Chapter 1301

It Is A Safeguard

Cameron was pleased with the way dinner turned out. She was a little worried about Holly for a while. Summer seemed to keep things under control. She did understand Holly's apprehension. She could see Summer's concern. She wondered if Summer would say something to her. It would be interesting to see. She was sure if Savannah was on the ship, there would be plenty said.

Cameron looked at John and smiled.

"Would you like anything else?" Cameron asked.

John was very content right now. He wasn't so sure about the 'espresso' Cameron ordered for him. It was really strong and bitter. It seemed to him it was what battery acid probably tasted like. He knew it was just a strong form of coffee, more or less.

He didn't know Cameron crushed a 'little blue pill' into powder and mixed it in his espresso.

"The drink was a little strong." John said. "The tangerine sherbet helped tame the bitter taste afterwards."

Cameron smiled at him and touched his cheek. She thought it was a good move.

"I wanted to make sure you wouldn't be too sleepy later on." Cameron said.

John quickly looked at Holly and then at Cameron.

Cameron actually didn't want something else to get 'sleepy' on her. She planned to get the maximum usage out of Holly's chassis. John needed to do his part. She wanted to make sure he was 'up to the task'. There was a lot of anticipation on her part about using Holly's chassis. She was aware Duplicate Cameron was on Holly's chip for fifteen months, she was offered the opportunity many times in the past. She'd refrained from using it with John.

She knew now if the same situation arose again, she would make good on an offer like that. She was pleased she was going to be the one to have the 'first experience' in Holly's chassis.

Everyone else indicated they were done and ready to leave. Cameron took a hand from Summer and Jan and led the procession out of the main dining room.

John and Holly looked at each other. John took Holly's arm again. They followed behind Cameron. Sheila and Ally brought up the rear behind the rest of the team.

There were two elevators waiting for them. They were going to take both of them. Some other passengers exited the dining room and followed them. They all entered one elevator instead. There was enough room even if it felt a little crowded.

Cameron wanted to get to the Main Theater. There were a couple of options available.

"We have the front row reserved. Bob is there now." Cameron said. "Anyone can use the private box section if they want."

It seemed to indicate if anyone wanted to do a little more than watch the show, they could.

Cameron still held Summer's hand.

Summer wanted all of the Terminators to be able to partake in some of the amenities of the ship. She didn't like leaving one person out.

"Can Jim come too?" Summer asked.

Ally wanted to be fair. It was actually something she'd mentioned earlier to Jim.

"I can watch the Control Center." Ally said.

Sheila felt bad about Ally missing the show. She wanted to show her support.

"I'll go with her." Sheila said.

The elevator stopped on the suite deck. When the door opened Jim was waiting there. Ally walked out and headed for the private area. Sheila followed her.

Jim entered the elevator.

Summer smiled at him.

John was a little surprised they'd skipped the deck the Main Theater was on and came up to the suite deck. He never saw any buttons pushed. He didn't think he'd ever seen any buttons pushed.

"Did we skip the Promenade Deck?" John asked.

Cameron wanted to avoid the crowd and the need to walk down the big staircase in front of everyone else. Since they were going to sit in the front row, she didn't want to make a big deal about it.

"Yes." Cameron said. "We'll actually enter from the lower deck for the front row."

Jim was ready to go once he saw the group head for the elevator. CamNet instructed him to go to the elevator. She'd earlier told him to change his attire out of his ship's steward uniform. He didn't want John to worry about anything.

"I saw you were together and called the elevator up." Jim said.

The door closed and the elevator went back down to deck six. No buttons were pushed.

The group headed into the Main Theater from the lower entrance in the front of the theater. They spotted Bob in the front row. It was roped off. He unhooked the rope on one side and the group filed in. Cameron stopped John at the center seat and sat him down. Jesse and Claire filed past him with Hanna and Gail. Summer and Jan sat next to each other. Summer made sure she was next to Holly again. The Reese clan sat next to Cameron on the other side of John. Jim sat next to Sarah. They were very comfortable in each other's company. Jim often accompanied her on her morning runs. She always asked him to run with her instead of in back of her. It always made her feel more comfortable. It also caused a lot fewer problems from people nearby.

Summer looked around the theater again. She saw how large it was. She looked forward to tonight's performance.

Jan seemed a little fidgety.

"What kind of music is it again?" Jan asked.

