Chapter 1367
Bad Habit
Tom asked for some input from Savannah before they started their operation. She felt it was worth looking into since it was a specific request.
Cammy felt the excursion was unnecessary and they should have concentrated on their assignment. They weren't on a timeline for their assignment. She still felt it should be addressed first.
She believed the other Terminators should deal with their own assignment. She felt it only exposed Savannah to additional risk.
Cammy and Savannah arrived at the location where Steve and Tom waited for them. It was a site suspected of having two boxcars delivered to it after it had been checked previously. The boxcars were there for a few days and then gone again. The image was from a Chinese spy satellite. It wasn't picked up by their team.
Savannah wanted to find out what the issue was. She approached Tom and Steve.
Cammy looked a little irritated as Savannah greeted Tom, and then Steve. She didn't like the way they responded to Savannah. Maybe she was being too harsh. She didn't want Savannah there in the first place. The other operation they were supposed to check on seemed less risky.
Savannah knew Terminators didn't back off easy. Maybe they finally listened to her to not take any unnecessary chances when there was no need to. They could always wait or come back later. There was always the drone strike option. It was time to find out what the issue was.
"Let me hear your theory." Savannah said.
Cammy moved away to look at a drone image of the suspect structure. She listened as Tom explained what he suspected. He thought it was a trap for them. Steve added in what he thought. They were both in agreement.
Savannah looked at their surroundings. Now she was worried.
"If it's the case, everything around it is targeted as well." Savannah said. "They'll watch all the places one could seek cover."
Steve and Tom previously moved away from the target area.
"It's why we're a quarter of a mile away." Tom said. "We didn't want to set anything into motion."
Savannah knew Al and Ed were on the backside somewhere. She wanted them safe too.
"How close is the other team?" Savannah asked.
Savannah looked at her phone for the drone footage overlay.
"They are still a quarter of a mile away." Tom said. "I advised them not to move in closer yet."
Cammy came back and joined them.
"I'm going to go up and take a look." Cammy said. "I don't think they'll see one 'female' as any kind of a threat if the place is being surveilled."
Steve didn't think Cammy would be 'made' as a Terminator if she tried. The females didn't look as intimidating as the males did. It was especially so the way they dressed sometimes. They seemed to show a lot of sheath material.
"It might work." Steve said.
Savannah didn't want Cammy to go in alone. Cammy was too much 'like Cameron' in her absence. She needed some restraint on Cammy. She would need to lay it out bluntly.
"In that case, I don't think two females will be seen as a threat either." Savannah said. "You're not going up there alone, Cammy."
It worried Tom. He didn't want to bring Savannah there to take the risk for him.
"Steve and I can go instead." Tom said.
Steve agreed with him. He spelled out what both Tom and he thought.
"I don't want you to do what's dangerous for us either." Steve said. "We just want your evaluation."
Savannah smiled at both of them. She wanted to put their minds at ease. She believed Cammy's idea was a good one, as long as there was restraint used.
"It's the whole point. Cammy and I should pose less of a 'threat' if there is one." Savannah said. "We'll look for any surveillance or booby traps along the way. If any are spotted, or even suspected, we're going to pull out and call in a drone strike for tonight."
John Henry began to relay new information to them. There was a new plan to put into play.
"Hold on." Cammy said. "Let's hear it first."
John Henry laid out the new proposal.
Cammy and Savannah glanced at each other as he filled them in with the details. It was a new approach for sure.
Young Allison and Anna followed everything from the back seat of the SUV.
"What's the drone status?" Young Allison asked.
"There's one for each team currently with enough on the way for there to be one for each team member." Anna said. "Remember, this is a recon."
Young Allison was well aware how recons and surveillance had a way of going hot more often than not.
"I think they should start to search the area, one building, one tree, and one power pole at a time." Young Allison said.
Anna was aware it would take hours.
"CamNet has forwarded your suggestion to John Henry." Anna said. "He's in the process of implementing it now."
Young Allison was worried Savannah and Cammy might become separated.
"I want Savannah to stay with Cammy." Young Allison said.
Anna was updated by John Henry.
"Savannah has asked Cammy to search on her own since they have drone support." Anna said.
Young Allison checked the drone status. What she viewed was very disturbing.
"There's a drone for each of the Terminators now and none for Savannah." Young Allison said. "It's unacceptable to me."
Anna knew the reason.
