Chapter 1389
Withering Figure
Savannah turned off her body cam, com, night vision and phone prior to the first EMP blast. She waited to turn them back on. She wasn't sure if there would be a second EMP blast.
She lifted her silenced M9 and pointed it at the backs of the two men from the anti-Metal group. She hesitated to shoot them in the back. She remembered 'those eyes' of the female Gray she'd strangled. It still bothered her. She needed to remind herself the female Gray tried to strangle her first. Cameron's hands over her hands made sure she finished the job.
There was an explosion in front of her. She felt something strike her vest. One of the Grays must have tossed a grenade before, or during, the time he was shot by her.
He evidently tossed it where he'd heard the two men laugh. Her night vision was off. She dared to turn it back on. Nothing happened. It didn't work.
Damn.
She needed to rely on the moonlight.
One of the men in front of her began a sobbing type scream. It was very unnerving. She spotted his withering figure. It looked like his head was trying to tear itself off of his unmoving body as it jerked around in every direction. He must have been paralyzed below the neck somewhere. The man next to him didn't move at all.
She aimed and fired one silenced round. His head jerked forward and stayed there. The screaming stopped at the same time.
Savannah tried her night vision again. It still didn't function. She turned her com on. It worked. She figured she could still get a pretty good idea what was happening around her, even if she couldn't see it.
"I lost my night vision." Savannah said. "I need to know what's happening around me. I want John Henry to tell me where things are in relation to me. Use the hours on a clock for reference based on the direction my body is facing."
Savannah switched to her M4. She might have to do 'recon by fire'. If she was told there was a target she needed to engage, she would have a good idea where to shoot.
John Henry got her up to speed on everything. She'd preselected several other locations to move to if she needed to fight. She moved to one of those now. The four men closest to her were already dead.
"Cameron has requested to assist you, two drones have as well." John Henry said.
Savannah was still unsure what was happening as far as a second EMP. After listening to the anti-Metal group talk about what they'd done, she didn't want any of their Terminators captured.
John Henry assured her it was clear around her. Two of the anti-Metal group went out to check on the Grays that'd tripped the two Claymore mines.
Their move only left only one man anywhere near her in the ditch, and the one by the vehicles.
She carefully moved toward the one man in the ditch. She stopped when John Henry informed her she was one hundred feet from him.
"Two of the Grays have regrouped." John Henry said. "The two men from the anti-Metal faction are moving towards where the two dead Grays are who tripped the mines. I don't think they know there are two more Grays still in the fight."
Savannah didn't want the Grays to kill any more of the anti-Metal group.
"Can the Grays be taken down with a missile which won't affect the other men?" Savannah asked.
John Henry did the math.
"No." John Henry said.
Savannah wanted to warn the anti-Metal group.
"Fire a missile in back of the Grays so they're silhouetted by the explosion behind them. They may even catch some shrapnel." Savannah said. "Make sure it's far enough back so the other two men aren't injured."
A few seconds later there was another explosion followed by gunfire.
"The Grays are down." John Henry said. "One of the other men looks wounded. They're headed back to their position."
Savannah decided to remain where she was. She waited and watched. The two men arrived back at the ditch. Both of the men worked on the injured man. The man by the vehicles came over to assist. They wondered where the other two men were at. They sent one man to check on them.
She tried her night vision again. It worked this time. She put it back on.
"My night vision started to work again. I want you to keep me posted where everyone is." Savannah said. "It may go out again. I think it's damaged."
The two men who'd worked on the third man suddenly stopped. The wounded man must not have made it.
The third man soon rejoined the other two.
"Ramsey and Ski are wasted." The third man said. "They took down two Grays in the process. It looked like one of the Grays threw a grenade."
Savannah saw him set down some weapons he'd collected from the dead.
"Well, at least they took them out before they died." The second man said.
"Maybe we better clear out." The first man said.
"What about our people?" The second man asked. "We just can't leave them."
"Get over it." The third man said. "It's how it is. It's just like in the future. Sometimes we can collect our dead, most of the time we can't. Right now we can't deal with them."
"What was the explosion behind those other two Grays?" The first man asked.
"I don't know." The second man said. "They must have set off a booby trap they tried to set for us. We saw them plain as day silhouetted with the explosion in back of them. They still got Teddy though. I have his EMP."
Savannah was afraid they might have an additional EMP. The man's statement confirmed it. She didn't want any of their team to move up. They were all susceptible to it, except her.