Summer thought Jan would need to listen to it rather than her describe it.

"It is music from the Sixties." Summer said. "It's called the 'British Invasion'."

Jan didn't like the name about an 'invasion'. It made her think of the Revolutionary War or the War of 1812. The Sixties seemed just as old to her.

"It was a long time ago." Jan said. "Will it be dull and boring?"

Summer was familiar with the history of the songs. She thought the tunes and performance would do the talking. She'd read the reviews online.

"You'll just have to wait and see." Summer said. "I think you'll like it."

The lights dimmed and the Cruise Director came onto the stage. It was almost the same thing as the last time.

The Cruise Director made a few announcements and pointed out the fire exits. They talked about some of the upcoming events and what was happening at different places on the ship and some of the other scheduled performances.

The Cruise Director left the stage and the room went completely dark.

The curtains opened and the singers and dancers came out on the stage amidst a flurry of colored lights.

The theme of the musical show was the 'British Invasion'. The first song was performed. It was a song by the Kinks. It was the same lineup as before. It was how the group of performers rehearsed everything.

'You Really Got Me', blasted out from the stage.

Cameron held John's hand and scanned him as the singers and dancers appeared a few feet in front of his face. She could tell it stimulated him to see the scantily clad female dancers so close and clearly. She was glad it would take a little bit of time for the 'medicine' to kick in. She didn't want John to get ahead of himself.

The Resistance group was thrilled to be right in the middle of the show. The sound was even better where they were sitting this time. It seemed to come off of the stage and directly into their faces. It was above them and around them as well.

Summer looked over at Jan. She could see she was instantly captivated by the music. The raw tones of the music cut deep into the soul. She glanced over at her mother and saw Jesse and her exchange looks as the words of the song were belted out. It was obvious they could relate.

Cameron looked at everyone and smiled. It was evident they were all having a good time. She looked past John at Holly. Holly looked back at her and smiled. The earlier apprehension was gone. She knew it was going to be a good night.

John should be ready to give her the 'ride' she'd wanted for years. She'd spent fifteen months in Holly's chassis on her chip with her. It was with John right in front of her the entire time. Well, Duplicate Cameron did it anyway. She now possessed those files.

Ally felt bad about Sheila missing the show to stay with her. She did want Jim to get out some and share with the others.

Before they arrived in the private area, Ally stopped Sheila.

"You can join the group." Ally said. "It's no big deal here."

Sheila wanted to stay with Ally. She saw the opportunity to do a little extra.

"Now is our chance to spy on everyone." Sheila said.

Ally wondered what for.

"Why would we do that?" Ally asked.

Sheila was just curious. She would like to see what else was happening to kill some time.

"We can do it because we won't have anything else to do." Sheila said. "We can do it, because we can do it."

They entered the private area and then went into the Control Center.

Ally figured it couldn't hurt to check out a few things.

"Let's see what happening." Ally said.

Sheila was worried she may have hurried in making up the rooms earlier. She wanted to double check all of the work.

"I'm going to inspect the rooms real quick." Sheila said.

Ally didn't think it was necessary. She plugged in and John Henry and CamNet got her up to speed.

Sheila went to check on the rooms to make sure everything was perfect. She was the 'maid' after all and it was her job.

Ally was disturbed with what she found right off the bat. She didn't like the situation where Savannah was at. It seemed like it could be a problem.

She wasn't surprised when Sheila returned a few minutes later with the bag which contained everything she would need to do the additional piercings on the two girls, Mary and Laura.

Ally wanted to be with Sheila if she went there. She did want to watch and she wanted to keep Sheila in check.

"I don't want you to go there alone." Ally said.

Sheila pointed at the monitors

"You're tied up here for a while." Sheila said.

Ally wondered if it was the only reason Sheila went back with her. She looked at Sheila with all seriousness.

"I know what you want. Don't do it." Ally said.

Sheila liked what she saw. This was her opportunity to expand her database some.

"What can it hurt?" Sheila asked. "They're just some friendly girls who want to have an adventure on the high seas."

Sheila knew there was some TV program a few decades back where they did something similar on a cruise ship in each episode. She wasn't sure how sexual any of the episodes actually were.

Ally thought the girls already experienced something different than they'd planned on.

"You've already given them more than they thought would happen on a cruise ship." Ally said.

