Chapter 1287
Medical Pager
Cam felt they'd waited long enough. It was time for action. She didn't want Cammy and Savannah caught up in things if possible. They were on the way over. It was bad enough Allison and Vanna were there.
Allison and Vanna anxiously waited for something to develop.
Cam gave the order for the three teams of Terminators to move in. Allison started the SUV and placed it in 'Neutral'. She was ready to move forward or backwards in an instant.
The SUV would make a formidable weapon if it was needed to be employed in such a fashion. It could stop any human or Terminator, at least temporarily. It could incapacitate a fleeing enemy vehicle.
Allison looked at Cam and then at Vanna in the back seat. Vanna smiled at her as she held an M4. She reached down and touched her Taser and Model 66.
It was 'go time'.
Steve and Tom moved in from the front. Al and Ed each went to a different side. Richard and Michael closed in from the back. There were Terminators on all four sides of the building.
Steve and Tom lingered in the front to draw the attention of anyone inside to the front of the building. They were close enough to observe the interior of the car.
It was clear it was the car they were after for several reasons. There were bullet holes in it as well as something else. It was a dead giveaway.
"There's blood dripping out of the trunk of the car. It's mostly dried." Steve said. "We're ready to breach the front of the building. Richard and Michael should move now."
Richard and Michael were in the back. They were to take the lead. Richard held an M9 as did Michael. There was a door on the back. It easily gave way to Richard's foot.
He entered the building and searched for targets to his right. Michael did the same and searched for targets to his left. None were spotted. They heard a door at the front give way a few seconds later. They could both see the main part of the building was empty.
Steve and Tom entered through the office area. They'd waited several seconds after Richard and Michael made their entrance. They figured if anyone was there in the front, they would have gone to see what the noise was from the back. So far there was no one spotted. There hadn't been any opposition or gunfire.
Al and Ed were on the outside of the building on both sides. There were bathrooms on the side Al was on. Both doors were missing. The small restrooms were vacant of any fixtures, sinks or toilets. It appeared vagrants and the homeless used the restrooms anyway. Both were filled with human waste and trash.
There was nothing but high transom windows on Ed's side of the building.
All six male Terminators reported no contact.
Cam waited with Allison and Vanna.
Allison quickly went over what they'd heard from the Terminators.
"I bet the guy who was shot by the Fanatic is in the trunk of the car." Allison said.
Vanna was afraid it could be more sinister too. Some innocent person may have been targeted. It could be the original owner of the vehicle or someone associated with another vehicle. It could have been a witness or bystander. Many things could have happened.
"It might be someone else too." Vanna said. "They may have spotted someone parked there and jacked them. The car does have bullet holes in it. It would stand out at a stoplight to anyone who gave it a casual glance."
Cam was ready for more. She'd already thought of several ways to determine what the new vehicle they were in might be.
"If it's the case, we may be able to identify the vehicle they currently are in from the deceased victim." Cam said. "I'll take a picture of their face and see if we can get photo recognition from the DMV. I can photograph their fingerprints too. I think it is time to move up."
Allison dropped the SUV into 'Drive' and started to move forward toward the parked vehicle. It didn't look like there would be much of a threat at this point.
Vanna still thought some caution was in order. She didn't want Allison to get too close yet.
"Allison, wait." Vanna said. "Let them open the trunk first. As far as we know, there could be a bomb inside."
Cam thought it would be more likely with the Fanatics.
"We think they're the anti-Metal faction." Cam said.
The assumption was based on the fact the other car did have a bomb in it. They figured it was a Fanatic. One group could be Grays and not the anti-Metal faction.
"We don't know." Vanna said. "We don't know who any of the groups are for sure."
Cam issued a warning to the male Terminators. Vanna's reminder was correct.
They didn't really know much of anything at this point. It seemed to be the case most of the time. There was infiltration between all the groups anyway. Even if they apprehended a person of one group, they could really be from a different group.