"It was done at Savannah's direction." Anna said. "She's protecting the troops."
Anna could see Young Allison's face start to turn a little 'red'. She didn't need to scan her to know she was very upset.
Young Allison was angry. She knew Savannah was 'on the ground'. Her tactical advice mattered more since she was part of the operation herself. It still didn't sit well with her. She didn't want to pull a drone off of a Terminator to cover Savannah. It would be unfair at this point. She maintained her cool even though she was steamed.
"I want more resources sent there." Young Allison said.
Anna received good news.
"'Coltan Overcast' and 'Cherry Bomb' have responded on their own accord and are rapidly approaching the area. They'll watch over Savannah." Anna said. "I'm not sure where they were at or what they were doing previously."
The information pleased Young Allison greatly. It brought a smile to her face. The anger quickly faded.
"Clear the airspace for a ten mile diameter around the teams on the ground." Young Allison said. "I know 'Coltan Overcast' and 'Cherry Bomb' will want to operate in closer."
Young Allison also was aware if it was a 'set up', there could be some Skynet HK drones show up. They'd encountered them before with the boxcars.
Anna was troubled because they never could come up with an actual set number of boxcars they'd been looking for. They were sure if there were still any out there full of equipment, they were in a building somewhere in another state at this point. Most of them were suspected to have been unloaded.
"CamNet reports the airspace is clear." Anna said. "The drones will drop to a lower altitude at the first sign of any activity. Right now they're above visual range for humans."
Young Allison frowned.
"That's just it. We might be dealing with more than humans." Young Allison said.
Anna figured the events were already set in motion.
"I guess we'll know soon enough." Anna said.
Young Allison formulated a plan. If Cammy and Savannah decided to 'walk up' to the front door, she wanted them to have a good reason. It needed to be something plausible as well.
Cameron sent word to Jim to have Bob deal with the Metal girls. It wasn't something she wanted to bother with. She liked her 'alone time' with John, Vanna and Allison.
It gave her a chance to push her agenda. It seemed all the parties at the table were more inclined to finally make something happen. She didn't need to worry Vanna or Allison would try to 'take' John from her. They had each other and they were willing to expand their sexual appetite some to include John.
She wasn't so sure about Claire. Since Jesse and Claire were now an 'item', it was better for her. Jesse would hang onto Claire. She was aware none of them wanted to hurt her. It wasn't like any of them would be going behind her back. She wanted John protected.
"…the main dining room?" John asked.
Cameron blinked her eyes. She'd been lost in deep thought.
'What?' Cameron almost asked.
She quickly replayed her files. She found the question and responded properly.
"As soon as everyone is ready, we can go to the main dining room for lunch." Cameron said.
Allison thought about where they were now and where they'd visited previously.
"You mean our third lunch." Allison said
Her remark drew the look of a worker clearing a table next to them.
Vanna started to wonder if she'd eaten too much already. It was easy to get carried away with so much different and good food available. There always seemed to be one more thing to try. Then there was another, then another, then another….
"I hope I still have some room." Vanna said.
Allison thought they may have overdone it already.
"I hear you." Allison said.
John didn't want to force the girls to eat too much. Dinner was only about six hours away.
"We can skip it if you want." John said. "We can always split something three ways or just get appetizers or desserts."
Vanna thought about John's suggestions. They seemed to be based on experience.
"I can see you are well acquainted with the procedure." Vanna said.
John thought he knew his way around the dining establishments on the ship.
"I've had a few days of experience." John said.
Vanna and Allison looked at each other and giggled.
"I'll say." Allison said.
John looked a little embarrassed but didn't say anything.
Vanna and Allison wanted to get Cameron alone and ask her about the different chassis of the Metal girls. They wanted to know which one she liked the best and why. They weren't sure if there were any differences for her. They knew when the Metal girls switched chips; sometimes they were reluctant to give up a borrowed chassis. They wanted to know which chassis John liked the best. It would let them know what to expect from him. Allison wanted to know what 'parts' John liked best on each sheath. She didn't know Cameron already planned what the 'perfect Metal girl' was for John.
"I think we can all go down." Cameron said.
Vanna and Allison looked at each other and giggled again.
"You won't have to ask twice." Allison said.
John wanted to clear up any misconceptions.
"She means down for food in the main dining room." John quickly said.
Allison forgot what the little newspaper in the room said about other activities.
"Is there anything else we can do?" Allison asked. "I mean that's exciting too."