The men debated whether to go back and strip the other four dead Grays of weapons. They were afraid of tripping a booby trap if the Grays may have set any more. They decided to pull out instead.
They took the collected weapons and headed back to their vehicles. The first two men got into one of them and the third man who'd uncovered the vehicles got into the other one. He started his car and drove away a short distance while the other two men loaded the weapons in their trunk.
The third man stopped about fifty yards away. The first two men entered their vehicle. It blew up when they started it. The third man got out of his car to observe them better. He walked about twenty feet from his car to watch. He was most likely a Gray or a Fanatic who'd infiltrated the anti-Metal group.
Savannah watched as the driver's door opened on the car which exploded and a burning figure emerged. There was a ghastly scream coming from him as he rolled around on the ground. She was about to raise her M4 and shoot him. She saw the dirt around him fly up in a couple of dozen places. She knew what it was. It was 'metal hail' from a high altitude gravity shot from a drone. They were still being held at a safer distance in case there was a second EMP detonated.
"A drone is ready to disable the Gray's car." John Henry said.
Savannah wanted it done.
"Do it." Savannah said.
A few seconds later, there was the sound of metal hitting metal as another high altitude gravity shot was fired. The man looked back at his car. He was puzzled by what happened to the burning man and even more so by what just happened to his car. There was no sound of gunfire. It sounded like 'metal hail'. The car started to burn.
"The team can move up." Savannah said. "This last guy only has a pistol on him."
Savannah could hear the sound of running after a short while. Cameron and Cammy showed up on each side of her.
"Ally and Hanna are on our left flank. Bob and Sheila are on our right flank." Cameron said. "We're all here."
They all moved toward the last man.
He knew someone was out there. There was a burning vehicle on both sides of him. He thought about trying to find one of the Gray's vehicles until he saw there were figures all around him now. He knew he was cornered.
At this point, they didn't know which group the man represented.
Cameron didn't want Savannah or Hanna to approach him in case he was a Fanatic. She didn't want him to taint Savannah in front of the other Terminators. She asked Bob to move up some but not to get too close.
Savannah removed her night vision. With the two burning cars, there was enough light to see fairly well. She raised her M4 and sighted in on the man.
Bob approached the man.
"Do you want to talk, or do you want to die?" Bob asked.
The man looked defiant.
"You'll never defeat SkyMaster." The man screamed. "Ascension!"
He made a frantic grab for his pistol.
It was all Savannah needed to hear. She fired one shot. It struck the man in the chest. He toppled over backwards. As soon as he hit the ground, the dirt around him flew up in a dozen places. He was hit with another high altitude gravity shot.
Bob started to move towards him.
"Stay away from him." Savannah said. "I want everyone to fall back some right now."
They'd encountered exploding Fanatics in the past. It seemed they liked to play with bombs.
Seconds ago:
Young Allison and Anna were concerned with Savannah out there alone. They were pleased none of their team was affected by the EMP.
They watched everything play out.
"I want drones to target both of those vehicles for a missile strike or a high altitude gravity shot." Young Allison said. "Have it ready and calculated."
Anna received confirmation there was already a drone at altitude over them. It was clear someone had already taken some pre-emptive action. She thought it was Summer. She smiled to herself. Summer had pre-empted Young Allison's pre-emptive action.
They watched the explosion and the burning man tumble out of the flaming car.
"Fire a burst into him." Young Allison said.
Anna received confirmation.
"It's done." Anna said.
They were glad Savannah indicated it was OK for the team to move up and reinforce her.
"Hit the Gray's car the same way." Young Allison said. "Target the Gray too."
As soon as Young Allison heard the SkyMaster reference, she acted.
"Take him down." Young Allison said. "He's a Fanatic."
Anna went over the drone footage.
"All the targets are neutralized." Anna said.
It looked like this leg of the operation was concluded.
Earlier:
Summer watched the situation unfold after the EMP blast.
"I think we should move a drone over the target area at altitude." Summer said. "It should be ready to do a gravity shot with metal hail or drop a missile like a gravity bomb. Both methods will deliver ordinance to the target."
John Henry was surprised all of the drones in the theater volunteered. CamNet selected one and had it move into position.
They watched as Young Allison called the shots.
John Henry observed Summer as the events unfolded. She didn't seem phased in any way. They're just been nearly a dozen men killed.
"Does any of what you just saw bother you?" John Henry asked.
Summer looked at the screens one more time.
"No." Summer said. "They were the enemy. We won and they lost."
They sounded like words he'd heard from both Cameron and Young Allison before.