They didn't need much of a reminder to remember Future Riley infiltrated their group years ago. Every group was a threat. It was the main reason why Future John only sent back his relatives or his most trusted associates to assist John.
Cammy listened to Cam. She was somewhat relieved to hear they weren't going to arrive before the operation started. She was sure Savannah would enter into the thick of it if the situation went hot.
She would prefer not to even need to go to the location at all. There is still a threat of a bomb in the vehicle they'd identified.
Savannah noted Cammy slowed down dramatically.
"I can see you're in no hurry to get there." Savannah said.
Cammy didn't think it was necessary.
"There are seven Terminators there plus Allison and Vanna." Cammy said. "I really don't think we can add much at this point."
John Henry contacted them thirty seconds later.
"I have a hit on the nurse's medical pager." John Henry said.
It was good news in one regard. It was sure to lead to bad news in every other regard.
Savannah was sure the other car was a dead end and there were enough personnel to deal with it. She'd mainly wanted to go there to get Allison and Vanna to leave. They clearly had another target now.
"Where is it and how far from our position is it?" Savannah asked.
John Henry only seconds ago found the information. What he found so far wasn't promising.
"It's static and it is a few miles from you to the east." John Henry said. "It hasn't moved since I received the frequency."
Cammy hoped it led to the rest of the group.
"It must be their hideout." Cammy said.
Savannah wanted a little more information first. She was worried there could be a few other possibilities.
"It could be lying by the side of the road too." Savannah said. "The nurse could be lying by the side of the road somewhere. We don't know anything yet."
Cammy wanted an immediate recon. She wanted to know what they were about to face and hoped a drone would be able to give them some feedback in a very short period of time.
"Give us the satellite overlay." Cammy said. "We're headed in that direction now."
Savannah checked with John Henry about Cam's operation. She asked him to keep their situation under wraps for now until they could do a recon of the area. If all they were going to find was a dead nurse, there was no need to alert the other teams.
She didn't want to draw any of the Terminators away from where Allison and Vanna were at unless it was absolutely necessary. She didn't think Allison and Vanna would want to return back to the base until they'd come up with some more information on where the two individuals in the vehicle were at. If one of them was dead, they still needed to track down one person involved with the shooting of the Fanatic.
Savannah needed to remind herself, just as she's done with Cammy, they still didn't know for sure who any of the group's actually were yet. They could be operating under false assumptions and end up with a bigger problem because of it. Every group from the future was dangerous and deadly. They would also know how to deal with a Terminator in some way. A Skynet jamming field could go up at any point and cut off all communications. Cam encountered one in the early hours of the morning.
There'd been a lot of activity go down in the last few days involving all of the groups from the future. They'd all suffered heavy losses because of the Resistance. All of the groups would be looking for some payback. It was probably why the bomb was in the car. They probably intended to deliver it to a specific target and were intercepted. It probably wasn't by the group the bomb was intended for either. It was probably by another group with the same intention.
Savannah looked over at Cammy.
"We need to use extreme caution in whatever we do." Savannah said.
Richard and Michael did a thorough search of the interior of the old gas station. There was one last place to check. It was an area where someone could hide.
"Look up where the tires used to be stored." Richard said.
Michael climbed up to the narrow loft.
"There's nothing here but trash and rat feces." Michael said.
They both determined there was nothing there and most likely the survivor never entered the interior. It was secure prior to their entry.
CamNet sent a request they should attempt to secure the doors closed they'd entered from. They didn't want vandals or the vagrants to further vandalize the building. It was someone's property after all. Everyone believed the message most likely originated from one of the girls involved in the operation. They were always mindful of other people's property.
Steve and Tom approached the target vehicle.
Vanna and Allison both wanted them to check for a bomb.
Tom looked at Steve. He wasn't in a hurry to find a bomb the hard way.
"We need to verify it's not wired." Tom said.
They looked in the front seat and there was a lot of blood on the passenger's side. It was mostly dried.
"It looks like someone bled out here." Steve said.
Tom could see it. They still needed to check the trunk. He wanted to use maximum caution.
