Chapter 1384
Where Are We Going
Previously:
Cammy wanted to get some food for Savannah while they waited for a lead to develop. She drove to a popular location for different kinds of food.
"There are several restaurants in this area." Cammy said. "Which one do you want?"
Savannah saw there were several choices which looked good. She still wanted to keep it somewhat simple. She chose a Mexican restaurant. She decided to lay off the hot sauce for this meal. She didn't know how long they would be out. She ordered a chicken tostada. It was basically a salad with some chicken and beans on a fried tortilla shell.
Cammy was pleased Savannah was able to get a chance to eat.
Savannah finished up her dinner at the Mexican restaurant and was almost ready to leave. Cammy sat across from her and they'd shared some small talk.
"Let me use the restroom and then we can go." Savannah said.
Cammy watched Savannah walk away. She took out her phone and made some inquiries. She frowned at the responses. It didn't look like what she wanted for Savannah would happen. She put her phone away when Savannah returned.
"You look glum." Savannah said.
Cammy smiled.
"Everything is perfect." Cammy said.
Savannah smiled back. She knew it really meant it wasn't.
They headed back to the SUV.
Cammy wanted to offer Savannah a few different choices.
"I can take you back to the base unless you want to visit Cameron's base." Cammy said. "We could go to Palmdale too."
Savannah could tell Cammy wanted her out of harm's way. She took out her phone and sent a message to CamNet directly. There was no immediate response.
Savannah looked over at Cammy as she drove.
"Where are we going?" Savannah asked.
Cammy smiled.
"I'm going to Cameron's base." Cammy said.
It really meant she was taking Savannah to see CamNet.
Savannah could tell Cammy expected bad news soon. Cammy didn't like her to visit CamNet. She was willing to 'sacrifice' to keep her safe.
"I want to know what Michael and Richard, or Hank and Larry, have turned up." Savannah said.
Cammy looked quickly at Savannah. She didn't want to jump to conclusions.
"I don't know." Cammy said. "I think they have something or they soon will."
Savannah frowned. She was sure it would be anti-Metal related. She didn't want to go through the usual 'dance'.
"I need to know." Savannah said. "I don't want any delays either."
Savannah and Cammy received an alert from CamNet and John Henry.
"John Henry has identified one of the men from the clean room on a 'red light' camera." Cammy said.
John Henry was able to provide more information. He filled them in.
"I've picked up a man driving a car who was in the clean room earlier." John Henry said. "He ran a traffic light. The red light camera took his photo. The car he's driving is stolen. I checked other traffic cameras in the area and he was the second vehicle in a caravan of three vehicles. The vehicle behind him ran the red light as well."
It appeared the Grays were 'running'.
Savannah hoped it was the break they'd been waiting for. Either way, they'd just picked up three targets.
"It sounds like they're on the move." Savannah said. "I bet they have their version of Skynet with them. We need to find out where they go."
Cammy wondered if there were any more people involved. She knew there could be a lead vehicle and a tail vehicle along with the group.
"Are you sure there are only three vehicles?" Cammy asked.
John Henry thought he could deliver some good news for a change.
"I think we'll know more soon." John Henry said. "There's been a squadron of drones dispatched to assist."
They all knew Young Allison was involved with his revelation. There were probably more drones coming besides those.
Young Allison ate her meal and took care of all of her personal business. She showered and brushed her teeth. She didn't put her bed clothes on. She put her regular clothes on. She expected it to be a long night. It seemed pretty much the way they all played out anymore. She was glad she was able to at least be a part of it. She was glad she helped Savannah share some of the burden.
Anna and Young Allison were just about to start down the stairs into the bunker after dinner was finished when Anna received an alert from CamNet.
"Contact, a target has been identified." Anna said.
They rushed down to their stations and Anna plugged in. They both wanted to get up to speed.
"What do we have?" Young Allison asked.
Anna updated from CamNet and John Henry. She gave Young Allison a brief run down.
Young Allison wanted a heavy hand ready to strike if necessary. The enemy was identified and would be dealt with.
"I want two drones for each of those vehicles." Young Allison said. "Get them locked up ASAP."
Young Allison checked on Savannah. She made sure she was provided with drone coverage.
'Coltan Overcast' and 'Cherry Bomb' both followed Cammy's SUV. They were in a counter rotating orbit over it.
Anna watched as Young Allison put everything into motion and redirected Cameron's Terminators on an intercept course.
"Have John Henry notify Cammy and Savannah." Young Allison said.
John Henry tried to track down what else he could on the vehicles. He began to review traffic cameras around the area. Most of it happened in his server. There were multiple images on his monitors too.