"What would you have done differently?" John Henry asked.
The answer was easy for Summer. She would have liked to take everything a few steps further.
"I would have taken them all down sooner." Summer said. "I would have liked to track one of them back to their lair if possible."
John Henry hoped it could happen sometimes. It often didn't.
"They all come from someplace." John Henry said.
Summer was sure just about everyone from the future could turn into a problem. She believed each of the groups she'd witnessed were overconfident. It was because they didn't know the true extent of what they faced.
"The three different groups all thought they held the upper hand at one point." Summer said. "They never understood they were always locked up with a missile for each of them."
John Henry was proud they stayed off the 'radar' of the other groups.
"We try to operate in the shadows." John Henry said.
Summer thought it was a good thing.
"Darkness helps hide the shadows." Summer said.
John Henry knew it was getting late.
"I think you'd better wrap it up soon." John Henry said. "It appears everything is concluded where the team is at."
Summer agreed for a different reason.
"Samantha will be out soon because Jesse is back." Summer said.
John Henry wondered if Summer didn't want Samantha to know she was manipulated.
"Are you trying to cover your tracks?" John Henry asked.
Summer thought about it for a second.
"No." Summer said. "CamNet will do it for me, if she thinks it's necessary. I trust her judgment."
John Henry worried again about how deep Summer was 'in' with CamNet.
"You need to use discretion." John Henry said.
Summer smiled at him as she left. He was sure she winked at him before she disappeared. He quickly replayed the file. She did.
He looked at the security monitors. He didn't see Summer on any of them. He looked around the Command Center to make sure she wasn't still there. He didn't see her. Then again, he never seemed to see her either until she wanted him to.
He remembered Summer said she was like a leaf in the wind. He thought she was more like a shadow at night. She did mention the darkness helped hide the shadows. Now he wondered if it was meant as a literal statement or a metaphor. He'd observed a lot of darkness in Cameron and Sheila. It didn't have anything to do with illumination either.
Savannah took Cameron off to the side. She appreciated the fact she was there. She didn't like the fact she was there though. It took away from her time with John. It also allowed unfettered access to other things which didn't need to happen. At least not now they didn't. She also knew if the combat would have been more widespread, Cameron or any of the others, could have been damaged. She knew if Cameron's sheath was damaged. It would spoil her vacation.
"I know why you came here." Savannah said.
Cameron felt based on what happened she was justified.
"It was as I feared." Cameron said. "I've moved to rectify the problem for John. He must have human companionship."
Savannah knew Cameron was hinting at her again. She remembered what Young Allison told her was occurring on the ship, probably at this very moment.
"It seems he already has." Savannah said.
Cameron looked at Savannah for a long moment. She still wasn't sure what would happen with either Vanna or Allison. There was a better than even chance one, or both of them, would 'blink' and not go through with it. There was a lot of emotional baggage for them to carry.
"Has he?" Cameron asked. "I don't know it for a fact. What happens on the ship, says on the ship. You heard these people. I want John protected. What will they do to him? What will they do to me? What will they do to you? You'd better think about it. They were serious."
Savannah wasn't going to get involved with it. She wanted to rectify something else.
"I want you back on the ship tonight." Savannah said. "You can go back now. This operation is concluded and your assessment of the anti-Metal group was spot on."
Cameron wanted to make a point. She also wanted to present an opportunity.
"Will you come with me?" Cameron asked. "John would appreciate it as much as I would."
Savannah thought maybe John already experienced enough virgins on the ship, even if Cameron was behind all of those endeavors so far. There was one thing which still worried her.
"Are you going to take Cammy and Samantha back with you?" Savannah asked.
Cameron smiled. She didn't want to overplay her hand. She wanted something more specific. It wasn't for herself. Maybe it was, later on.
"They'll allow me to be with John in their chassis soon enough." Cameron said. "I really want you to come back with me."
Savannah knew they still had three cars of Grays to deal with who were headed up the coast. She didn't know how extensive the operation would play out to be.
"I'm not done for the night." Savannah said. "Cammy and I still have a few more things to wrap up."
Cameron wanted to stay. She didn't want Savannah to have to fight her fight.
"I can assist you." Cameron said.
Savannah didn't like the dance. It was time to get firm.
"You're going back to the ship tonight." Savannah said. "We can use the cars the Grays arrived in to get everyone back to Van Nuys."
Cameron wondered how far Savannah would take it. She could stay here if she wanted. There was no 'order' given.