"Affirmative…." Tom said. "Pop the trunk. I'll keep it from opening more than an inch."
Steve hit the trunk release. He heard it unlatch. He moved to the back where Tom held the trunk lid down.
They both carefully looked around the edges for any wires. None were spotted. They opened the trunk lid all the way. It was what they expected.
"We have one deceased male." Steve said.
Cam wondered if it was a fresh victim or one of the men they sought. She was mindful of everything Vanna said about other possibilities.
"Is it one of the men we're after?" Cam asked.
There was no mistaking the barcode on the man's arm.
"Yes." Tom said. "It's someone from the future anyway."
It left them with a mystery.
Where was the other man? How did he leave? Could he still be in the area? Was he currently watching them? Maybe there were reinforcements on the way right now to attack them.
Earlier:
Young Allison and Anna listened to the coms and observed what they could from the drone footage.
The building was breached where Cam's operation was. Cammy and Savannah received a hit on the nurse's pager from John Henry.
Young Allison worried about a bomb in the target car.
"Have them check for a booby trap before they open the trunk." Young Allison said.
Anna sent the warning to John Henry and CamNet.
"They've been advised." Anna said. "I'm sure a little more caution will be used now."
They soon received confirmation. It was one of the men they were after who was inside the trunk. He was dead.
"It leaves us with two choices." Anna said.
Young Allison saw more than two.
"There may be three choices or more." Young Allison said.
Anna stated the two obvious choices.
"One is, they left on foot. The other is, they obtained another vehicle and fled in it." Anna said.
Young Allison thought of a few more as she looked at the drone footage.
"They could still be at the location hidden somewhere." Young Allison said. "They could be nearby waiting for someone to come and get them. They could be in one of the shops in the vicinity. They could have called in reinforcements. They might be on the way as we speak. They could have gotten on a city bus. I see the bus stop is right in front of the gas station."
With so many variables, it seemed to Anna they were worse off now. Now it appeared they knew even less than they did before they'd entered the building and searched the car.
"In that case, we really don't know anything as to where they are." Anna said.
Young Allison doubted anything was over.
"Keep everyone on high alert and make sure no one approaches Cam's vehicle. Check the drone footage and keep an eye on Allison and Vanna." Young Allison said. "They need to go back to the base. The area is too unstable and dangerous right now."
It was bad enough they were out to begin with. They were still dealing with an unknown, unidentified threat. The threat could be anywhere and appear at any time.
John Henry was fed the conversation from the Young bunker by Anna. She tried to work closely with him on this operation.
Young Allison raised a number of escape possibilities.
Anna's assessment about how they now knew even less than they did before seemed accurate.
He honored Savannah's request to not mention the lead on the Fanatic or nurse. He understood it would draw help away from where Allison and Vanna were at. The man they sought could still be in the area.
John Henry felt there was probably more involved than he actually knew about. He was sure CamNet was sitting on some information. It seemed to him there'd been an awful lot of 'gang warfare' last night. He was sure there was more to the gang story as well.
When he attempted to look into some of the incidents further, CamNet contacted him and told him not to worry about them. He dropped his search. He didn't want to create any additional problems.
Samantha followed the operations. She checked on Precious again.
She became increasingly worried about Vanna.
It was a relief no combat broke out where Vanna and Allison were at. She would still worry until the girls were safely back at the base.
Samantha considered taking Precious and going back to the Command Center. She wasn't sure if she wanted to do so again.
Right now she seemed unsure of a lot of things. A few days ago, the decisions seemed easy and decisive to make. In the last few days, things seemed to be a little cloudier and harder. It was because of her increased 'social interaction' with the girls, both Terminator and human. Her feelings and emotions were greatly expanded now. It seemed it changed a lot. Everything seemed to matter more than it previously did.
She'd felt the same way all along about Precious. It was also why she was so defensive of Riley. She was upset about the way she perceived Riley was treated. She knew there were a lot of mitigating factors involved. She also understood more now. It was Cameron who'd done the most to reach out to Riley to make things as normal and fair as possible. Cameron had done a lot to look after Riley and her family.