"Are you sure there are only three vehicles?" Cammy asked.
John Henry looked at previous traffic cam footage.
"I think we will know more soon." John Henry said. "There's been a squadron of drones dispatched to assist."
John Henry was startled when someone spoke.
"There are five vehicles." Summer said. "Two have taken off on a divergent route."
John Henry quickly checked. There was no record Summer was on the way to the Command Center. She'd arrived unnoticed, again. He wasn't even sure how long she'd been there. He hoped he hadn't had any screen open he shouldn't have earlier. He didn't think he did. Even if he did, it didn't seem to be a big deal to Summer. He looked forward to her assistance.
"Thank you for the heads up." John Henry said. "I didn't see you come in."
Summer smiled at him and pointed out things on his monitors. He checked one image. It was the second man in the clean room. He led a two car force.
John Henry wondered how Summer made the identification when she did. He knew CamNet was in communication with her again. It was something he couldn't question further. He'd been warned to 'drop it' before.
He could see CamNet provided information on several of his monitors at once to Summer. She was getting audio as well through her com. It was all happening very fast.
Summer wanted John Henry to know what she'd deduced so far.
"The group of two cars is going to attack the anti-Metal group." Summer said. "The other three cars have what the Grays took from the building and the rest of their team."
John Henry was unsure how she made her determination. He knew not to question it. She was always correct. He passed all the information along. There were more drones on the way.
The fact Summer identified the two vehicles as going to attack the anti-Metal group caused CamNet to send out an alert.
Savannah, Young Allison and Cameron all received it directly from CamNet. It was something they'd all requested. They all weren't told where the report originated from. It was bound to cause unnecessary grief and negative comments from some involved. She did let Anna and Young Allison know all of the details.
Young Allison called Savannah directly. She wanted Savannah to make the call on the targets.
Much as she suspected, Savannah and Cammy would respond to the Grays who were about to attack the anti-Metal group.
Richard and Michael, along with Hank and Larry, would go after the Grays with what they believed were some Skynet hard drives. They were to follow them for now and see where they went. CamNet would send additional Terminators as they became available. She was currently in the process of conducting her own operation. It was being done outside of the normal Resistance operations. It was an attempt to try to take some of the heat off of Savannah and Young Allison. Things had become quite extensive over the last couple of days.
Anna went over all of the information available.
"I think we have something this time." Anna said.
Young Allison did too. She was aware whenever her sister became involved in an operation, she was very thorough and precise. She also never was wrong.
"If Summer is right, we know she always is, the Grays should be headed toward the location they tortured out of the man they left in the shed." Young Allison said.
Young Allison was surprised to receive a call directly from Summer. She was even more surprised at what she suggested should happen. She was aware some of the decisions she'd made when John and John Henry ran an operation were viewed as extreme. She'd been right on all of her calls. Now she understood how John and John Henry felt with her involvement.
She knew John Henry was with Summer in the Command Center. She also knew CamNet would respond to Summer as she would her. She believed Summer was the most dynamic and intelligent of anyone involved in the Resistance.
She'd studied all of the Resistance interaction with River over the years on several different visits. She was pretty sure Summer was even more advanced than River was. She didn't want to think about the speculation as to who Summer might actually be. She was her sister. What else mattered?
Moments ago:
Cameron was at Fisherman's Wharf with a group of Terminators and humans. She'd started some things into motion. She could see some of the players made changes on their own. It was what she wanted to see. She was very pleased with the way things played out so far. She really liked the way Allison and Vanna held onto John.
Her happiness was rudely interrupted. She received word from CamNet on a positive hit with the anti-Metal faction. It was an unpleasant reminder John's life was in danger. She feared he would be assassinated for being a 'Metal Lover'. It would be her fault. She couldn't let anything happen to him.
She immediately headed towards John, Allison and Vanna. The girls each held one of his arms. He'd given his coat to Leticia earlier.
Cameron and John looked at each other for a long moment as she approached the trio.
"Let go of him." Cameron said.
Vanna and Allison reluctantly did. They still stood next to John even if they no longer held his arms in theirs.
They all wondered if Cameron's eyes were going to start to glow red or not. It would determine the severity of their infraction.
Cameron walked up to the three of them and smiled.
"It's cold out." Cameron said.
She took her coat off and helped John slip into it.
John zipped it up.
Cameron replaced Allison's and Vanna's arms back in John's arms again.
The three of them were sort of speechless.