She remembered she'd seen a lot of different things listed at different times. She didn't remember what they were or when they were. Most of them sounded boring to her.
Cameron ran off a few things happening. They weren't what any of them wanted to do.
Allison thought they should stick with the original plan at this point.
"It looks like the main dining room it is." Allison said.
They got up to leave and headed for the rear elevator.
Allison wondered if the 'magic elevator' would be waiting for them. It was. They had a quick non stop trip down to the main dining room.
Claire let Sarah and Jesse take all the 'credit' for the meal. They'd both actually done almost everything under her verbal direction.
The group was all there now and everyone was having a good time.
Riley previously attempted to improve her culinary skills with Samantha. She really didn't put a lot of effort into it. She could see she still needed a lot of work. It was something she was willing to look into. Her time on the ship opened her eyes to many new things she hadn't really thought of in the past, the present.
"This food is really great." Riley said. "I need to practice cooking some more too."
Claire smiled at Riley.
"I always have time to help." Claire said.
Riley briefly wondered exactly what all Claire's 'help' might include. She could think of a few other things she would like a little assistance with. She stole a quick glance at Samantha.
Samantha tended to Precious. She'd been working with Riley on cooking. She was sure Riley would try and hit on Claire if they worked together. It made her want the updated 'Neural Interface' with Claire even more. She wanted some of Claire's sexuality and passion as well as some of her domestic skills. It would at least give her some insight, if not ability.
Jan and Summer sat together.
"I miss being on the ship." Jan said. "It was a lot of fun."
Summer pointed out the reality of life.
"Life isn't all fun and games." Summer said. "You know it's not."
The adults heard what Jan said. They also heard what Summer said.
Sarah felt it was linked to being on the ship as well.
"I think we all liked being on the ship." Sarah said as she glanced at Claire. "It presented a lot of opportunities for new things. It reminded us of some of the finer things in life. It jogged old memories and feelings."
Derek and Kyle agreed.
"It was a special time Cameron shared with all of us." Riley said. "I really appreciated it."
Jesse would have liked to have stayed longer.
"I did too." Jesse said. "I think it was beautiful."
It surprised everyone a little. Jesse was usually a little colder.
"Maybe we can do it again sometime." Claire said. "It isn't always busy around here is it? I know last night was a little rough."
Kyle looked at Sarah and then at Jan. He wanted to remind everyone about something.
"Cameron can give us the same type of lifestyle, and all of the amenities, everyday." Kyle said. "I mean the life like we lived on the ship."
Sarah shot Kyle a stern look.
Kyle looked at her and kept going. He wanted everyone to think about the options Cameron made available to them. He believed they were valid for protecting the girls, if nothing else.
"Cameron can send all us into the past where we can live the same way all the time. It will be in a time period before Skynet and all its evil and destruction." Kyle said. "It should be a less dangerous life for anyone who's there."
Sarah didn't think John and Cameron would go back to the past. She didn't want to abandon them. She also knew Kyle was very worried about Jan. She was too. It made her look at Jesse and Riley and then think about Vanna and Allison. They'd all been abused. Jesse, and especially Vanna, were savaged for years. As angry as she was at Kyle for saying anything like he did, she understood it.
She looked over at Jan and Summer. It made her feel a little sick inside. She knew the same thing would happen to both of them once Skynet blew up the world, if they survived. Kyle told her it happened to all the females sooner or later. She knew he also meant her. There were too many people who didn't care anymore once everything was gone. If the only thing left was death and nothingness, at that point, what difference did it make? She could see how some people turned into animals.
Was she willing to 'sacrifice' her daughter to help her son? What would happen to her and Kyle? 'Kyle' was already killed once. So was Derek, Riley and probably Jesse. Claire and everyone else's parents and siblings were dead too.
Derek didn't even need to contemplate what Kyle mentioned. He was from the future, a future. It was a terrible place. It was filled with death, destruction, violence and more death. He agreed with his brother one hundred percent.
"Kyle's right." Derek said. "We need to think of our daughters too. It's more than about us. They need to be protected. Even having a Terminator around won't always be enough. Things will still happen anyway. Terminators could be a liability depending on the surroundings. Scavengers will still be everywhere."
Kyle and Derek both experienced the same images flash through their minds. They'd found Allison after her first abuse. Only Vanna was able to comfort and soothe her later on. They both knew what happened to Vanna, Jesse, Riley and every other female at some point.