Cammy headed to where the medical pager showed it was located.
Savannah looked at the drone scans over the area. She hoped CamNet or John Henry would spot the nurse's car in the vicinity. She really hoped they wouldn't find her body in a dumpster or alongside the road. There were other worries she needed to address.
She checked with John Henry on Allison and Vanna.
"I want them out of the danger zone." Savannah said.
John Henry tried several times. They wouldn't leave.
"They're not ready to withdraw yet." John Henry said.
It seemed to Savannah the immediate threat there was over. There was nothing else for them to do there. The longer they stayed there, the more they became a target. She wondered if there was something more.
"Why not?" Savannah asked. "What else is there?"
John Henry could only see one way to make Vanna and Allison comply.
"They want to wait and see." John Henry said. "You can 'order' Cam to bring them back."
It wasn't how Savannah wanted to use her 'power'. She didn't feel she should need to use any extreme action.
"No." Savannah said. "I don't want to be like that over this."
Savannah decided to call Allison directly now. She checked their progress towards the pager's signal. They were still a few minutes out. She made the call. She would try a personal appeal.
"Hello, Savannah." Allison said.
Savannah already began to wonder if she should have even made the call.
"Hi, Allison." Savannah said.
There was a prolonged pause.
"I know why you called." Allison said.
Savannah didn't feel comfortable with the call. Maybe Young Allison should have called Allison and she should have called Vanna. It was too late now.
"I'm sorry I needed to call then." Savannah said. "There's more in play than the operation on a personal level."
The girls talked for a few minutes before the call ended.
Cammy couldn't tell what the resolution was.
"Are they going back?" Cammy asked.
Savannah went over the call in her mind.
"I really don't know." Savannah said.
Savannah understood why Vanna and Allison wanted to be there to assist if they were needed. They were the ones to spot the vehicle. They were already on the scene and ready to assist. She was sure she would react the same way. She was sure Young Allison would too. It was hard to fault them for doing what she would do. Allison was pregnant, she was as well . She couldn't use it as an excuse either.
Sometimes even the simple things seemed so complicated. There was no way to fault anyone for wanting to do their job. Maybe some weren't as active as others when it came to dealing with Skynet and the future itself. It didn't really matter. Everybody wanted to play a part and do what was necessary.
Seconds ago:
Vanna watched Allison get the call. She knew right away it was Savannah. She wondered why Savannah didn't call her.
Allison spoke with Savannah for a few minutes before the call ended.
Vanna felt a little jealous to watch Allison's face as she spoke with Savannah. It was very evident Allison loved Savannah. I was still troubling, even if they were actually the same person. Maybe it was time for her to play her part. She knew what Savannah wanted them to do, even if Savannah hadn't called her directly.
"If this operation is over, maybe we should head back. I may need to feed Precious soon." Vanna said. "What's your assessment, Cam?"
Cam wanted to get the girls back too. Without a lead where the enemy was at, there was nothing for them to do.
"Unless they can identify a target, we're at a dead end for now." Cam said. "Maybe we should go back."
Allison liked being out in the field again. She wanted some action. She looked down at the extra vest which covered her lower abdomen. It was there for a reason. Maybe she needed to think about it too. She could tell how much Vanna wanted to share her baby with her.
"There aren't any leads at all?" Allison asked.
Cam checked again.
"As of right now, there aren't any." Cam said.
There was still another open door for them to follow.
"What about Cammy and Savannah's operation?" Allison asked.
John Henry didn't provide any additional information when she'd updated a short time ago.
"I haven't received anything new." Cam said. "The last report I received indicated there were drones searching for a specific vehicle. The traffic cams were being used as well."
She didn't know there was no new information because John Henry didn't send it.
Allison thought they could return to the base under their conditions. She wanted to be very clear about them. She knew how Terminators and everyone else operated, including Savannah and Young Allison.