"The cold doesn't affect me." Cameron said. "I want John to remain warm so his blood will flow nicely. It will be important for later on. Good blood flow is important for a strong erection."
Cameron leaned forward and kissed John. As she did, both Allison and Vanna each kissed one of her cheeks.
When Cameron backed up the three of them could see her eyes glowed blue.
Cameron wanted to offer them some additional incentives.
"You three will sit in the back seat of the van." Cameron said. "Vanna may have some pressure build up. You can both help her out. It will make her feel more comfortable."
Cameron smiled at them again and walked away. She paused and looked back for a second. She wanted to remind them of the new reality.
"What happens on the ship, stays on the ship." Cameron said. "It applies in the van too. Mary, Leticia and Laura all had a drink. John and Allison should too. Vanna can assist them with it."
They all caught Cameron's 'joke', even if it wasn't a joke.
Cameron gave the three of them a wink and continued on.
John, Allison and Vanna watched Cameron rejoin the other Metal girls. Mary was paired up with Gail-Cam, Holly was with Laura and Sheila was with Leticia.
Vanna and Allison each held one of John's arms. They were both pressed up against him. The reality of what might happen was clear to the three of them.
They were all still a little stunned about everything which just occurred. At first it looked like everything was promising to move things along. When Cameron approached, it seemed like it was all going to change. It looked like she was going to put the brakes on everything. It was just the opposite. It was another affirmation from Cameron about what she wanted to happen. She was very explicit in her explanation why she gave John her coat and what it would help him achieve.
Allison was ready to move forward. She tried to joke a little about it.
"Does it mean we should head back to the ship right away?" Allison asked.
Vanna wanted to do so very much right now. She couldn't help but worry about what happened just a few seconds ago.
"I'm all for it." Vanna said. "I want to get started before Cameron changes her mind again."
John didn't know what to make of everything. Most likely Cameron would buckle again. He didn't want to force the issue. He wanted to make sure Cameron was on board completely. He doubted she would be. He didn't want to be the one to cross the line and hurt Cameron again. If she really wanted it to happen, she would make it happen.
"I think we better stay with Cameron for now." John said. "I don't want any problems. We all know how things usually play out."
Allison looked at Cameron as she watched the three Metal girls at 'work'.
She was aware of what Cameron said to her and even guided her on several times. She did worry about what the repercussions may be when it actually occurred. She laughed as she thought of something.
"I was going to say I've never had my neck snapped before, but I guess I have." Allison said. "Well, almost anyway."
Vanna thought it could be worse.
"I've never had my head ripped off before." Vanna said.
Mary, Laura and Leticia finished their drinks. Anyone who needed to make a restroom stop did.
Frank pulled up with the van and everyone got in. Cameron sat in the front seat.
"What happened to the 'tour guide'?" Mary asked as she settled in next to Gail-Cam.
Cameron looked back from Dan's seat.
"He was needed on another tour." Cameron said. "The driver can take over with the information. He's as experienced as the tour guide."
The van had four rows of seats in the back.
Mary and Gail-Cam were in the first row.
Laura and Holly were in the second row.
Leticia and Sheila were in the third row.
Vanna, Allison and John were in the last row. The weapons were behind them.
The van pulled away from Fisherman's Wharf.
Ally watched Cameron's group get back into the van. She quickly looked around. She looked for an available vehicle.
"They're going to leave." Ally said. "We need some wheels."
Jim and Bob wanted to acquire a vehicle earlier. Cam-Gail told them to wait.
"We will need to get moving to stay up with them." Bob said.
Jim wondered if he could just go back to the ship. He wondered if there was something else in the works.
"I hope Cam-Gail comes to get us." Jim said. "I can go back and take over for her in the Control Center."
Hanna moved over and took Jim's arm again. She didn't want Jim to leave them.
"Relax, 'The Warriors' are sticking together." Hanna said.
Ally hoped for a little more later on. They saw Cameron pair the Metal girls up with Mary, Laura and Leticia. She wanted Hanna and herself in the line up. She hoped John, Vanna and Allison would go back to the ship. If they did, they could rejoin the other group as 'Vanna' and 'Allison'. They could say John felt under the weather. She didn't want to get ahead of herself. Right now it was the four of them. They were 'The Warriors'.
"We'll stick together until we can make our move on those three girls." Ally said.
Jim saw his chance to get back to the ship.
"Cam-Gail can join you three as 'Cameron'." Jim said. "It should work out for everyone."
Another van pulled up where they waited. This one was smaller than the one Cameron's group was using. The front door swung open.
"Come with me if you want to leave." Dan said.