"Will you order me to go back?" Cameron asked.
Savannah smiled. She knew Cameron would think things through.
"If I needed to, I would." Savannah said. "I don't need to."
Cameron already made plans. There was a helicopter enroute. She also knew if she didn't go back on her own, Savannah would order her to go back. She also might order her not to use anyone else's chassis either. It wasn't a chance she was willing to take. She wasn't done yet.
Savannah was a little surprised to hear the distinctive sound of a Huey approaching them.
"I take it the Iroquois for you." Savannah said.
Cameron smiled.
"It is." Cameron said. "We can all fly back to Van Nuys and then Cammy and you can use the Iroquois to catch up on the other operation."
Savannah wondered about their SUV.
"I take it there are a few extra Terminators on board to shuttle the vehicles back." Savannah said.
Cameron checked.
"There are two Terminators who will police this site and gather any intel they can. They will return with Cammy's SUV and one of the vehicles the Grays arrived in."
Savannah was worried about one thing.
"Have them check twice for any hidden tracking devices in the car they take." Savannah said. "We've already seen how these groups infiltrated each other, again. It appears there were three players on the field this time besides us."
Cameron thought about what Savannah said. She wondered if they should just torch the two cars instead.
"I'll have them burn the Gray's vehicles." Cameron said. "You're correct. Both of these groups were infiltrated. They may have something hidden for such an eventuality."
The Iroquois came in low and set down in back of them. Two Terminators exited. Savannah went over and greeted both of them. Cammy gave them her keys after Savannah was done.
Savannah rejoined Cameron.
"Do you want to fly it back?" Cameron asked.
Savannah liked the idea.
"Yes." Savannah said.
She spotted the pilot was Ned. He was one of Cameron's Terminators. She'd met and named him on a prior occasion. He was very pleased at the name the 'Chosen One' gave him. It seemed all of them were.
Savannah moved around to the copilot's side and entered through the door. She wasn't surprised to see everything was already set up and adjusted for her. She reached over and touched Ned's cheek and greeted him. It seemed to please him immensely. He offered to let Cammy or Cameron replace him as pilot. She told him it was unnecessary. He appreciated her confidence in him.
Cameron watched the interaction. She could see Savannah was always comfortable around Terminators and they all were around her. She asked CamNet and John Henry for a report on Savannah's most recent sexual contacts. Both of them refused to give her the information.
It worried her that maybe Savannah didn't want to be with John and only would be if she was pressured into it. She would need to find out what Vanna did, if she did. If Vanna was with John and didn't enjoy herself, it was doubtful Savannah would either. Maybe she was being selfish by trying to have John claim Savannah's virginity. She wasn't bothered by it. She was very pleased she'd been able to deliver the Metal girl's virginity to John as herself.
She would back off on Savannah for now. There were still a few other human females for her to deliver to John. She'd heard everything the two anti-Metal troopers discussed and laughed about. She was glad they were killed or severely wounded by a grenade. She hoped it wasn't Future John and Duplicate Cameron they spoke of. She thought of conducting a temporal mission to check things out after the cruise. Maybe all of the futures needed a visit. She could ask for more Terminators, and bring more chips back in her abdomen.
Savannah strapped in the UH-1 and went over all of the instruments. Everything looked good. She checked in the back, everyone was seated and ready to go. She looked around and then looked up. She lifted smoothly off of the ground and took it up to five thousand feet. She'd checked the map and set her heading.
John Henry confirmed he'd cleared the air space around her and on her heading.
'Coltan Overcast' and 'Cherry Bomb' would accompany her at a higher altitude. If anything entered Savannah's airspace, they would 'take care of it'.
Savannah was pleased to get some night flying time in. Van Nuys should be lit well enough for her to land on her own. She would ask Ned to be ready to take over once she started her descent, just in case she ran into some difficulty. They should be on the ground in less than a half hour.
Cameron checked with Lou and Dan. The 727 was refueled and serviced. It would be ready for takeoff as soon as they boarded. CamNet already made sure they would be given priority status for takeoff and landing. Once they'd landed in the Bay Area, Ken would fly them back to San Francisco. They should be back on board the ship in less than two hours from now.
She thought about checking in with Jim to see how it went with Vanna and Allison. If nothing happened, the girls from the ship would be cycled through the Owner's Suite. John was going to have a human female at his side before the cruise was over.
Cameron was very irritated about what the men laughed about. It wasn't going to happen to John and her. She wanted the girls to help her. She wanted to get John past his hang ups.