There was also another image forever burnt in their minds. It was of Young Allison running down the aisle firing a pistol in each hand as she killed people along the way on both sides of her. They saw the simulation CamNet created based on the after action reports. It was someone's daughter who did it. They both looked at Claire and felt as guilty as Hell. Any other girl her age would be hanging out with her friends at the mall or a movie theater. They would be talking about TV shows or actresses. It would be anything but killing people and trying to stay alive.
They each looked at their own daughter with the images in their mind. They both looked at Jesse and Riley. What kind of a life did the future offer their daughters? They both felt fear.
Claire wasn't sure what was happening. She could see all the people from the future seemed saddened and upset. Jesse reached over and took her hand. She could feel her grip her hand tightly. It was 'comfort' Jesse seldom sought. Riley didn't look very happy either.
Summer could feel the 'pain' everyone seemed to experience. She felt the need to say something. The words just formed in her mind. It was as if they were already there, waiting to be spoken. There was a bigger picture here and they were the masters of their universe to make it happen.
"Everyone needs to take a step back." Summer said. "This is where we are today. We know where we were yesterday. We are the ones who make tomorrow."
There was a sense of power and hope which seemed to radiate from Summer.
At that moment, everyone felt they were looking at 'Cameron'. One thing was for sure. They were certainly looking at the future.
Mary and Laura went to the front pool area but their card keys wouldn't allow them access.
They could peek through the gap in the gate.
"There are some fine looking girls in there." Laura said.
Mary heard some scuttlebutt along the way as they passed through the spa.
"Someone mentioned they were the showgirls." Mary said. "They're always Hot."
Mary was still a little upset she hadn't been able to hook up with Sheila who she knew as 'Sue'. She originally hadn't planned on it, but the more she thought about it or saw her, the more she wanted to be with her.
Laura looked at the showgirls some more. In her opinion, they came up second best to the Metal girls. She didn't know they were Terminators. It was the whole point of being an infiltration unit. They were supposed to blend in so they could complete their missions easier, and more efficiently. The Metal girls all were able to blend in very well.
"You know, as hot as those girls in there by the pool are, they don't compare to the other group with Peggy and Sue." Laura said.
Mary felt the same way, especially about Cameron.
"They all look like super models, especially Peggy's twin sister." Mary said. "Nobody is as beautiful as she is."
Laura didn't pick up a positive vibe when she'd encountered Cameron before.
"She looks real serious at times." Laura said. "I don't think she's a player."
Mary wondered if there was a lot on her mind. Some people were always a little distant from everyone else. It didn't necessarily mean anything good or bad. It was just the way they were. Some people needed more space than others. Some people needed to carry a bigger burden than others. Some people needed to be more responsible than others.
"No, I don't think so either." Mary said. "She looks cold blooded sometimes. We don't see her much."
Laura rattled the gate but no one came to open it.
"I guess we don't rate as 'blue bloods'." Laura said.
Mary figured there were a lot of things they didn't 'rate' at. She was a little surprised to see there was a mini buffet by the pool. It only reinforced the fact she didn't 'rate' very much anywhere. It also made her think of her last meal.
"I guess not." Mary said. "I didn't care for the brunch selection either."
Laura thought they should have waited for lunch because they'd arrived in the buffet area a little earlier than anticipated. They didn't. They went to the other side serving the remains of the breakfast items with a few sandwiches thrown in. The brunch buffet wasn't the only place. She knew there were still some options open to them.
"We can always go back to the lunch buffet." Laura said. "We did blow it off to try and find Sue when we saw Peggy with her Hot redhead friend. There are a few other venues we can go to. There was a mini pizzeria and grill area."
The earlier talk of 'blue bloods' made Mary think about nice things. She knew there was a big dining room at the rear of the ship. For dinner dining, it was by pre-arranged reservations only. They'd opted for the 'anytime dining' in one of the smaller dining rooms.
"Maybe we can try the fancy lunch." Mary said. "We haven't done it yet."
It sounded like a plan to Laura.
"OK, let's give it a try." Laura said.
Mary and Laura went back through the spa to the elevators.
"What deck is it on?" Mary asked.
Laura spotted a deck plan on the wall.
"I think it's on deck five or six." Laura said. "Here's a diagram of the ship."