They are all a little surprised at the turn of events. It wasn't what they'd expected. They understood now why they were told to wait and not acquire a vehicle on their own.
'The Warriors' all piled in. Jim sat in the front and Bob sat in the first row seat. Ally and Hanna sat behind him. They planned to pass the time with each other. They didn't think they would actually need to enter combat at any point along the way.
The doors closed. Dan started out after Frank's van. They hadn't traveled very far or gone too fast so it was easy to close up on them.
John Henry noticed Claire and Jan finished what they were doing. Jan headed back to see her parents and Claire began to look around. Jesse left earlier to nurse Precious. Normally Summer would leave to avoid being caught in the Command Center.
"Your mother is coming." John Henry said.
Summer was aware of everything. She continued what she was doing.
"I took care of it." Summer said. "I'm not done here yet."
John Henry watched as Claire approached. Just before she made the turn to head to the Command Center, she was intercepted by Samantha. They talked for a few seconds and then they quickly headed towards Claire's room. They started to undress each other as they hurried along. They both seemed highly excited. They disappeared inside.
John Henry was a little concerned with the implications of what he'd just witnessed. He often believed Cameron used sex to control just about everyone. The majority of it was done by the Metal girls. It was what he'd just witnessed here as well. He knew Cameron wasn't involved in this instance.
"Did you set things up?" John Henry asked.
Summer didn't look up.
"Everyone's happy." Summer said. "Leave it at that."
John Henry was going to ask about Jesse. He quickly realized she would be thrilled to find Samantha in Claire's room when she returned from Riley's room. He figured the three of them would be happy. He was sure Summer called Young Allison and ran the request by her. He figured Young Allison forwarded it to CamNet who sent Samantha to cover for Summer.
John Henry knew Summer may 'look' like a young teenager, she was anything but one. She was cold and calculating when she needed to be. She would prove to be ruthless when she assisted the Resistance. He always thought Young Allison's actions might seem a little extreme at times. He believed Summer would take it a lot further when she needed to. She would make all the decisions the same way a supercomputer would. She would have her humanity to influence her as to exactly how far things could be pushed.
He still didn't understand how she was able to break River's encryption. It was something he worked on continuously through his server. Even though the encryption was off, he still attempted to tackle the problem. How did she do it in a matter of seconds? How was she going to make it 'harder'?
John Henry glanced over at Summer as she worked. She briefly lifted her head and winked at him. She immediately returned to what she was doing. He figured he better do the same thing.
Savannah was aware of what they were about to face.
Cammy looked at her. She wondered how far Savannah was willing to go. Cameron wasn't with her this time. She was.
"Are you going to kill them?" Cammy asked.
Savannah was sure it would come to it. It always seemed to. She would like to attempt to find some common ground.
"I would like to speak with them first." Savannah said.
Cammy thought it was a bad idea. It would immediately put a target on Savannah's back.
"They may kill you." Cammy said. "You're a 'Metal Lover'."
Savannah smiled.
"I guess that's true in more ways than one." Savannah said. "I am a 'Metal Lover' and I have a Metal lover. I'll be sure to let them know it."
Cammy hoped Savannah was joking. It certainly sounded like an even worse idea. She wanted to let the Grays and anti-Metal faction fight with each other first. They would kill each other off. It would make their job less risky.
"I think we should hang back at first." Cammy said.
Savannah was unsure where things would lead.
"We'll see." Savannah said.
Savannah hoped to have some positive influence with the anti-Metal group first. She didn't like the threat they posed to the Resistance. They still saw Skynet as the enemy. She didn't think they should see the Resistance as the enemy. The anti-Metal faction was a splinter group of the Resistance themselves.
She believed it was based on personal hatred. All of the people from the anti-Metal faction they'd encountered had a personal grudge against Skynet and everything it represented. Some of them may have been affected by a Resistance Terminator in the future who 'went bad'. Nobody knew why.
John Henry watched as the trio of Grays headed north on the 101 freeway. Summer glanced at the screen and the satellite map with everyone's current position on it.
"Alert Steve, Tom, Al and Ed there are most likely three carloads of Grays approaching their position." Summer said. "Remind them they'll have increased drone support.
John Henry wondered how she made the determination other than they were headed north on the 101 freeway.
"Do you think it's linked to the equipment we're looking for?" John Henry asked.
Summer looked at all the data.
"Yes." Summer said. "I've studied everything."
John Henry knew she was in the Command Center for short time.
"You studied everything?" John Henry asked.
Summer smiled.
"It didn't take long." Summer said. "I'm a fast learner."