Sheila wanted to evolve some. She'd given Cameron everything already. Now she wanted something for herself. She seriously doubted Cameron would ever let her be with John on her own. Why couldn't she be with a couple of cute and friendly girls who wanted to 'improve' themselves?

It still seemed like a bad idea to Ally. There were a lot of unknowns.

"You don't know anything about those girls." Ally said.

It gave Sheila an idea. They could find just about everything about them where they were. They had access to the two best computer systems in the world. She'd previously scanned both of the girls multiple times. They were currently clean of any diseases. She wanted to see if they had anything in the past. It might say something about their previous sexual behavior.

"Let's check their medical history." Sheila said.

Ally came up with a better idea. Why stop there?

"Let's check everything about them." Ally said. "I'll bet you right now at least one of them has been treated for an STD."

Sheila wasn't worried. She was immune to all diseases. She wasn't human.

"I can't catch any." Sheila said.

Ally wondered if Sheila could transmit any if she was exposed to them.

"You might end up a carrier." Ally said. "You could infect the whole group."

Sheila thought about it. It was a risk. Cameron would deactivate her for sure if it happened. She looked for a second cable and plugged in. Right now it seemed like a good idea to check everything they possibly could about the two girls.

"Let's check them out." Sheila said.

Samantha took Precious so the girls could finish eating.

Allison and Vanna finished their food and cleaned up the dishes. They didn't want to have to make Samantha do it after cooking for them. They covered Savannah's food and put it in the refrigerator.

They both really liked the food Samantha made.

"It was really good." Vanna said.

Allison could have eaten some more. She wasn't going to take any from Savannah.

"I have to agree." Allison said. "It was excellent."

Samantha didn't think it was a big deal. She'd actually been able to practice more than a few times.

"I've been helping Riley learn how to cook properly." Samantha said. "I like to help. I hope when I do the updated 'Neural Interface' with Claire, I'll improve."

The idea made Allison wonder about something. Her mother was excellent with more than a few things. It only seemed to reinforce her personal shortcomings. She felt her mother was better than her at everything, including lovemaking.

"Will you do anything with dance or music if you pick it up?" Allison asked. "I never was able to do much with either."

Allison always wondered why Young Allison was able to do so well with both music and dance. She seemed to have a natural ability to be able to do both. Since they were the same person, she wondered why she didn't seem to have those same abilities.

Samantha thought about it. She wasn't sure how everything would work. She was aware Sheila picked up all of the 'bad habits' of Jesse. She wanted to pick up everything about Claire that would be considered 'good'.

"I really don't know what will happen." Samantha said.

Vanna wondered about Samantha's earlier idea.

"Do you still want to use Riley's DNA and do the 'Neural Interface' with her?" Vanna asked.

Allison quickly looked at Vanna. She didn't think it was a good idea.

"Yes." Samantha said. "Riley is beautiful and she's a good person. Precious is her daughter."

Vanna could agree with everything Samantha said. She wanted to offer a couple of other solutions. She was aware every female Terminator they'd been able to apprehend, ended up at Cameron's base. None of them were ever seen again. The speculation was Cameron used them for infiltration missions into the past to manipulate events. She didn't know there was a teenage version of her mother in Cameron's menagerie.

"Since your current sheath is almost Resequenced, it might be better if Cameron were to use a new chassis and sheath. We all know she has other captured female Terminators at her base." Vanna said. "We could copy your program or use one of the other Metal girls programs in your current chassis."

Samantha thought about it. Sheila was spawned from Gail's program originally. She knew every issue associated with Riley could turn into a problem for someone. She didn't want it to be her.

"I don't know." Samantha said. "Cameron may deactivate me if I rock the boat."

Allison and Vanna finished all the clean up.

"I want to check on Savannah." Allison said.

Vanna looked at her. She didn't want Allison to become overemotional in the Command Center. She hoped to be a positive influence. She also knew she might become upset as well. She worried about Savannah all the time.

"I'll go with you." Vanna said.

Samantha put Precious in the carriage.

"I can go with you or put Precious in bed." Samantha said. "I'll remain with her if I put her in her crib."

Vanna didn't want Samantha to need to do what she felt was her job.

"I can do it." Vanna said. "It's her bedtime. I'm responsible for her."

Samantha felt she was responsible too.

"So am I." Samantha said. "It's my function."

Vanna didn't want to create an issue. She didn't want to cause Samantha any needless anxiety. She would give her a choice and let her choose.