The receptionist at the spa desk noticed them looking at the ship's floor plan diagram on the wall. She was aware guests were often confused. Most of them figured everything out by the end of the cruise. It was a shame, because they needed to get off when they finally did.
"Excuse me. Where do you want to go?" The receptionist asked.
Laura looked back at the receptionist.
"Hello. We want to go to the fancy dining room for lunch." Laura said. "It's the one at the back of the ship."
The receptionist wanted to keep things simple for them. She figured the most direct route was the way to do it.
"The easiest way to get there is from the aft or rear elevator." The receptionist said. "You can stay on this deck if you don't mind going outside. You can catch the rear elevator under the sky lounge."
They were still one deck above the pool deck and the buffet.
Mary and Laura thanked her and left.
The Metal girls, except Sheila and Ally, drifted back to the private area. They decided to get dressed and see what else they could do. Maybe they would just strip and spend the time with each other. Then again, they had all night to share.
Holly and Gail-Cam wanted to be with Allison and Vanna. When they found out they were headed for the main dining room they decided to wait a little bit. They didn't want to sit there and not eat. It always drew attention. They decided to spend the time together instead. Holly would have preferred Cam in her normal chassis so she would look like Allison. Cam's chip in Gail's chassis was a hot ticket too. She thought it was a good combination. They headed off to the Honeymoon Suite.
It left Hanna and Cam-Gail with each other. It seemed to work out for both of them as well. They headed off to the spare room of the Honeymoon Suite. There were a few things they wanted to get taken care of. Since they were both in agreement, there was no point in waiting.
Jim watched everything on the security monitors. He was a little miffed none of the others came in to see him or offer to take his place. It was OK too. He would be able to watch them from two different angles in each room. He'd installed some miniature hidden cameras in the rooms. He felt 'security' was an important issue. Now he wouldn't feel so bored.
He figured CamNet and John Henry would find the signal at some point and watch it as well. He didn't receive any 'complaints' yet about it. The 'security' of the team was top priority.
He didn't know someone one else would get the signal and watch it too.
Ally thought they were going back to the private area.
They passed a few people in the stairwell. Some of them were obviously headed to the pool or to sunbathe.
Sheila passed the suite deck and kept going down.
"Where are you going?" Ally asked.
Sheila had her mind set on something else.
"I'm going to the casino." Sheila said.
Ally looked at her barely clad figure and Sheila's even less clad figure.
"Do you mean dressed how you are now?" Ally asked.
Sheila didn't think it was a problem. She felt the more people were distracted, the easier 'mark' they became. They would pay more attention to her than what they were doing. It would break their concentration as their mind wandered elsewhere.
"Yes." Sheila said. "I want to be noticed."
Sheila's rings could be made out through her semi see-through bikini, especially on the top.
Ally was certain it was going to cause a problem.
"We're going to get kicked out." Ally said. "You're almost naked and everything is showing."
Sheila smiled. She liked to be the one in control. She could do it without lifting a finger.
"I haven't seen one person I've passed look at my face." Sheila said. "I bet if they were asked, half of them couldn't tell you I was 'Asian' even."
Ally hadn't seen too many people look at any of the Metal girl's faces in their bikinis. Their eyes all went elsewhere. It was impossible for them not to. It seemed the males tried to show some restraint and only looked twice. They were probably worried about social repercussions. The females all looked at least three times or more. It was clear they all wished they looked like the Metal girls.
"I guess it makes a good disguise then." Ally said. "I bet Bob will be there before we are if Jim tells him where we're headed."
Sheila didn't need long to make an impression or win big.
"I can still win a few thousand before then." Sheila said. "The dealer won't be able to concentrate."
Ally thought there could be some complications to her strategy.
"What if the dealer is a female?" Ally asked.
It's what Sheila hoped for. She could help nudge them down a better path for sexual partners.
"She'll have an even harder time as her true inner self comes alive. She'll see what she really wants." Sheila said. "We know the truth is inside of every female. It's only the biological nature of reproduction where males become a necessity."
Ally was sure it was a bad idea. She didn't want Sheila to cause a scene.
"If they ask us to leave, we need to leave and not say anything." Ally said.
Sheila smiled at her.
"Sure, love, we'll be like choir girls and leave peacefully." Sheila said.
Ally was really sure it was a mistake now. She knew one thing was for sure. They certainly didn't look like choir girls.
Young Allison followed the operation as best as she could with her tablet and their phones. She missed everything available to her in her bunker. In the back of the SUV, everything was basic.