It left the other set of Grays and the anti-Metal faction to deal with.
"Do you know where the second set of Grays is headed?" John Henry asked.
Summer checked where Cammy and Savannah were at.
"Not yet." Summer said. "I don't think it's very far."
Steve's team and Al's team received the alert.
They'd taken several locations under observation.
"The recent turn of events may help us out." Steve said.
Tom hoped so. He liked the additional air support on the way.
"There's a force of our drones covering them." Tom said. "It will give us better offensive power."
They'd been sent earlier to search for HK equipment which was moved and hidden somewhere. They didn't know what the status or alert level of the location would be with the HK equipment.
"I think we need to act before they get any of the HK equipment powered up." Tom said.
Steve was aware they hadn't found any of the HK equipment yet.
"Let's hope it doesn't find us first." Steve said.
It would be better if they located the HK equipment before it became active.
Frank drove the van away from Fisherman's Wharf.
Mary spotted something almost immediately. She felt a rush of excitement.
"Look, there's a cable car." Mary said.
Cameron wanted to do things in the order she'd planned out. There were some specific reasons why.
"We will ride the cable car after we finish with the Golden Gate Bridge." Cameron said. "There are other things to see."
Laura thought of one she always saw in pictures or TV.
"Where's the curvy street?" Laura asked.
Frank acted the part of the tour guide.
"Lombard Street is right up the cable car line from here." Frank said. "It is only about a quarter of a mile away."
Laura knew if they were in the cable car, they wouldn't stop or go down the street. She wasn't sure if they would even be able to see it.
"Can we go there first?" Laura asked. "It sounds really close."
Cameron thought it would be fine. She wanted to seem accommodating to the girls. She hoped for some reciprocity later on.
"I think it will work." Cameron said.
Cameron looked over at Frank and nodded.
Frank made the turn onto Hyde Street.
"There's Ghirardelli Square off to our right." Frank said.
They all spotted the giant Ghirardelli sign.
Leticia remembered seeing the sign from the ship earlier. She thought it looked big then. It looked even bigger where they were at right now.
"It's a really big sign." Leticia said.
They couldn't turn left off of Hyde Street onto Lombard Street. There was a 'No Left Turn' sign to prevent vehicles from sitting on the cable car track in order to make the left hand turn when there was a lot of traffic. Frank needed to cut over one street first to approach the down hill segment of Lombard Street from a block away. He went up the hill and made the turn onto Lombard Street. There were still a few cars waiting to make the short down hill drive. He fell into line to wait their turn.
"Is it really the 'crookedest street in the world'?" Laura asked.
Frank thought he would stick with what the sign said. He was aware the 'crookedest street in San Francisco' was actually 'Vermont Street'. It was located in the Potrero Hill neighborhood on the other side of town. It wasn't part of Cameron's plan for the night. There was no need to mention it.
"If you're a visitor to San Francisco it is." Frank said.
They stopped at the intersection of Hyde and Lombard.
"Here comes a cable car." Leticia said.
Frank waited and the cable car clanged by. He crossed over Hyde Street and went down the narrow winding narrow street. He found it irritating to drive on.
Everyone felt the experience was a little anticlimactic.
John felt it was worth commenting on. It wasn't in a positive sense either.
"It seemed to be a lot of hoopla about nothing." John said.
Allison thought it was fun.
"I liked it." Allison said. "How often will we ever get to do it?"
Vanna wasn't sure Allison referred just to the street.
Cameron looked back from the front passenger's seat.
"Tony is a killjoy, Peggy." Cameron said.
It brought a round of laughter.
Leticia looked back. She was happy she was with 'Sue' right now, but maybe the girls in the back would share a little more. She'd give 'Tony' a whirl if the occasion arose. She wanted a crack at the redhead too. It looked like 'Tony' had two of the girls lined up for tonight; maybe she could make it three girls for him. A 'four way' with three females in it was always the best. The male could only play the part of a male a few times. The girls were good to go non stop.
Sheila noted the distraction.
"I'm right here, love." Sheila whispered. "I'm all you'll need."
Leticia smiled at Sheila.
"Sure, Sue, it'll be a blast." Leticia said.
Frank came around the block and eventually ended back up on the other side of Lombard street as they headed for the Golden Gate Bridge. It was signed as the '101', even as the street angled and changed names. It was no longer a freeway at this point. The '101' stopped being a freeway about halfway through San Francisco. It turned into surface streets until it was past the Golden Gate Bridge.
They entered the Presidio. It was very dark around them. They could see the bridge coming up. It was big and there was some fog around.