"We can go back to the base." Allison said. "The three teams of Terminators need to stay together in case something happens. None of them are to shadow us back to the base. If they do, we'll stay out. There's no discussion about it."
John Henry responded immediately.
"I'm checking." John Henry responded.
Allison wondered what he needed to check. It was probably CamNet or Young Allison and they wanted them to have a shadow.
Cam received some information. It appeared Allison made her point.
"No one will accompany us other than a drone." Cam said. "It was ordered to stay with us until we return to the base. The order can't be countermanded. There's one operating over Savannah and Cammy with the same order. It's to remain with them until Savannah is back at the Resistance base."
Allison looked a little upset. She looked back at Vanna who still held her M4. The sight made her think of Precious.
"Alright, we'll break off." Allison said. "Remember, no one shadows us back."
Allison would have liked the drone to remain in the search. She figured it was Young Allison's doing if it was a 'hard order'. Cam previously told them any 'orders' from Savannah or Young Allison couldn't be changed. They could give an 'order' which applied to Cameron, John Henry and CamNet. It was a lot of power to put in the hands of the girls. She didn't think either of them would ever abused it in any way.
Cam was anxious to get away from the area.
"It will be so." Cam said.
Anna and Young Allison were both pleased with the news. They were glad Allison didn't know where Cammy and Savannah actually were at.
Young Allison figured Vanna and Allison would pressure Cam to take them there.
"We need to make sure what Cammy and Savannah are doing stays under wraps until Allison and Vanna get back to the base." Young Allison said.
Anna knew John Henry and CamNet would follow Young Allison's directive. Even a suggestion from Young Allison was treated like an order. The girls seldom gave an 'order'.
"Everyone knows the drill." Anna said. "Savannah already said the same thing."
Young Allison hoped the traffic cams picked something up. They knew they had a location.
"Has the nurse's car been spotted?" Young Allison asked.
Anna was afraid if the pager was discovered, it was discarded on purpose. She wanted to make sure Young Allison knew what the outcome most likely would be.
"No." Anna said. "If they find the pager in the bushes or alongside the road, the nurse is probably terminated."
Young Allison studied the satellite map where the hit on the pager was indicated.
"What if it's inside the building I see on the satellite map?" Young Allison asked. "The car could be inside there too."
Anna received additional information.
"CamNet reported traffic cam hits of the nurse's vehicle in the vicinity." Anna said.
Young Allison hoped the nurse was being forced to drive. It would mean she was still alive for now.
"Who was the driver?" Young Allison asked.
Anna was provided with images.
"The nurse was behind the wheel." Anna said.
Young Allison thought it would buy them some time.
"I don't think she's treated him yet." Young Allison said. "I think she stopped the bleeding but has done nothing further since then."
There were no facts.
"It may be true." Anna said. "We don't know."
Young Allison looked at an image of the nurse. It wasn't what she wanted to see.
"She's young and pretty." Young Allison said.
With her statement, Anna knew what Young Allison was about to indicate.
"Yes." Anna said. "I know what you're getting at."
Young Allison wanted to see if Anna understood everything.
"Which is?" Young Allison asked.
Anna knew what could happen.
"You hope they're the anti-Metal faction or even Fanatics who have her instead of Grays." Anna said. "We think we're after a Fanatic. I know we don't have any definitive proof. It could be any of the groups."
Young Allison was sure the Grays would abuse the nurse once she treated the injured man. She wasn't sure what the Fanatics were capable of. People tended to do desperate things in desperate situations.
"I know what the Grays will do to her." Young Allison said. "We've seen what different groups of them have done in the past and present. We've heard what they've done in the future as well."
Anna was aware Savannah and Cammy were rapidly approaching the area.
"Savannah and Cammy will try to prevent it." Anna said.
It was a trade off for Young Allison. The Grays may keep the nurse alive as they abused her or they may kill her and continue to abuse her. They'd ran across similar behavior before with Grays.
"They may already be too late." Young Allison said.