Earlier:
Young Allison tracked the Iroquois as it neared the combat zone. She would like to see Savannah returned to the Resistance base as soon as possible.
"I want Savannah to fly back to Van Nuys." Young Allison said. "She can wrap it up for the night."
Anna knew it wouldn't stop there. Savannah would stay with the operation until it was concluded.
"It's highly doubtful. Cammy and Savannah will fly to join Steve and Al's teams and probably get there ahead of Richard's and Hank's teams." Anna said.
There was a good Terminator count, unless the Grays packed an EMP themselves. They'd only encountered the anti-Metal group using those, besides the ones Cameron used herself.
"There will be nine Terminators with Savannah." Young Allison said. "I hope she lets someone else lead this time."
It seemed unlikely to Anna. She told it like she saw it.
"Even if Cammy leads, Savannah will be at her side." Anna said.
Young Allison did know it. There were other issues.
"I know." Young Allison said. "Keep 'Coltan Overcast' and 'Cherry Bomb' with the helicopter and send two with Cameron and her team. Two can remain at the combat site with Cameron's Terminators. The rest of the drones can proceed to where the other Terminators are waiting up the coast."
Anna didn't want to cut in on John Henry. They'd already intruded further on his operation.
"Do you want me to inform John Henry what you've decided or make it as a suggestion to him?" Anna asked.
Young Allison wanted to be a team player.
"Send it as a suggestion to CamNet." Young Allison said. "She can review it and forward it."
Anna knew if CamNet contacted John Henry, he would implement the plan as presented. It would have the same impact as if Young Allison 'ordered' it herself. Either way, Young Allison's plan would happen as she'd wanted it to happen.
Vanna was very pleased to be with Leticia. She found her to be much more exciting than either Mary or Laura had been and they were great. She thought Cameron should use their DNA for any more female Terminators she needed to Resequence in the future.
Being with Leticia took her mind off of her time spent with John. Now she started to think about it again. She began to wonder how Allison was doing. She didn't know if she should join Allison after another hour or so. Maybe Allison would come and join her. Gail-Cam got into bed with Leticia and her. She soon forgot about anything other than where she was at the moment. She really liked Cam in Gail's chassis.
Savannah approached Van Nuys airport. She was given instructions on where to land.
"Ned, if you think anything is off, or I'm doing anything wrong, I want you to take over." Savannah said. "Don't ask, just do it immediately. I don't want to endanger anyone. Safety comes before my ego."
Ned nodded.
"Affirmative…." Ned said.
Savannah smiled at his reply.
She made a clean approach. She set the Iroquois down smoothly and everyone in the back got out except Cammy. She watched them go up the airstair of the 727. It closed behind them.
Dan and Lou had the 727 running. It started to taxi even before the airstair was all the way up.
Savannah sat on the tarmac and waited to see the 727 takeoff. She watched it thunder down the runway and lift off. It seemed like the turn northwestward was a little delayed. It was quite aggressive when it happened.
Cammy traded places with Ned for the next leg of the flight. He moved into the back.
Savannah wondered if any more Terminators would board their flight. She even wondered how many more were available. None showed up. She waited until Cammy checked over all the instruments. She looked back to make sure Ned was secure. She looked over at Cammy.
"Are you ready?" Savannah asked.
Savannah didn't think Cammy would say 'affirmative'.
"Yes." Cammy said.
Savannah looked from side to side and then up. She lifted off smoothly and headed for the 101 freeway. She would parallel it off to her left side. She was a little concerned as to how the Terminators would actually get back to the ship. She didn't want them to take a shortcut.
"I don't want Cameron and her team to jump from the 727 when they're over the ship." Savannah said. "It won't take her much longer to land and use the Blackhawk to fly back there."
Cammy passed on the suggestion to CamNet. She received a positive response.
"It will be as you wish." Cammy said.
Savannah thought maybe it would be. Other events didn't seem to be as she'd wished on the ship. It was out of her hands. What was done was done. Everyone involved had the right to choose. She wanted to try it one time with John too, just to see what it was like. Maybe she would like it, maybe she wouldn't. It would all have to wait. She was in no hurry to be a 'woman'. She enjoyed being a carefree girl with a lot of 'friends'. The best part was, they were all female.
Earlier:
Once Cameron boarded the 727, she moved to the cockpit and took the pilot's seat. Lou had already started to taxi before she arrived. Dan was in the third position.
She was strapped in and had checked all the instruments before they made the turn to line up with One Six Right. She ran the power up and then moved onto the runway. She didn't stop and continued her roll.