"There may be a little fog." Frank said. "If we're lucky, it will pass. It comes and goes."
Leticia looked at Cameron and then back at John.
Sheila wanted Leticia to focus on her. She slid her hand over and moved it up Leticia's leg. It got her attention.
Allison and Vanna liked going across the bridge and they liked the view of the city from across the bay. It was nice, but not as impressive as the helicopter ride was. Mary, Laura and Leticia all liked it. John thought it was OK but really no big deal. He liked flying under it, and then over it, in the Blackhawk better.
They crossed the bridge and went through the hassle to get turned around. They came back over the Golden Gate Bridge towards the city. There was no wispy fog on the way back. The view of the city at night was nice.
Sheila continued to stimulate Leticia. She pushed her right to the 'edge' and stopped. Leticia looked at her with wide eyes and Sheila started again. Leticia was able to finish before they exited the bridge. Cameron, Holly and Gail all knew what Sheila just did for Leticia. No one else was the wiser.
Frank was soon at Ghirardelli Square. No one wanted to stop. They were all excited about riding the cable car instead.
Allison looked at the Ghirardelli sign while they were on the ship. She saw it from the helicopter three times and from across the bay on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. Now they were near it again.
"It is really a big sign." Allison said.
Frank turned onto Hyde street and let them off. He told them he'd meet them on the 'other side' at the other end of the line, its other terminus.
Cameron led the group towards the cable car stop. They could hear a cable car approach. As she walked up to the kiosk, it spit out ten tickets. She hadn't put any money in or even touched anything yet.
Mary noticed the 'hands off' transaction but said nothing. It was one more 'crazy' thing about this group. There almost seemed to be a touch of 'magic' to them.
Cameron saw Mary noticed what happened with the tickets. It wasn't by accident. She wanted to give them all something to think about. Not much of what happened involving them from the time they were rescued in Golden Gate Park was going to be left up to chance. She had plans for them. She expected them to play out. They were also alternate plans in the works.
The cable car arrived and was turned on the turntable. They got on and it took off back up the hill. Since it was later in the evening, it wasn't very crowded. There were still other tourists.
Ally and Hanna were bored following the other van.
"This gig really blows." Ally said.
Bob was a little offended.
"We're to provide security, not sightsee." Bob said.
Jim felt the same way too, even if he wanted to be back on the ship.
"John's safety is important." Jim said.
Hanna knew Ally was just blowing off steam.
"We all know that." Hanna said.
Dan looked back. He doubted they would like the next part any better. He knew it was going to be a slow drive.
"It's probably going to blow a little more." Dan said. "We'll need to follow the cable car to its destination."
Ally wondered if CamNet could speed it up. She was sure they could increase the electrical output to increase the speed of the cable.
"Is there any way to make it go faster?" Ally asked.
It seemed like a dangerous idea to Hanna.
"Just relax. We don't need any safety issues. The convertible ride with Sheila was enough excitement for the day." Hanna said. "We don't sleep. We have time for everything."
They waited and watched the team board the cable car and head up the hill.
"Follow the leader." Ally said.
Dan looked back.
"We are." Dan said.
Ally was going to say something but Hanna stopped her. The male Terminators took everything seriously. Joking around didn't go over well with them. They saw how Bob and Jim reacted to 'The Warriors' scenario. They took it literally.
The cable car ride was a cold one and uneventful. They could see Alcatraz in the background as they went up the hill. They passed mostly small businesses and homes along the way. They could see the taller buildings. Cameron pointed out other things as they passed them. The cable car turned onto another street.
John wondered how it could do it. He looked over at a building which caught his eye.
Cameron noticed where John looked.
"That's the cable car museum." Cameron said. "It's closed right now."
John thought it might be an interesting place to visit. He doubted anyone else would think so. He didn't say anything.
There was a lot of activity ahead of them.
"Chinatown is in front of us." Cameron said.
Right after she said it, the cable car turned onto another street.
John figured there must be a complicated system of pulleys at the corners.
"We're coming up on the California Street cable car line." Cameron said.
Their cable car stopped and a larger cable car went across the street in front of them. After it passed, they crossed over the tracks and continued along.
John really wondered how all the cables didn't get tangled with each other. He looked in back of them and there was another cable car behind them now. Where did it come from?
"How is there another cable car behind us?" John asked. "It wasn't there a minute ago."
Cameron was aware what the three cable car routes were.
"It's the cable car from the other line. It stops short of Fisherman's Wharf." Cameron said. "They share the same track for part of the way to the terminus."
John really wondered how all of it worked. They'd passed a few cable cars going the other direction.