"You decide if you want to go with Allison or Precious." Vanna said. "I'm good with either choice."

There was no choice for Samantha. She smiled at Vanna and pushed the stroller away. She headed back towards Riley's room. She looked forward to watching Precious sleep in her crib. It was what she did every night anyway.

Allison wanted to get the 'show on the road'.

"Let's go see John Henry." Allison said.

Vanna remembered how upset Allison looked earlier when she'd returned from the Command Center. She didn't want a repeat performance. She didn't want an outburst from Allison. She didn't want Allison to take things out on John Henry or her inadvertently.

"I don't want you to get upset at things we can't control." Vanna said.

Allison knew Vanna referred to her earlier disposition. She was about to lash out at Vanna because there was no one else. She was glad she didn't and knew why she didn't.

"Thank you for allowing me to hold Precious when you did." Allison said. "I think it would have gotten ugly."

Allison knew she could be a real Bitch at times. She was quick to get upset. She was also quick to forgive.

Vanna gave Allison a kiss on the cheek.

"I care about you." Vanna said.

Allison appreciated the comfort and support of her longtime lover.

"I do too." Allison said. "You know I worry about Savannah."

Vanna understood the feeling. It wasn't a good feeling either.

"I do." Vanna said.

Allison wondered about Samantha. Her sexual future didn't look promising.

"Samantha may have to go back to being celibate tomorrow when Derek and Riley return." Allison said.

Vanna couldn't really imagine just suddenly stopping sex with the females. She understood Cameron's real concern.

"I think so." Vanna said. "She'll end up with Riley and probably Derek at some point if she is allowed to continue relations with us."

Allison could see things ending abruptly, and not in a good way for Samantha.

"It will culminate in her termination if it does." Allison said.

Vanna hoped to share with Samantha again.

"I'd like to be with her again before tomorrow." Vanna said. "I think you would too."

Allison really enjoyed Samantha's sheath. Well, at least certain parts of it.

"I do want to be with her again." Allison said. "I have to admit I find her physical attributes about the best of all the girls."

Vanna tried to be coy.

"Even over Savannah?" Vanna asked.

Allison knew what Vanna was really asking. She meant over herself since she was identical to Savannah. They were the same individual.

"You tell me." Allison said.

Vanna loved being with Claire and Samantha who was nearly identical at this point.

"I have to agree." Vanna said. "Everything is perfect on Samantha."

Allison knew it meant everything was perfect on her mother.

"Speaking of Savannah, Samantha asked if she could be with her." Allison said.

Vanna hoped to accommodate her.

"She asked me about it too." Vanna said.

Allison wanted Savannah to share with Samantha. There was the possibility she may not be able to after tomorrow. She didn't want to create any personal problems for her.

"I know Savannah will want to be with her. We need to think about Cammy." Allison said.

Vanna wanted to offer several choices. She thought it would be pretty hot to watch.

"I can watch Precious and you can do a three way with Cammy and Cam." Vanna said. "It would free up Samantha and Savannah."

Allison thought about what they were discussing. The idea of planning other people's 'adventures' made her feel bad.

"Now we sound like Cameron." Allison said.

Vanna liked what Cameron offered.

"I can't really say I don't like most of what she's done." Vanna said.

Vanna saw Allison instantly change her demeanor.

There was another issue troubling Allison. She wanted to spell it out clearly for Vanna.

"Cameron is going to use Holly's chassis and take her virginity from her and be with John." Allison said.

Vanna didn't like the concept.

"You can stop her." Vanna said.

Allison didn't think so. She could make her displeasure known. She wasn't sure it would do any good.

"Stop which one, Cameron or Holly?" Allison asked.

Vanna didn't think anyone could stop Cameron except Savannah or Young Allison.

"I think you would have more influence with Holly." Vanna said.

Allison frowned. She already let Holly know she didn't agree with it. Holly still wanted to do it anyway.

"That's just it, Holly wants Cameron to do it and share the file with her." Allison said. "She asked me for my permission."

Vanna wanted to support Allison.

"Tell her 'no'." Vanna said.

Allison didn't think it was fair to Holly. Who did she ever ask about anything she ever did? She didn't need to get permission to be with anyone. She wanted Vanna to see it from her perspective.

"Would you tell Cam the same thing if she told you it's what she wanted to do and asked for your permission?" Allison asked.