She kicked up the power as she started down the runway and glanced over at the Iroquois sitting on the tarmac near the Resistance hanger. She would probably think about Savannah for the rest of the fight. Maybe Savannah didn't want to be with John. She knew Savannah did want to be with her. Maybe she should have made it the offer. They could be in the cargo area of the jet right now and join the 'mile high club' together.
Lou thought Cameron lifted off fine but she hadn't changed her heading.
"You need to make your turn, Cameron." Lou said.
Cameron looked around and brought the 727 over sharply. She figured she'd better concentrate on flying for now. For a small medium size jet, she liked the handling of the 727. It was very quiet with all three engines at the rear of the fuselage. There was plenty of room inside of it and it had good range. She really liked the airstair feature. She might stage some of these around, just for the extra room they offered. She could put up some partitions inside and make a few 'private rooms'. Everyone could join the mile high club on 'Cam Air'.
Cameron smiled.
She pushed the throttles forward.
She'd briefly toyed with the idea of jumping out over the Bay Area and landing on the ship with a parachute. It would be a spectacular boarding. It was a thought anyway.
CamNet's Terminators had more than a few things to worry about now. Their main goal was to reach the target building where the female Fanatic currently was at. There was a strong possibility they could capture a quantity of HK equipment. They were made aware of a new development as they drove.
A drone was freed up from another operation. It made a run to check on two of the other suspected Skynet facilities in the area. The first one was where the two box trucks left from earlier. One had since returned. The other box truck was at another location. It had gone there when the two trucks split up earlier.
Tina was a little irritated they weren't going to go directly to where the female Fanatic was at.
"I understand all of the Terminators are tied up doing other various jobs." Tina said. "We have loose ends to tie up on ours as well."
Lena didn't want her to develop target fixation.
"You need to remember why we were even activated." Lena said. "It was because operations were stretched so thin. Everyone has jobs to do. It's our main function to take some of the heat off of Savannah. If we weren't running down all of these leads, she would need to do it."
They'd both been made aware of Cameron's off the ship activity to help support Savannah earlier. It was four of the Terminators off of the ship itself, along with some of their support crew.
"It does look like some things are being stretched pretty thin." Tina said.
Everything they were currently involved with was being kept out of the orbit of normal Resistance operations. It was why they were considered CamNet's Terminators instead of Cameron's Terminators.
Some of the surveillance equipment left at the locations where Cameron conducted some of her 'off the books' operations with Sheila and Ally, also detected an increase in activity. Right now the indication was of some drug trafficking occurring. There might also be some more human trafficking involved with it. It was all going to need to be investigated.
They neared the location where the second box truck went earlier. They looked at the current drone scan as well as past satellite images. They liked to look for any differences. The drone scanned just outside of a Terminator's hearing range. They knew there was at least one Terminator associated with the group. He was terminated. More than likely there were additional ones as well.
"It doesn't look like we'll get any good thermal scans." Lena said.
Tina hoped for some additional information.
"What about the phone traffic?" Tina asked. "With everything that's happened in the last few days, they all must be on edge."
CamNet reported phone traffic was down. It appeared the Grays knew they were under some type of surveillance. They certainly knew a lot of their facilities were under attack.
Lena wondered about consolidating the operations.
"At what point will what we're doing become part of the Resistance operation?" Lena asked.
Tina wondered as well.
"I don't think it's going to happen until after the cruise is over." Tina said. "Sheila and Ally will probably take over what we're doing."
Lena wasn't sure she liked the prospect of being deactivated.
"Then it's back to the menagerie for us." Lena said. "I'm sure if Cameron was aware we were activated, she would want to 'break in' our chassis as well. I would welcome the experience before being deactivated."
Tina was sure it was a bad idea. The idea did intrigue her though.
"I think John would have a problem with your sheath appearance as Cameron would with mine." Tina said.
Lena didn't think appearance should be a factor.
"My appearance is of a teenager." Lena said. "I believe the General would like to take a crack at it."
Tina didn't want to get sidetracked. They were almost ready to take a look at the building.
"We can worry about it some other time." Tina said. "I'm sure CamNet will hide our activation from Cameron upon her return. CamNet won't want to get caught with her hand in the cookie jar."
Lena and Tina eyeballed each other. They both thought of doing a little experimentation before they were deactivated but neither one of them said anything. If they were to step out of bounds, the deactivation might be permanent. Their experiences over the last few days since their activation would probably be erased. It would be as if they never existed. It actually seemed even all the more reason to try a few new things if the situation arose.