Cameron pointed out a few more landmarks along the way. They arrived at the terminus and everyone got off. Frank pulled up on Market Street out in front of them and they all re-boarded the van.
The girls were all doing a lot of touching with each other as they re-entered the van.
Cameron was a little upset to see John wasn't touching Vanna and Allison. They didn't touch him either. For some reason they'd seemed upset when she gave John her coat earlier. She wanted to see what everyone wanted to do.
"Would you like to continue the tour tonight, or go back to the ship?" Cameron asked.
Leticia was about to say all she needed was a back seat but refrained from saying it. She'd really wanted to be 'plowed' by 'Tony' on the cable car as it went up the hill. She thought it would be something really special to do. It made her wonder how many times it happened over the years. She was sure there were some videos out there of people doing it.
John wanted to continue the tour. He was in no hurry to get back to the ship and deal with whatever Cameron planned. He thought it would be better to give her some more time to think about everything. He didn't want any more last minute changes.
Vanna moved her lips to John's ear. She wanted to make what she wanted clear to John. She wanted to try it at least one time by her own choice.
"John, I want you to have me tonight." Vanna whispered. "I want to be with you."
Allison's lips were against his other ear.
"I want it too." Allison whispered. "Tonight's the night."
John swallowed hard. It wasn't the only thing hard either at this point.
Cameron, Holly, Gail-Cam and Sheila all looked back at them. They all smiled and Cameron winked.
Maybe something could really happen this time. They were all comfortable with each other so there wouldn't be any 'hang ups'.
CamNet's Terminators continue to prioritize and stage everything which would be confiscated.
They found out they wouldn't receive as much drone support as they were earlier told. There'd been some new developments with some of the other operations.
They also noted the hasty retreat of the teenagers at the end of the cul-de-sac. They weren't sure if some type of confrontation occurred between them and the homeless men. The homeless men had entered the building shortly before the teenagers ran out and left in a hurry.
The drone over their location moved in closer to take a look. It didn't detect anyone inside of the building. They knew for a fact the homeless men it only entered a few minutes ago.
"We're going to need to see what's going on down there." Lena said.
Tina thought there were several things they needed to do.
"The female Fanatic appears to be close to her destination." Tina said. "I'd like to make it her final destination."
They were instructed to continue working to get as much ready as possible before the big rigs arrived.
CamNet's Terminators were soon informed the first two trucks would arrive shortly. They gave instructions on which bays the big rig should back up to.
The two homeless men weren't sure what they'd stumbled across in the basement of the burnt out building.
The first homeless man decided to check out what else was down there.
"Let me take the light while you wait here." The first homeless man said.
The second homeless man was worried what he would find. He picked a lighter up off of the ground amongst the discarded drug paraphernalia and ignited it.
"Don't take too long." The second homeless man said. "I want to get out of here too."
The first homeless man nodded. He moved into an adjoining room. He could see the door was freshly broken open. It looked like someone needed to work a long time on it. He saw a tire iron on the ground next to it. He figured the stoners probably took the one out of their vehicle.
He switched the flashlight to his left hand and picked up the tire iron with his right hand. He didn't think he would need it for what he was about to view. He also didn't want to run into anyone else.
He shined the light into the far corner. He could see there was a row of feet. There appear to be a half dozen individuals laying on their back. From the stench in the room, he was sure they were all deceased. He moved a little closer. He was afraid he was going to find the two missing homeless females amongst them.
The figures appeared to all be fully clothed. They were in various states of decomposition. They all looked to be in very bad condition. It was clear most of them had broken bones by the way their limbs looked on their battered bodies. His first impression was they'd all been in some type of a terrible accident. He wasn't sure what could bust up a human body in such a manner. It was clear they didn't all die at the same time. Who would line them up like this? Was it part of some cult ritual? Maybe it's what happened to the females.
His biggest concern right now was if whoever had been involved in whatever happened down there would return. He understood why the stoners were in such a hurry to depart the location. They must have thought the same thing.
He was tempted to search the men to see if they had any money on them. He just couldn't bring himself to do it. He looked as best as he could one more time to verify none of the decomposing figures were a female. They didn't appear to be.
It was time to leave. He quickly hurried out into the other room. He half expected to see the other homeless man gone. He was still there.
"What did you find?" The second homeless man asked.
The first homeless man thought it was a good idea to return back to their hovel on the far side of the railroad tracks.
"There are a few stiffs in there." The first homeless man said. "They're all males. They're in really bad shape."
The second homeless man looked over towards the doorway. He noted the first homeless man still carried the tire iron in his right hand.