Young Allison reached out and touched the image of the face of the nurse on her monitor.
The act of caring wasn't lost on Anna or CamNet.
As ready to 'kill' as Young Allison was, she was also filled with compassion and empathy.
Once they'd left the aircraft carrier, the girls decided to walk instead of continuing in the van. It was a nice day out.
Riley told everyone she felt much better. She thought the fresh air and sunshine would do her good. She'd spent a lot of time in the bunker when she was pregnant. She hadn't gotten out much since Precious was born either.
Claire walked with Riley past the cruise ship. She offered to go back to the ship with her. In fact all of the girls did. Both the human girls and the Metal girls were ready to cut things short for Riley.
Riley didn't want to mess up the day for anyone.
"I'm fine now." Riley said.
Holly scanned her as they walked.
"I think one of you scans me every three minutes now." Riley said.
Riley looked back. Cameron, Derek and Kyle had almost caught up to them. They would before they reached the maritime museum. She could see the sign up ahead. She could also see the ships off to the side at several docks in the harbor near them.
Cameron hurried to catch up to Riley. She made it.
"How are you, Riley?" Cameron asked.
Riley knew what Cameron wanted to do. She assisted her. She lifted Cameron's hand to her neck.
"I'm fine." Riley said. "I know you want to check."
Cameron scanned her and then smiled at her.
"I think you're better." Cameron said.
Riley was a little ashamed she didn't do much of anything for the last part of her pregnancy.
"I wasn't very active for a long time." Riley said.
Ally wanted to joke with her. She hoped to liven the mood some.
"You sound very active when we pass by your suite." Ally said. "We don't even need to use Terminator hearing to know."
Riley played along with the joke.
"My legs don't get much of a workout when I'm on my back." Riley said.
It brought a round of laughter.
Sarah wanted to add to the festive mood.
"They will when you're on top." Sarah said. "Mine are a little sore right now."
It produced another round of laughter.
Derek and Kyle hurried to catch up and join the group. They'd been close enough to hear what was said by both Riley and Sarah.
They were all together now except for John and Sheila.
Derek and Kyle at this point, looked like they would rather be somewhere else. They both thought it was best not to comment.
Cameron looked around to see why John lagged behind. Dan and Sheila were both with him. She looked at John and Sheila. The look on Sheila's face said it all. It was clear Sheila wanted what She'd promised her. She'd needed to make the same promise to Hanna.
It would be something she could deal with. She'd got what she wanted; even if she knew it was wrong. It was what she wanted and she took it. She'd wanted to make herself special to John. She would need to honor the agreement. It was the price for her to take their virginity from them and give it to John as herself. Maybe she would ask to tether with them when it happened. She would like to see if John's reaction to them was the same as it was when she was in control of their chassis. She was willing to bet John wouldn't last more than a few minutes with either of them. She was fine with it as well. 'One time', was one time.
John could have sex with the Metal girls. It really was no big deal. They could act as a receptacle for his essence. It was love she wanted him to share with the human girls and her. She knew it wasn't sex he'd shared with Future Riley either. It was clear they loved each other. It always left her with a little empty feeling.
Cameron wanted to be happy Future Riley was dead but she wasn't. She never really took satisfaction with the event and its aftermath. She still remembered how John cried in his mother's arms over it. He was terribly hurt by it all. It was Future Riley's love for John that got her killed. She didn't turn on John. She turned on Future Jesse. Future Riley died for John.
She was aware of the reason why too – Everyone sacrifices for John Connor. It wasn't Future Jesse who really killed future Riley, it was love. Sacrifice was the true test of love.
Cameron decided to keep a closer eye on Riley to make sure she was OK and there were no problems. Riley was to be treated fairly. She was pleased she'd tried to do so. Riley wasn't Future Riley. In the end, Future Riley died for her love for John. Because she knew and understood it now, it all seemed to bother her more.