They stopped two blocks from the location. It was time to take a look on foot. The drone over them kept track of what was happening around the building as well as around the neighborhood. They weren't sure how many other locations would be associated with any one location in its vicinity. Most of everything they'd been involved with was associated with the female Fanatic.
They decided to take a look in the building behind the building they wanted to observe first. They'd already run across several locations where another group already had their target building under surveillance. They didn't want to get caught up in someone else's ambush.
CamNet already checked the records on the surrounding buildings. Most of them were already established and were legitimate businesses. There was one vacant building and one questionable building.
They decided to check the vacant building first. It was catawampus to the target location on the west side. They made their approach up against the other buildings as they moved along. They hoped it would make them less likely to be spotted by anyone.
As they passed the gate on the building next to the one they were headed to, they could hear the patter of feet. It was a dog. Luckily they were both treated with the new pheromones which animals seemed to like. The dog didn't even bark at them. They could see it on the other side of the fence as it wagged its tail.
Lena paused and put her hand close to the fence. The dog moved up to the fence and sniffed it. Its tail seemed to wag even more. They moved on.
"I think if we hear the canine bark later on, we'll know it's not because of us." Lena said.
Tina thought the animal seemed very friendly.
"I thought you were going to pet it." Tina said.
Lena smiled.
"I thought about it." Lena said.
They were at the side of the vacant building. There was a large gate. It was closed and locked.
Lena examined the track the gate slid on.
"This gate hasn't been opened in a long time." Lena said. "The track is rusted and there are a lot of small pieces of debris. None of them have been disturbed."
They move to the front of the building. It contained the typical glass entry door along with several full size windows on either side of it. The door was secured. There was a small pile of mail just inside of the door in back of the mail slot. The door opened inward.
"The door hasn't been opened recently or it would have disturbed the pile of mail below it." Tina said.
They both knew doors and gates weren't the only way into a building.
They moved to the east side of the building. There was a standard metal gate. It was only a personnel gate. They tried it. It was locked. It was the gate they decided to go over.
Lena took one look around on both sides of them and down the street. There was no movement at all.
"Let's go." Lena said.
They silently went over the gate. They moved along the east wall towards the rear of the building. There were only two rectangle windows mounted higher on the wall. They were most likely for the restrooms. There was no door on the east side of the building. They paused as they reached the rear of the building before they continued. The rear area where the trucks would park was empty.
There was one entry door and two roll up doors at the small dock. Everything was secured. There didn't appear to be an upper level. There were no windows on the upper rear part of the building.
They moved back to the east wall. If they were to continue along, it was the corner which would put them at the closest point to the rear of the target building. They cautiously moved up to the corner.
There was no sign of any surveillance equipment on the property they passed through or at the rear of the target property which watched the fence. They could see the box truck backed up to the dock. There were two vehicles parked near the dock as well, but not in front of it.
"I have a feeling the truck is based out of this location." Tina said. "I think it would have gone back to the other location like the other truck did if it wasn't."
Lena could think of a few reasons why the truck driver might want to stay at a different location overnight.
"Maybe there's an occupied 'comfort bunk' at this location." Lena said. "It seems to be standard operating procedure for the Grays."
They both knew it was a holdover concept from the future. The Grays always got first pick when the 'monkey wagons' pulled up full of new prisoners for the work camps. It was really no different from the time honored traditions of any work camp, re-education facility or death camp. The guards always operated with their own set of rules. The official policy didn't matter when it came to their pleasure.
Tina thought it was quiet enough for them to take a look. They decided they weren't going to go over the corner at the rear fence. They were going to go over into rear of the property next to it. It was a technique they'd watched the female Fanatic employ on several of her endeavors.
They went over the rear wall and moved alongside of it. They didn't spot any surveillance cameras on the rear of the building of the property they were currently in. They moved half way down the fence and looked over the wall again at the target location.
"I don't see any surveillance equipment on the back of the building." Tina said.
They moved a little further down the wall and decided to go over it at the corner of the building. They were over the wall and on the other side in a flash. They quickly moved up against the wall of the target building and listened. They conversed at a decibel level only another Terminator could hear.
"I don't hear anything." Lena said.
Tina hoped they could make entry while the occupants of the building were asleep or otherwise occupied.
"Let's see if we can get in without tripping or raising an alarm." Tina said.