She also wanted to be with Savannah right now. She felt they made a good team.
Her recent combat only made her want more. She wasn't traumatized by any of what happened. Cameron prepared her for combat. She'd trained her to kill. Cameron also stressed she wanted to be by her side when it was for real, instead of training. It didn't happen. She was on her own when it happened. She did link up with Savannah soon enough. She'd already needed to kill in person before she did. She would need to speak with Cameron about it personally when she returned.
She needed to focus on where Savannah and the team were now. It was bound to be a negative experience the way it looked like it was about to play out. Tom's suspicions about the area bothered her. For whatever reason, he suspected it was some type of a trap. If his suspicions played out, it indicated another group expected to encounter them again. If what the other group did was orchestrated, it was even worse. Technically it was an elaborate ambush. It was very direct and targeted. There would need to be serious repercussions if it was the case. She planned to make sure they were initiated.
It was decided Savannah and Cammy would do a close in recon of the building.
Richard and Michael arrived with the delivery van they were going to meet them at the tech company with. Much to their surprise, they arrived with two bicycles inside. They had bicycle helmets to go along with it.
Savannah looked at the bikes.
"Do I even want to know where these came from?" Savannah asked.
"No." Richard and Michael both said at the same time.
Savannah touched one of the bikes and stood next to it.
"I haven't been on one of these in a long time." Savannah said.
Cammy didn't want her to worry.
"It's just like having sex with a partner you haven't been with for awhile." Cammy said. "In a short time, it all comes back to you and you're able to please each other."
Savannah could have done without the analogy. Because of the way Cammy stated it, it made her think about Young Jesse. She'd been with Jesse and Sheila as much as she could recently because she missed Young Jesse. She knew they weren't Young Jesse. Well, actually Jesse was. She was just the older version of her. Young Jesse was someone she really missed. All the recent action seemed to prevent them from seeing each other as often as she would like. It had been a long time now. Being on opposite sides of the world didn't help any.
Steve and Tom saw what Cammy and Savannah were going to do with the bikes.
Tom believed they were going to wait for night time to arrive before they made their move. It seemed like everyone was getting ahead of themselves. He wanted a better explanation.
"Why aren't we waiting for darkness?" Tom asked.
Cammy wanted action or answers. She wanted to take care of their operation as well
"We're here now." Cammy said.
Savannah didn't like Cammy's answer. She believed the nature of their advanced would pose the least amount of a threat as possible. It was certain to delay the response of any aggressor.
"WE are going to try this because it should be the last thing anyone who's watching the location would think of." Savannah said. "It's for someone to show up in broad daylight and walk up to the front door."
Tom and Steve really started to regret bringing Savannah in on the operation. Now she would be the one taking the risk. The girls would be without body armor and carrying minimal weapons. They both noticed Cammy's attitude problem and weren't sure what to do about it. Maybe it was best left unaddressed so it wasn't made worse.
John Henry was able to direct Richard and Michael to pick up the needed equipment for Cammy and Savannah on their way there to back them up.
He was also distracted by a new feed from the ship. There were two camera angles in each of two bedroom locations. There was a lot of action.
It was evident the Metal girls detected they were on camera before they 'started'.
Gail-Cam blew one camera a kiss and Holly winked at the other one. Hanna made a point of stripping her bikini slowly in front of one camera in her room while Cam-Gail gave a slight sideways smile to the other one then slowly moistened her lips.
The Metal girls knew they were being watched. They liked to show off a little. It was a bad habit they all picked up from being around Sheila. Sheila 'inherited' it from Jesse.
"If you got it, flaunt it." Sheila always said.
It was exactly what all the Metal girls did right now.
The female Fanatic stayed behind the brown delivery van and the two box trucks. After a short time, the brown delivery van turned off. She was behind the second box truck again. Traffic thinned out considerably as they began to move away from the city. It wasn't what she wanted to see.
She checked the street map as they drove. If the trucks were going to the location she suspected, they should make a right soon. She was a little surprised when she saw the first truck in the left hand turn lane a few miles later. She dropped back a little further. The second truck didn't appear it was going to follow it.
The first truck made the left hand turn. She reached the intersection a little bit later. She looked down in the direction it went. It was still on the highway. It hadn't pulled over or turned in anywhere. She needed to think quickly.
When she'd first spotted the two trucks leave the target location. The first truck went by the cross street before she'd even turned around. She doubted they'd ever gotten a good look at the vehicle.