She was pretty sure if she ever decided to do some type of 'temporal management' in the past about John and Future Riley; she wouldn't terminate Future Riley because of her sacrifice in the end. She doubted she would be able to terminate Future Jesse either. She would attempt to rehabilitate her. She understood what motivated and drove Jesse. She was sure Future Jesse was no different. She would use herself to reform Future Jesse. She would know if she was successful or not if Future Jesse would want her to install a set of nipple rings on her as well. The thought of the challenge intrigued her greatly.
The Gray pulled the flatbed over to the side of the road. It was about a hundred feet from the homeless encampment.
The homeless female waited for him to walk back. She led him back to her tent.
He could see the other female at the tent as they approached. She looked a little younger than the one he followed. He figured the 'older' Female looked out for the younger female.
The female who guided him looked around before she allowed him into her tent.
The Gray looked around as well before he entered. He didn't want any surprises. He currently didn't carry any weapons.
He was very pleased with the way both of the females looked. The one who'd approached the flatbed truck was very slim. He figured she was probably a drug user. He was aware they didn't last very long on the street and in a homeless camp.
In the future, all of the drug users died from the toxins Skynet released into the environment. So did anyone with pre-existing medical conditions. He actually thought Skynet did the world a favor.
They quickly discussed the terms of the 'food funds' for the females.
"You get one time with each of us." The skinny female said. "That's all. You're on top and you do all the work."
He wanted to make sure about the 'desert'.
"I want to watch both of you together." The Gray said.
The other female didn't have a problem with it.
"We'll do it first for a few minutes. You can watch as close as you want but you can't touch." The other female said. "You can touch us later on. I know men like to see everything. Then it's you on top of each of us, for one time."
He would like it to be a little more involved. He wasn't going to complain. Right now the two homeless females would be willing participants. It wasn't something he'd experienced very often, unless he paid for it. Right now he had all the cash from his fallen comrades. He would think of it as 'doing it for them'. He laughed to himself.
He was a little surprised when the two females stripped. They'd waited until he'd given them half of the money. The skinny girl didn't have very much up top. He'd seen fatter Grays with more. He knew it didn't really matter for what he wanted. He was going to save her for last.
The Gray watched as the two females started in with each other. They kissed for a few times and then got down to business. He was ready to get started right now. He continued to watch.
The female Fanatic watched them go into the tent. If she didn't see at least one of the females when he left, she was going to kill him as he got back in the flatbed truck. She would then move on to her next target location.
She watched the Gray and the female enter the tent. She could see both of them look around. It seemed to bother her more than she would have thought. It was something she should be acclimated to by now. She wasn't. It still raised moments in her past. No matter how much she tried to put them behind her, they would always tag along.
She understood the girls knew what they were doing. Even if it was something they didn't want to do, they were still going to do it. She understood they needed to eat. She'd seen people do a lot of things in the past, the future, to get a few bites of food. She was very glad she understood the greatness of SkyMaster and everything it offered. She wondered if she could recruit the females. She quickly pushed the thought from her head. None of the recruits in the past, the present, understood the true glory of SkyMaster. They'd all been used as pawns to do their bidding. All of them had died. She thought it was somewhat of a waste since they weren't true believers. They would never reach Ascension. They're lives just ended, empty and dead. Dead was dead. Dead was nothingness.
She didn't know how long the Gray would be in there. She doubted it would be very long. Her experience with males wasn't satisfying. Most of them didn't last more than a few minutes. It didn't matter whether it was by force, or by choice. It really wasn't something she cared to do. She did try it from time to time in the hope it would somehow be better 'the next time'. It never was.
The female Fanatic went over her other target locations. She also checked the extent of her injuries from her activity over the last day. There were a number of bruises and several scrapes. They all hurt. She took a few more of the anti-drug drowsy tablets while she waited for the Gray to finish up. She checked her pistol. She could see her hands were a little jittery. If she didn't see at least one of the girls' faces in the tent when he left, she was going to kill him.