There was no door along the west side. They moved to the rear of the building. They checked for any surveillance cameras. None were spotted. They tried the personnel door. It was locked. They moved up to the dock. They took another look for any surveillance equipment before they climbed up on it. There were two roll up doors. It was much the same as the building catawampus to where they'd made their initial entry.
They move to the east side of the building. There were two horizontal windows high up on the wall. They were most likely the restrooms. One was slightly open. It indicated it wasn't wired. If it was, the alarm probably wasn't turned on.
"Boost me up." Lena said.
Tina put her hands together and Lena stepped into them with one foot. She lifted her up to the level of the window.
Lena looked in the narrow gap. The room was dark. The window was the type which slid to the side. She quietly popped off the screen over it. She handed it down. Tina could easily hold her with one hand. She pushed on the window and slid it all the way open. The window was approximately eighteen inches high and twenty four inches wide for the opening.
"I can get through the window." Lena said. "Lift me a little higher, it will make it easier."
Lena made her way through the window and into the restroom. She quickly moved up to the door and listened. She couldn't hear anything. She opened the restroom door to take a look outside. There was a slight squeal of the hinges. She paused and listened further. She didn't hear anything. She went back and helped Tina up. They wanted to keep their entry as quiet as possible.
CamNet's Terminators were inside the building. They exited from the restroom into a hallway. They each held their silenced M9.
The female Fanatic needed to plan her next moves carefully. She would be exposed for approximately fifty feet. It would be less if she were to actually go up on the dock under the security camera. It would expose her to anyone on the dock if she did. She could hear the men clearly now. None of them sounded very happy.
"What do you mean we're not going to unload my truck?" The first man asked.
"It's not my decision, dude." The second man said. "The boss just told me to hold tight."
"Why didn't they tell me to 'hold tight' before I arrived here then?" The first man asked.
"They just made the decision a few minutes ago." The second man said. "I told you you'd need to wait for a while when you arrived."
"I've already been here for thirty minutes." The first man said.
"I wouldn't complain too much, dude." The second man said. "I think a couple of those minutes turned out pretty good for you."
"I just used what was available." The first man said. "You guys have her all of the time. I'm just passing through."
The female Fanatic cringed when she heard the direction the conversation changed to. It sounded as if they had a female captive. She didn't think any of the SkyMaster followers stooped so low. It was possible though. Since all the cells were isolated, no one knew what happened at any of the other ones. The contact between cells was always made off site without either cell knowing where the other one was located. It was actually part of her problem now. The person responsible for making contact was killed. She didn't have any way to locate any of the other SkyMaster followers. The men's conversation further disgusted her.
"You might as well make another trip." The second man said. "I don't know how long you're going to have to wait before they make a decision."
It really made her wonder what the female Grays went through. Even if they weren't abused themselves, they had to see what happened all the time right in front of them. Maybe they were just glad it wasn't them on the 'comfort bunk'.
She watched the two men go back inside of the building. She decided to continue across the front of the dock below the level of it. She should be out of the view of the security camera located on the dock. She took one more look around and made her move.
She reached the next truck. She paused as soon as she was underneath it and listened. No alarm had been raised. Well, at least not yet. She passed under the truck to the next one. The next spot was open. There was another truck on the other side of it and one more. She could see there were seven trucks in total. She thought It was a lot of big rigs to have in one place at one time. She made her way to the last truck. She could see there was a stairway. She decided to look up on the dock between the last two trucks. There was no one currently on it. There were two entry doors on each side of the dock. There were three roll up doors which opened into the building. The center one was open. The dock was approximately forty feet deep.
She moved one eye around the rear of the second truck at the level of the dock. She could see there was a large crate behind the fourth truck. It actually blocked the view of the security camera to where she was at. There were a number of boxes and crates sitting on the dock. She figured they would give her some cover if she attempted to enter the building.
The female Fanatic decided to make her move. She thought about going under the truck closest to the stairway and using it. She figured she might as well just go up where she was. She pulled herself up onto the dock, just as a man walked out of the open door.
Withering Figure
Everyone has blinders on
No one can see the big picture
They only watch the previews
They miss the main feature
When the heat is turned up
They can feel the rise in temperature
They're on the road to nowhere
Yet think it's a grand adventure
Sometimes it's attitude
Other times it's culture
They become sidetracked and forget
It's all based on nature
Soon things start to crack
There's an open fissure
They try to use a suture
It can't prevent a rupture
There is no closure
When it's based on pleasure
The treasure is unsecure
As they end up a withering figure
Nobody