"You're not going to do it to me are you?" The second homeless man asked.
The first homeless man still held onto the tire iron.
"No, I'm not." The first homeless man said. "We need to get out of here. I'm going to hang on to this until we're clear of the building. It appears whatever happened to those men was done intentionally. I hope it's not part of some cult thing."
The second homeless man worried a little more when he heard about a cult.
"Do you think the cult may have put the grab on the girls?" The second man asked.
The first homeless man headed for the stairway.
"I don't know what happened here." The first homeless man said. "I don't want to find out either. I don't think we should ever mention this to anyone. I don't want someone to think we know something and then the same thing happens to us."
The second homeless man was a little worried about something else too.
"The stoners may have called the cops." The second homeless man said. "Let's get moving before they show up. They'll pin it on us. You know the homeless get blamed for everything."
The two homeless men went up the stairs. They paused a few stairs before the top.
The first homeless man turned off the light.
"Let's listen for a few seconds to make sure there's no one else around." The first homeless man whispered.
It sounded quiet to both of them. They cautiously moved up the stairs. They decided to go out the same way they'd entered. The quickest way out of the building was where the stoners exited from. It would also be the most likely entry for the police or anyone else to enter the building from.
They made it out of the burnt out building a minute later. They turned off the flashlight before they exited. There was enough moonlight for them to see to move around. They moved along the spur track. They were going to pick up the siding and follow it back to the main line. They decided to take the shortest way back to their encampment. It was through the narrow gap between the two buildings where the siding passed through. It was the location the rail gang of illegals seem to frequent.
They spotted two sets of headlights coming down The cul-de-sac from the main street.
"I think it's the cops." The second homeless man said.
The first homeless man stopped at the corner of one of the buildings before they entered the gap and looked down the street.
"Those are big rigs." The first homeless man said.
Big rigs weren't uncommon around the industrial area where they 'lived'.
"Let's just go back." The second homeless man said. "I don't want to remain around here any longer."
After everything he just witnessed, the first homeless man thought it was time to move on. They'd been in one location too long anyway.
"I think when we get back to our encampment, we should collect whatever we can carry and leave." The first homeless man said.
The second homeless man knew the first homeless man didn't spook easily.
"How bad was it really?" The second homeless man asked.
The first homeless man still held the tire iron in his right hand.
"It was bad enough we don't ever want to ever come back here again." The first homeless man said. "What was done to those men was done on purpose."
The two homeless men entered the narrow gap where the railroad siding passed between the two buildings.
The female Fanatic looked at her satellite images again to where the road she was on would lead. It looks like it led to a warehouse at the end of a dirt road.
She didn't know if the car would be discovered or not if the vehicle behind her was a second chase vehicle. Clearly the first one was. She had to wonder if the current location where she'd been led to might be part of some elaborate ambush. It seemed like a good idea to get away from her vehicle before the other vehicle arrived.
It was time to take what she could carry easily. She decided to take the satchel charge and the other bomb with her. She put two bottles of water in one of her cargo pockets. She decided to take one of the other pistols, but leave the rifles and other pistol behind. She thought about locking them in the trunk but decided against it. She went over to a nearby tree and placed them between two roots which protruded above the ground. She grabbed some brush and threw it over the top of them.
She quickly moved across the road to the opposite side from where her vehicle was parked. She moved back about a hundred feet and sought cover behind some bushes. She wanted to wait to see what would happen. The vehicle behind her should either continue on the main street or make the turn to where she was at.
So far the other vehicle hadn't made its appearance. She could still hear the big truck off in the distance. She couldn't see the tail lights at all. The cloud of dust obscured everything where it went.
If the other vehicle was able to track her, and could spot her vehicle parked behind the bushes down the road on the other side, she figured they would stop about right where she was at. It seemed her best course of action would be to engage them as soon as they were clear of the vehicle.
The female Fanatic waited in silence. She couldn't hear the big truck anymore. She heard some crunching noise of rocks and dirt near the main road. Another SUV made the turn at idle speed. The headlights were off.
Where Were We Going
When two people share
It can leave a heart glowing
It can spark an inner fire
As if hit by lightning
Some may feel empowered
Their bluster leads to crowing
The feelings that were expanding
Contract as they start slowing
The feeling of joy
Has left a heart burning
The mind is left clouded
The gut is constantly churning
Confusion, uncertainty and doubt
Cause a soul to start cracking
The world around them
Starts tumbling and spinning
Everything sends out a warning
As they search for meaning
There's no way of knowing
Where are we going
Nobody