Hank and Larry could do little more than wait for the 'transaction' to be completed. They both wondered if the female Fanatic would take any action on her own. They'd watched the Gray enter the tent earlier. They'd noticed he took a good look around him.
"The female Fanatic looks highly agitated." Hank said. "Now would be a good time to terminate her. It would end her suffering."
Larry could see she did look very uneasy. He didn't think she was suffering though. She was probably reliving past events in her life.
"I'm sure she's been through a lot in her future." Larry said. "It's no concern of ours. It was nothing we were involved in or are responsible for."
Hank would have preferred if there was only one female in the tent. He thought the Gray would be finished by now.
Hank and Larry could only watch the drone footage and wait.
The Gray was finished with the first female.
"I want to see you two together again." The Gray said. "I need a few minutes before I can go again."
The skinny female looked a little indignant.
"You were just with her." The skinny female said. "It's not something I do. You know what the deal is."
The skinny female wanted the man to hurry up and finish. She wanted to make sure they got the rest of the money. She already knew it was probably going to take longer with her since she was second. Every other time her friend and her earned some 'food money', she was always first and her friend was last.
The Gray wanted a little more motivation.
"I'll throw in an extra five bucks if you do." The Gray said.
The other female wanted the extra money.
"I'll do it when you finish with her." The other female said.
He wanted to see a little more.
"How would both of you feel about if I double the amount?" The Gray asked.
The skinny girl looked a little more motivated.
"Do you mean twenty five each?" The skinny female asked.
The Gray flashed two more twenties.
"Yes." The Gray said. "What do I get for my hard earned money?"
The two females looked at each other and the two twenty dollar bills. They already had a ten dollar bill.
"Everything." The other female said.
He looked at both of them and smiled.
"Everything?" The Gray asked.
The other female was a little more motivated than the skinny one.
"Everything you want." The other female said.
He decided to make a goodwill gesture.
"I'll pay both of you in advance." The Gray said. "If you do an extra good job, I'll give you a tip on top of it."
Both of the girls look highly motivated at this point.
The Gray was pleased with the way things were about to play out. He handed each of them a twenty dollar bill.
The female Fanatic was angry and tired of sitting around. She wanted something to happen. She didn't know what was taking so long. She hadn't heard any screams or crying from the homeless camp. She thought maybe she should move closer to find out what was going on. She pictured both of the girls being tied up and tortured by the Gray. She didn't know it was just the opposite. They were all actually having a good time. Money still meant something in the past.
She set out on foot to get a little closer. She made sure she kept as many trees between her and the tent as possible. She didn't want the man to spot her if he came out of the tent. She looked for possible avenues of escape if it became necessary. She didn't want to get into a running gun battle with the Gray on foot. She planned out which direction she would run and what she would use for cover.
She looked around the park one more time. There weren't very many people there yet it all. She only saw two joggers and they were on the far side. There were no children near the play area.
The female Fanatic started on her approach towards the homeless camp.
Hank and Larry were irritated with the wait.
"My files indicate everything should have been concluded by now." Hank said.
Larry thought there was a lot of leeway and flexibility as to what went on with two people when it was consensual.
"Maybe they're having a pleasant experience." Larry said.
Hank highly doubted it.
"I think the only thing pleasant is what the girls will receive for their efforts." Hank said.
Larry had been involved in some of Cameron's 'off the books' operations before.
"I've seen worse conditions where things weren't done by choice." Larry said. "The girls here clearly had a choice."
Hank could have done without the reminder of worse conditions.
"Sheila always left a mess behind her when she was involved." Hank said.
Hank and Larry continue the small talk as they waited for something to develop.
Treated Fairly
One wants to be treated the same
They want to have a fair shake
They will be very content
If they're given an even break
When one is singled out
They feel like a target
Things they may have done
They begin to regret
Events tend to repeat
Like a bad sequel
All they really wanted
Was to be treated equal
They don't want it to become
Like it's open season
They just want events to play out
With justness and reason
Things will be appropriate
If they're done squarely
Is it really too much to ask
To want to be treated fairly
Nobody