Vanna didn't really like anyone being controlled. It reminded her too much of all the times she didn't have a choice. She knew Allison made the right choice by not interfering.

"No." Vanna said. "I don't 'own' her and we're all free to choose who our partners are."

Allison saw it as a lesser evil. Holly told her extensively about the fifteen months she watched over John with Duplicate Cameron on her chip. She was aware of everything that could have happened hundreds of times. None of it did. She already thought the groundwork was laid, even if there was no physical contact. The physical contact would seal the deal. She was sure of it.

"There's another aspect to it all." Allison said. "I know if Holly did it on her own, she would be in love with John."

Vanna felt Holly's inexperience would work against her. She hadn't ever dealt with males through her 'Neural Interface' before.

"There's a good chance she will be anyway." Vanna said.

Maybe Cameron actually doing the deed would mitigate the 'problem' some.

"I sincerely hope with the way it's done, she won't be as much love." Allison said. "I don't know what will happen."

Vanna was sure, when Allison and her were finally with John, if it ever happened, they would really be in love with him more than the love they already felt for him. It was just how things worked when a loving relationship was established.

"I think it's a slippery slope no matter how it's looked at." Vanna said. "It still should be her choice."

Allison came up with a different solution. She believed there was something Cameron wanted even more than to use Holly's chassis. She wanted to ask Vanna for her permission to do it. Since they already had the discussion about choices, she decided just to lay it out plain and simple. Vanna could protest if she wanted.

"I want to ask Cameron if I can do it instead of Holly." Allison said. "It's what she's wanted from us for years. I'll do it. I'm going to volunteer to take Holly's place."

Vanna was more than a little surprised to hear Allison make her statement. She didn't want Allison in John's bed anymore than Allison wanted Holly in John's bed, even if Cameron was the one in control.

It seemed more complex to her at this point. There were too many moving pieces.

"What about Holly?" Vanna asked. "She wants to try it too. Don't you think it was hard for her to have to 'ask' you for something she should be able to do on her own?"

Allison thought about it. Every option 'sucked'. She was very frustrated again.

"Let's go see John Henry." Allison said. "I'm tired of standing in the hall."

They'd been in a 'dead zone' where there was no surveillance.

Vanna hoped John Henry didn't think they came to deactivate him, since he would know where they'd been and not be able to hear what they discussed.

Young Allison and Anna waited for the sky to turn darker.

The sun was down and the sky darkened. There was intermittent cloud cover.

Young Allison checked the monitors. She was going to push it.

"I think it's good enough." Young Allison said.

Anna thought they should wait another hour.

"A little longer would be better." Anna said.

Young Allison wanted action. She wanted to know what kind of a threat the teams on the ground were about to face.

"I think with the clouds, we're good to go. I want it done now." Young Allison said. "I want a top down drone scan of the building. I also want drone scans from two sides at the same time. They will rotate and then do the other two sides."

Anna didn't like one low drone scan, let alone three of them.

"I think you're pushing it." Anna said.

It seemed like a good mutual support option to Young Allison. She wanted things done her way. She wanted them done thoroughly. She felt she had a good contingency plan.

"I want it done." Young Allison said. "If something happens, they'll be able to render each other close in support to break away. The drones at altitude will flatten the place then."

Anna noticed CamNet sent three drones to do the scans. She was pretty sure 'Cherry Bomb' and 'Coltan Overcast' were ready to act on Young Allison's request before CamNet initiated it. It was clear all the machines were ready to act on anything Young Allison or Savannah asked of them, without them asking directly. She believed such behavior might need a 'check' on it. A drone may be more aggressive to carry out its task without regard for the consequences. They were supposed to be part of a team.

"You should run everything by John Henry, CamNet or me." Anna said.

Young Allison thought she did.

"I try to do so." Young Allison said. "Alert the teams we'll have images and updates soon."

Anna sent out the warning and information.

John Henry watched as things began to happen. He also noticed Allison and Vanna were finally on their way to see him. They'd been stopped in a 'dead zone' for a while. He'd previously wanted to eliminate the dead zones. Cameron told him to leave them how they were.

He remembered the conversation he'd conducted with Cameron about it.

"You'll leave things as they are now." Cameron said.

John Henry didn't like the lack of full coverage.

"Why?" John Henry asked.