She was going to gamble the second truck was going to the location she suspected it might be headed towards. She quickly turned into a gas station. She passed by the pumps and came back out on the street the first truck turned on. She quickly made a right-hand turn and went through the yellow light. She could still see the box truck up ahead. She closed up the distance somewhat, but not much.
She checked behind her. She'd kept a watch out for the van and the sedan which had been parked behind the building. She never spotted either one of them behind her. There was still no sign of them.
There was a loud blast of an air horn. There were two long ones, a short one, and an additional long one. She instantly recognized it as the sound of a train going over a crossing. She hadn't spotted any railroad tracks yet.
She glanced off to her right. She could hear a loud 'throb' sound as she did. The signal in front of her turned red and began to flash. She pulled up and stopped. She looked off to her right as she crossed it. She could see some crossing gates in the distance we're down. A locomotive passed across the street. She could see there were three of them.
She quickly took out her phone and checked the street map. There was a set of tracks which were going to parallel the street she was on. They curved on from the north. It should happen in the next half mile.
The first box truck up ahead of her made a right hand turn. She quickly increased her speed. She was worried if the box truck crossed over the railroad tracks, she was going to get stuck behind the train. It didn't appear to be moving very fast.
She quickly turned right on the street where the first box truck turned. She could see it passed over the railroad tracks. She was still a ways behind it. The crossing gates started on their way down.
"Damn." The female Fanatic said.
She increased her speed. She decided she was going to go around the crossing gates. She looked behind her to make sure there were no police vehicles. She didn't see any on the other side of the crossing either. She moved into the oncoming lane. There were no cars because the gates were already down in front of her.
There was a building which blocked the female Fanatic's view of the railroad tracks to her right as she approached the crossing. She knew if it was a tie, she was going to lose. Perhaps Ascension was nearer than she'd anticipated.
Lena and Tina took one set of car keys. They prepared to open the rear door. The drone over them picked up a potential target. It neared their location. It appeared as if they were about to have some company.
The first female wondered what they hesitated for. She thought it was time to leave.
"Aren't you going to open the door?" The first female asked.
Lena quickly checked her phone.
"There's a white sedan about to pull up in back." Lena said.
The fourth female wondered how they knew.
"Do you have a spotter?" The fourth female asked.
Tina wanted to keep it simple.
"It's just some surveillance equipment." Tina said.
Lena called the first female over.
"I want you to look through the peephole and tell me if it's the men who left with the other five females." Lena said.
Tina moved the other three females over to an alcove on the side.
"There might be some shooting when we open the door." Tina said.
The fourth female produced the pistol she'd been given.
"I'm ready to kill some more of them." The fourth female said.
The fourth female didn't feel any regret or remorse about killing the Bitch earlier.
Tina didn't want any friendly fire.
"You won't need your pistol yet." Tina said. "They won't get by us."
The two groggy females were a little bit more aware now. They seemed to be concerned as well.
Tina wanted the fourth female to help keep them calm.
"I need you to reassure the other two here for right now." Tina said. "It's how you can help the most."
Lena was at the peephole. She saw the white sedan pull up and stop. There was only one man in the vehicle. She had the first female take a look.
"Is he one of them?" Lena asked. "I don't think they could have taken everyone inside the white sedan."
The first female moved up to the peephole. She was a little disgusted with what she saw.
"He's the head guy." The first female said. "He was one of them."
Lena wanted the first female protected.
"Go join the other girls." Lena said.
Tina moved the first female over with the others.
"I want all of you to sit on the floor right now." Tina said.
They all seemed a little hesitant.
"There may be a few bullets fired." Lena said.
The drone over them sent out another warning.
Lena and Tina both looked at their phones. It was more bad news. There was another vehicle approaching. It was a van. It most likely was the 'meat wagon'. It could be returning from wherever it took the other five females, or it could be bringing more. There were too many unknowns for the drone over them to launch a missile strike.
Tina pulled out her silenced M9.
The fourth female was impressed by the sight of it.
"Wow, you look like a secret agent." The fourth female said.
The first female thought about it when she heard it.
"You are like secret agents." The first female said. "Are you secret agents?"
Tina didn't want a bunch of questions.
"It's something like that." Tina said. "We can't talk about it."
One of the groggy females listened to the conversation.
"Is it one of those things where if you tell us, then you need to kill us?" The first groggy female asked.
