. It was on the news."

The girl looked off to the side and nodded.

"We saw a lot of dried blood." The girl said.

Savannah pushed a little.

"How do we know you're not part of the same group?" Savannah asked. "Why else would you come here?"

It seemed to be the breaking point. The girl cracked.

The girl broke down and told Savannah everything she wanted to know.

Steve and Tom played the same role with the other female and followed Savannah's lead from their coms. Both girls told the same story. The other girl was abused prior to their escape from the truck.

Savannah thought these were females in their mid twenties. She was shocked to learn that they were younger than her. The hard life they lived on the street took its toll.

She wanted to know how they defeated the security.

It turned out there was a loose panel on the side of the building. It appeared to have happened by a careless forklift operator. The girls were so thin they were able to squeeze into the building. They just wanted to find a place to spend the night and maybe find a toilet and some running water. They wanted a place where there were no males….

Young Allison and Anna listened to the interrogation.

"What would happen if Savannah wasn't there?" Young Allison asked.

Anna doubted it would have ended well for the two girls.

"I think you already know the answer." Anna said. "It's how we operate."

Young Allison did know the answer. She was able to witness the way Savannah reached out.

"I guess I do." Young Allison said. "Savannah has shown a lot of compassion and caring. She's really trying to help."

Anna felt she possessed some good insight into Savannah.

"Savannah is very understanding." Anna said.

There was a personal anger that built up inside Young Allison. She wanted justice. She wanted retribution.

"Is there any way to find the truck driver they spoke of?" Young Allison asked. "We know the time of the first contact with the girls in the building. It would have been before that."

Anna knew they possessed both a location and a time frame. CamNet should be able to scour the traffic cams and maybe any satellite imagery.

"CamNet will look into it." Anna said. "What do you want done if the truck driver is identified?"

Young Allison wanted payback.

"I want them to never be able to do what happened to anyone else." Young Allison said. "I want them so they won't be physically able to, even if they try."

Anna understood the implications of her statement. It said a lot, without saying it.

"That leaves a lot of leeway." Anna said.

Young Allison thought about the girls from the future. She thought about Vanna, Jesse and herself - Allison.

"If a target is identified at some point, let me know." Young Allison said. "I'll decide then."

Anna wondered about the concern Young Allison exhibited.

"Why are you troubled by this?" Anna asked.

It seemed obvious to Young Allison.

"She could have been me…." Young Allison said. "It could be me there under different circumstances. What if it was Summer and me?"

It was apparent to Young Allison that Hell existed on earth, even in the present. The future was only worse.

Larry checked the drone image on his phone. There were still three contacts besides Hank and himself. It indicated there was a second individual out there looking for the female. He knew they could also be looking for him. They could be looking for either one of their vehicles as well. He realized they may not even know exactly what they were looking for.

Hank moved his position up to block the female from returning to her van. He also looked for the second unknown individual who appeared to be headed in their direction.

Their drone was able to track the movement of the second individual who now appeared to be searching for female Fanatic. They were currently headed for the man near Larry's position.

Larry watched as the man with the AK-47 slowed. He looked all around him. He could take him now with his silenced M9. A second man appeared from off to the side.

"What did you see?" The first man asked.

"I didn't see anything". The second man said.

"We should have seen something." The first man said.

"Maybe there's nothing to see." The second man said.

Both of the men continued to search as they talked.

Larry looked back at where the female Fanatic was at. Both of the men were very near her position at this point.

Hank move moved up and took the female Fanatic under direct observation. He let Larry know exactly where he was at.

Larry couldn't see Hank directly but he knew where he was at based upon his description. If the female Fanatic were to retreat further, she would run directly into him. There was some movement, both of the men passed by him. He was now behind them. He still hadn't moved from his position.

Hank watched the female as the two men came closer to her location. He could clearly see all three of them now.

"Keep your eyes peeled." The first man said.

"I'm telling you, man, there's nothing out here." The second man said.

Hank watched the two men move past the female Fanatic.

"We should have spotted something by now." The first man said.

"I don't think there's anything to spot." The second man said.

Both men stopped and looked all around them.

"Let's go back." The first man said.

Hank informed Larry what the men were going to do.

Larry decided to move deeper into the area where the men came from. He wanted to be in front of them. He also needed to look for surveillance devices or an LP.

The two men started back in the direction they'd come from. They remained together as they moved.

Hank watched as the female fanatic moved off to their side and followed them. He thought she was going to return to the van but she didn't.

Larry could hear the two men behind him. He was aware the female Fanatic pursued them off to the side. It was the opposite side from where he was at. He continued to check the drone image for anything new around him. He watched the trajectory of the two men whenever it was available. It seldom was. He didn't believe they were headed back in the same direction they'd come from.

He realized they were headed directly for where he was at. He quickly moved his position further up the hill and off to the other side. The men turned after a few hundred feet and were once again headed in his direction. He tried to keep track of the female Fanatic. She was very elusive. The drone images didn't help much with any of their locations on a continual basis.

Hank continued to follow the female Fanatic. He was aware the two men changed directions at random several times.

Larry was in a deep depression. The two men were still headed in his way. He determined what the two men were about to do. He exited the depression before they entered it. He watched them crouch down and run at full speed. They passed right by him. They never even looked.

Hank watched as the female Fanatic moved from her position.

As soon as she was out in the open, the two men popped up and confronted her.

The female Fanatic was taken by surprise. She didn't even have time to act. The second man tackled her and knocked her to the ground. She didn't move.

"What did you do?" The first man asked.

"I just knocked them down." The second man said. "They must have hit their head on a rock."

Hank and Larry both closed up on the two men and the female Fanatic. They were on opposite sides of the two men as they began to search her. One man kept watch around him as the other one began to search.

The first man paused.

"It's a Bitch." The first man said.

"Let me see." The second man said

The second man stopped checking around them. He moved down next to the female figure. The sound of ripping cloth could be heard.

"What are you doing?" The first asked.

"I wanted to see what she looked like." The second man said. "There ain't much on top."

"We need to get her inside." The first man said.

There is the sound of more cloth ripping.

"Don't worry, she's going to get something inside right now." The second man said.

"Stop what you're doing". The first man said.

"You can go next." The second man said. "As soon as we bring her in, you know what's going to happen to her."

Larry and Hank could see what was about to occur. It was apparent the female Fanatic was about to be abused by at least one of the two men. They could do nothing and watch the abuse occur. They knew it didn't really matter because all three of them are going to be terminated anyway. Maybe now was the time to act.

I Was Next

I want to reach out
I want to touch
Is it too soon
Does it ask too much

To see others come and go
Eats away at the soul
To be with you
Would make me whole

It always raises the question
Am I good enough
You say that's not it
It's still very tough

What does it take
Why can't it be me
When you look at me
What do you see

You're given blank checks
Yet I still feel hexed
You've sought yet another
I was next

Nobody