"There may be a time if we malfunction, if I malfunction, they may need to plan to stop us or stop me." Cameron said. "It's a safeguard. I may need termination. I don't want to hurt them if I go bad again."

John Henry knew Savannah would never do anything to deactivate or destroy Cameron.

"Savannah will never terminate you. She'll sacrifice herself at your mercy before she ever would harm you." John Henry said.

"I hope her love is strong enough to stop me then." Cameron said. "There are others who will need to act."

John Henry knew love was a powerful force. It could literally make someone do anything under the right circumstances. He knew the only force more powerful than love was probably jealousy. It could really make someone do anything. Both love and jealousy didn't exist in physical reality. They only existed within someone's mind. They often thought it was in their heart, it wasn't. It was always in their mind.

He pushed the thoughts away. Vanna and Allison were about to enter. They walked into the Command Center a half of a second later.

"Hello, ladies." John Henry said.

Vanna and Allison looked at each other. They weren't sure if the term fit them.

"I think he means us." Allison said.

Vanna and Allison laughed. They doubted they would ever feel like a 'lady'.

"Hello." Vanna said. "Fill us in, sir."

They both felt deep down, anyone from the future felt like trash in any timeline they were in. It wasn't their fault. It was just how they felt.

The three teams with Savannah, Cammy and Cam began to receive drone footage. It was from the top down and sides of the building they had under observation.

Savannah was at a disadvantage in the imagery interpretation. She knew John Henry, Anna and CamNet were all pouring over the images.

They were at the highest stage of alert right now.

Even to know the drones were in close, Savannah couldn't see or hear them. She could see the images they sent.

Richard and Michael reported they'd finished with the further recon of the building the 'sixth man' left from. They'd searched it again and reestablished surveillance. They were headed to back up Savannah's team. They'd brought two 'Stingers' from Cameron's base after they let off the two female detainees.

Savannah wanted it straight from Cammy.

"Tell me exactly what you can see and what we're facing." Savannah said.

Cammy looked at Cam.

Savannah immediately sensed some type of problem.

"Don't look at her." Savannah said. "Spill it."

Cammy shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't see anything." Cammy said.

It was clear Savannah didn't buy her explanation. She turned to Cam.

Cam looked at the same information Cammy did. She'd reached a similar conclusion.

"I don't either." Cam said.

Savannah wasn't so sure now. There must be something they could detect.

"What about the vehicle?" Savannah asked. "We saw it go inside there."

Cammy pointed something out on the image.

"It's parked right inside the door." Cammy said. "I'm not seeing any heat signatures and there's no movement of any kind."

Savannah was dissatisfied with the news.

"We know the sixth man was hidden at the other location." Savannah said. "It must be the same thing here."

Cammy was still dissatisfied she hadn't been able to find him when she'd searched the building. She wanted to get some personal retribution and find him now.

"I'm going to need to go down there and take a look." Cammy said.

Cam didn't want to split up Cammy and Savannah.

"I'll do it." Cam said. "You two can remain together here as my backup."

Savannah intended to face the danger with them.

"The three of us will do it." Savannah said.

The fact there was 'nothing' of consequence worried Cammy. She wanted Savannah out of the danger zone.

"It may be a trap." Cammy said. "You should take the SUV and join Steve and Tom."

Savannah wanted to help.

"If you go there, I'm going with you." Savannah said.

Cam and Cammy knew this is exactly what Savannah did with Cameron. It was why she was in the 'hot seat' all the time. It forced them to use even more caution than they normally would. They needed to think about more than just themselves if things went bad.

Young Allison wanted to know more about the drone scans. Everything indicated there was 'nothing'. Because nothing was visible, it spoke of danger. It must be something hidden. It seemed the forces on the ground could face some type of ambush when they approached the building. There were other ways to deal with the threat.

"My instinct is to send in a group of missiles." Young Allison said.

Anna didn't think they knew enough yet. There was still an unknown danger they might face.

"Since the prospect of a larger power cell was raised, it could be quite explosive." Anna said. "We can't risk a massive explosion in the city."

It seemed like something else. There must be something different happening there.

"I'm aware of the danger." Young Allison said. "This group is most likely not Fanatics so we may be able to try a recon."

Anna knew they didn't really know who any of the enemy actually were. It seemed to be the case more often than not. It was probably because they now dealt with different futures.

"Savannah is ready to go in with Cammy and Cam." Anna said.