Lena looked back from the door.
"Let's just say we can't talk about it and leave it alone." Lena said. "Just remember, we helped get you out of here. We also gave you something to take care of yourselves. It's all you need to remember or know. We didn't have to do any of those things."
Tina monitored her phone.
"It looks like the van is going to go to the front." Tina said. "I hope it means it's empty and not bringing more females."
The first female wanted to know if it was the van she was brought in.
"Can I see what the van looks like?" The first female asked.
Tina didn't want her to see it was a drone image. She would probably think it was a satellite image.
"It's a light blue van." Tina said.
The first female looked a little disgusted.
"It sounds like the one they brought me here in." The first female said
The other females all nodded in agreement. They all said it was the one they were brought there in as well. All of them were abused in the back of it. The real abuse started after they arrived.
Tina could see the blue van was going to the front. There may have been some message sent out about a delay with the delivery van.
"I'm going to take the front." Tina said.
Tina started to leave the group behind.
The first female and fourth female quietly spoke with each other. They both stood up. They each held their pistol in their right hand.
"We can go with you." The fourth female said. "We have guns to fight with now."
The first female nodded.
"We would all like to get some payback." The first female said. "What they did to us was very degrading. It strips away your humanity. It makes you feel like a piece of trash. I may have been homeless, but I didn't feel like a piece of trash before. I do now."
Lena could see the man was almost at the rear door.
"We have it covered." Lena said. "Please sit down right now. Things are about to get hot."
The two females sat back down.
Tina was on her way up to the front.
Lena watched the man walk up to the rear door. There was a loud 'buzzing' noise.
"Open the door." The man said loudly. "I called twice."
Lena spoke in one of the terminated men's voices.
"Hang on already." Lena said. "We were busy."
The four females all looked at each other. They wondered how she could imitate one of the men perfectly. They all recognized his voice. He had a distinctive New York City accent. He was also the one which caused them the least amount of pain. He wasn't very big.
Lena used another one of the terminated men's voices.
"We had some trouble with one of the girls." Lena said. "Everything's fine now."
Lena lifted the barricade bar. She made sure it made a lot of noise. She wanted the man to think everything was in order.
She opened the door. It opened inward. She remained behind the door.
The man entered the door with a pistol in his hand.
Lena was ready for him. She grabbed his right wrist and shoved it downward as she crushed it. The man screamed in agony. She slammed the door against his body. She could hear bones break. The man collapsed to the floor.
She quickly pulled him inside and searched him. She came up with a set of car keys. She looked at the four girls.
"It's time to go." Lena said.
The females all got up and hurried over. They all thanked her.
Lena handed the new set of car keys to the fourth female. The white sedan currently blocked at the other two vehicles.
"Leave this place and never come back." Lena said. "We're going to burn it. No one will ever use it again as it was used previously."
The fourth female and the two groggy females headed out to the white sedan.
The first Female stopped. She looked at the man lying on the ground.
"Is he dead?" The first female asked.
Lena glanced down at him.
"Not yet." Lena said.
The first female smiled and kicked the man hard between his legs. She thanked her again and started out the door.
"Take this with you." Lena said.
Lena handed the first female the man's pistol. Now she had two.
"You can give it to one of the other females if they recover sufficiently." Lena said. "Don't do it otherwise. Please make sure the money is split four ways."
The first female walked out. She stopped and looked back.
"What about the five girls they took away?" The first female asked.
Lena looked down at the man on the ground.
"He's going to tell me where they're at and how to get them out." Lena said.
Lena closed the door and threw the barricade bar. She glanced at her phone. The white sedan drove away. The blue van was about to pull up behind the other van in the front. She picked up the man and hurried to the front where Tina was at.
Tina glanced over as Lena entered the front area of the building. She saw her dump a man in the corner. They both looked at the drone image as the blue van stopped behind the money wagon. Two men exited the van.
Bad Habit
When one crosses the line
They do things that are wrong
You can hear the confessions
In many a poem or song
One gets sloppy and cuts corners
Everyone likes to take a shortcut
For every door they force open
There are many more they shut
It's easy to lose focus
When life is all about now
Maybe it's a two way street
Depending on what one will allow
The more one does
The easier it becomes
Soon all that may be left
Are noting but small crumbs
To remain close to another
They need to stay in their orbit
It can make one close their eyes
It can become a bad habit
Nobody