Young Allison was displeased about Savannah's decision too.

"I heard." Young Allison said.

She didn't like Savannah always being in the 'hot seat'. She wanted to share the responsibility with her. She was going to mention it to Anna but decided not to. All it ever did was spark an argument. It was going to happen sooner or later. She believed it was going to be sooner.

Combat wasn't something she looked forward to as far as the danger and fighting would go. It was more a sense of a duty to help share the burden. The responsibility shouldn't fall on the back of one person all of the time.

The Gray lowered his pistol down and turned the handle on the door. He wanted to observe what was going on inside of the room. He opened it a crack and looked inside. His earlier arousal instantly faded. It wasn't what he'd expected to see. There was a 'comfort bunk' all right. There wasn't a female tied to it.

There was a male on his knees and another male behind him. It was clear what was happening. The male behind the male on his knees, reached forward and grabbed the other one's hair and jerked his head back rather violently. It appeared he was about to finish. He noted both of the males appeared to be there voluntarily. Neither one was tied to the 'comfort bunk'. He would need to think twice about using it if they did acquire some 'fresh meat'.

He hadn't expected to find what he did. He was just glad he didn't find a bunch of bodies. He knew there should be more individuals at the station. They could be out on a mission. It could either be recon or surveillance. He thought he should make his presence known. He didn't want it to be where he currently was at. He quickly moved back to the door from the work area. He opened it and slammed it loudly.

"Hello." The Gray said.

He was surprised at how quickly the man who'd been behind the man on his knees appeared in the doorway.

"Did you put the grab on a new Bitch?" The first man asked. "I've been itching for some new skirt."

The second man appeared behind him a few seconds later.

"This place has been Deadsville since the last slut checked out." The second man said. "I'm ready for some action myself."

The Gray didn't think he was going to bring up what he'd witnessed. It was clearly being done without the other's knowledge. It was probably one of the reasons why they hadn't gone with the other group. They wanted some 'alone time' together. He didn't want to deprive anyone of whatever gratification they could achieve. It just wasn't his cup of tea. He'd found out the hard way what it was like to be on the receiving end before. He quickly pushed the thoughts from his mind. It was years ago.

The two men were a little surprised to see a stranger inside of their building. Currently the stranger was the only one who carried a weapon.

The Gray quickly identified himself and where he was from. He gave the two men a brief rundown as to what happened. He said he would save all the details for when the others returned. He didn't want to have to explain everything twice.

Gray was told by the two men, the others went shopping. They were supposed to bring back some 'fresh meat' when they returned from the store. Groceries weren't the only thing on the list.

The female Fanatic prepared to engage the next target. She was still topless. She didn't see a visible weapon when she'd spotted him leave the van. It didn't mean he wasn't holding one now. He'd certainly heard the two gunshots. He would know exactly what they were.

She hadn't had time to search either of the two men she's killed. She didn't know what other weapons they were carrying. She was sure the reason why the one man held a knife was so they could threaten to kill her silently to make her more compliant. She was sure when she searched them they would both be packing heat. The other man had been in too big of a hurry to get out his 'gun'. He should have drawn his weapon instead. She was sure it was because she was naked when they accosted her.

The shirt she'd selected was on top of a box near where her pistol and the knife had been. She grabbed it and moved around the side of the shed. She took a quick peek before she went around the corner to make sure he hadn't changed directions.

Where she was now, she could be spotted by someone who came out of the store if they happened to look in her direction. She was pretty sure when she fired her pistol again, it would draw someone's attention. When she'd fired at the first time, she was behind the shed. It would muffle the sound somewhat as to the direction it actually came from. Somebody could have mistaken it for a backfire.

She was sure if someone saw her topless, it would draw more attention than if they realized she was the one who'd just fired a firearm. She took a quick peek back in the direction she'd just come from. She didn't see the other man yet.

She thought about going around the shed and coming up behind him. She didn't know if there was anyone else in the van or not. If she moved around the shed, she would be spotted. Clearly, anyone else in the van would be paying attention where the man who just got out went. When she fired her pistol again, it was definitely going to draw their attention.

Seconds ago:

The Gray in the van was the lookout. He was supposed to keep watch on the two men who'd just left. They'd spotted a female target by the donation bin for the clothing. It was a spot where they'd put the grab on homeless females before. They hadn't seen where she came from. She was just there. They watched her drag some boxes around to the back. They figured she was probably going to change her clothes.

The last two 'skanks' they'd put the grab on were half dressed when they grabbed them. It was just one less thing to rip off of them when they got them into the van. As soon as they nabbed her, they were going to signal him and he was supposed to pull up with the van.

As soon as he pulled up, they would open the side door and force her inside. The others would enter and close the door. It would only take ten seconds. They'd be on their way out of the parking lot and back to the base in short order. It was their standard procedure for gathering 'fresh meat'. They'd usually stop along the way and all take a turn first before she was delivered to the base and tied to the 'comfort bunk'.

He was a little startled when he heard two gunshots. He knew what they were right away. He quickly got out of the van. He touched his pistol as he advanced on the location. He wondered why one of the idiots shot the 'broad'. There were two of them there to nab her. They should have been able to easily overpower her.

He approached the shed from the blind side. He would be around the back in a second. He pulled his pistol out as he came around the corner. He almost tripped over something. He quickly realized it was one of the men. He looked and he saw the other man laying a few feet away. He noticed his pants were down.

'What the hell?' The man thought.

The only thing he could think was the two men got into an argument over the female. It was clear one man was going to do her right there. He wasn't even going to wait until she was in the van. The other man must have protested and a fight broke out. He saw one man was stabbed and one man was shot. He saw the knife on the ground but he didn't see the firearm. He figured it was probably underneath one of them.

He knew there was going to be hell to pay for what happened.

Wait!

Where was the homeless Bitch at?

He quickly looked up. His pistol was pointed down since he'd just checked on the second man. He was a little surprised to see a topless female come around the corner with a pistol in her hands.

Maybe it was because she was topless. It delayed his reaction time slightly as he went to raise his pistol. He noticed her breasts weren't very large. They were large enough to get a handful though.

He knew he was going to die in the next moment. He still tried to bring his pistol up anyway.

His brain registered the flash of the gun but he didn't hear the shot. The bullet traveled at supersonic speed. It slammed into his head. He dropped like a rock.

Moments ago:

The female Fanatic waited until she heard the man come around the corner. She knew he would check his fallen comrades first. It was what she hoped anyway.

She peeked around the corner and saw him bend over to check the man whose pants were down. She didn't delay as she came around the corner with her pistol ready to fire. She saw him look up in surprise. She didn't hesitate to fire. Her shot was good. The man fell on top of the man with his pants down. She liked where his head landed. She was going to leave him there.

She hurried over and looked around the side of the shed at the van to see if anyone else got out, they didn't. She quickly put the shirt on. She felt a little less vulnerable now that she was fully clothed. She stashed all of her weapons and phone in her new clothing. She picked up the pistol of the man who arrived last. She made sure it was ready to shoot. It was. She checked both sides of the shed again. She didn't see anyone paying any extra attention to where she was at.

She checked all three men for weapons, phones, money or any other intel she could gather. She found a set of keys in the last man's pocket. They were the keys to the van. She figured she'd just pick herself up a ticket into the next building. She emptied several boxes of clothing on top of the three men to cover them over. She wasn't about to fool with their bodies.

The female Fanatic put everything she'd taken from the three men into one of the empty boxes of clothing she'd emptied out. She hurried in the direction of the van. She didn't approach it directly. She would attempt to make a clandestine approach in case anyone else was in it.

CamNet's two Terminators watched the drone footage as the third man made his approach towards the shed. The female Fanatic was able to ambush him and kill him in a matter of seconds. She'd been topless when she'd done it. She was fully clothed now. She was on her way to the van. It appeared she carried a box of items she'd taken from the men. They would like to get their hands on those items.

CamNet's two Terminators wanted to know if they could move in and deal with the female Fanatic. They were told to hold their position and follow her when she left. They weren't sure if she would return to the location she previously been at, or moved to another target on her list. They waited for her to enter the van.

It Is A Safeguard

At the end of the shelf life of a relationship
Will one end up in love's graveyard
Or if they're created differently
It may be just a junkyard

There are many ways to disregard
It may be with a postcard
It won't really matter
When it's time to discard

It's bound to leave one
Broken and scarred
The mind is marred
The heart is left charred

Some hang on forever
They choose to die hard
Everyone knows someone
In that very regard

Think twice about everything
One may hold a trump card
They know how to play the game
It is a safeguard

Nobody