Chapter 1417
Show Some Moderation
Young Jesse and John walked away from the casino.
John looked back at where they'd left Cameron.
Young Jesse took his hand. She could see he was a little concerned.
"Cameron said she was fine with it." Young Jesse said.
John wasn't sure if it even mattered at this point. It wasn't the first time.
"It will be our third attempt." John said.
Young Jesse smiled at him.
"I think it will happen this time." Young Jesse said.
She secretly hoped they could try a few more times.
John didn't want to 'push' her. He didn't want to seem like he was using her.
"We'll do whatever you want and how you want to do it." John said. "Any time we can share is special."
Young Jesse moved close to him. It looked like she was going to give him a kiss. She looked back over her shoulder, Ally and Hanna were there. They looked just like Allison and Vanna. She gave John's hand a firm squeeze instead.
They reached the private area. The door opened as they approached. Cam-Gail was there.
"Hello." Cam-Gail said.
John and Young Jesse both greeted her.
John paused outside the Honeymoon Suite. He wasn't sure which suite she preferred to be in.
Young Jesse could see his hesitation.
"We can use my suite again." Young Jesse said.
Cam-Gail hurried over and opened the door.
John picked Young Jesse up and carried her into the Honeymoon Suite.
As they passed Cam-Gail, she winked at them and closed the door behind them.
Cam-Gail couldn't help but think Cammy and Anna looked more excited and happier than John and Young Jesse just did. She didn't realize they were past the 'happy and excited stage'. They were already at the 'love stage'. It came with a little more seriousness and commitment. They didn't just want each other's bodies. They wanted each other. They wanted to create a life. It was for Jesse, not for them.
Ally and Hanna arrived in the private area as Cam-Gail walked away from the Honeymoon Suite.
"I'm surprised you didn't stay." Ally said.
The Metal girls all wanted their 'one time' with John like Cameron promised them.
Cam-Gail already contemplated several possibilities.
"The cruise isn't over yet. I have a good chance to pass myself off as 'Cameron' in this chassis." Cam-Gail said. "I haven't ruled it out."
Ally thought she was pretty close herself still.
"I can do it too." Ally said.
Hanna didn't need to hear any fantasy talk. She wanted to find out what else they could do on the ship. They didn't need to talk about what they all knew was never going to happen. She wanted to move things along on a more realistic level. She looked at Cam-Gail.
"We can go out if you keep us informed where everyone is at." Hanna said.
Cam-Gail thought she'd done a good job of doing it already.
"I got everyone to where they needed to be." Cam-Gail said.
Hanna and Ally turned to leave.
Ally paused.
"I can stay if you want to go out." Ally said.
Cam-Gail looked at the Honeymoon Suite.
"I'm fine with this assignment." Cam-Gail said. "Thank you anyway."
Hanna and Ally left the private area.
"She just wants to listen to Young Jesse 'get some'." Ally said.
Hanna was sure there were all a few times where they may have overstepped a little.
"Young Jesse is still 'Jesse' to her." Hanna said. "It's not like we haven't all listened to Riley, Sarah and Cameron before."
The Metal girls all listened to the male and female couples before to hear what was 'different'.
"I guess we have. Now we have a file from Cameron in our own chassis to know what it's all about." Ally said.
Hanna looked around.
"It's about 'we all want more'." Hanna said.
Ally looked at the Honeymoon Suite.
"Yes it is." Ally said. "It's what it is one hundred percent."
The prisoner got off of the main street as soon as she was done with the call. She sent out a message for help and a warning. It went to a drop number where the message was posted online in code.
She moved into an alley a half block down the street from where she'd made her 'escape' from the truck. She moved into the darkness to see if she was followed or anyone seemed overly curious.
She began to check her clothing for any trackers. She started with the 'new' shirt someone put on her. She didn't find anything there or in her original clothing. She decided she needed replacement clothing anyway.
She moved down the length of the alley. She wanted different clothes and she wanted some transportation. She kept watch in back of her. It's where she figured any threat would come from. She thought her escape was all her own doing. She didn't realize it was 'allowed' to happen.
She reached the far end of the alley. She paused and looked in both directions. There was little traffic on the side street. She exited and moved down the street in the direction she'd been traveling. She felt there was a better chance to spot the truck if it came back to look for her. Her best course of action would be to evade them. She didn't have any weapons to fight a Terminator, let alone two of them.
She could hear talking up ahead of her. It was dark where she was headed. She crossed the street to the other side. She glanced over to the side of the street where she'd been. She didn't spot whoever was over there and been talking. It seemed like a potential threat. Everything seemed like a threat to her at this point. She kept moving. At least she was free right now.
Savannah watched Cammy and Anna inside the pet store at the Fashion Center. She didn't want things to get away from them.
"I'm going to go in there and bring them out." Savannah said.
Savannah headed for the pet store. She wanted to bring the Metal girls out gently. She didn't want to spoil their mood.
Young Allison watched her phone as Cammy, Anna and Savannah were inside the pet store. She sat up straight when she saw the prisoner 'escaped'. The first part of her plan was enacted. There were three teams of Terminators tracking her and two drones as well. She was provided with images of the 'escape'. She was a little surprised to see her land in the street and almost get hit by a car. The prisoner on the move.
Savannah led Cammy and Anna out of the pet store. She didn't want them to get carried away. It seemed they were headed that way. She needed to be the 'parent', or the 'adult' in the room.
"I think it's enough for today." Savannah said. "You need to show some moderation."
Cammy and Anna both looked back at the store.
"The animals liked me." Cammy said. "They all wanted me to pick them up."
Anna hoped to return soon.
"I liked it too." Anna said. "I want to go back again."
They all received alerts on their phone.
Savannah looked at her phone. She didn't like what she saw.
"How's this even possible?" Savannah asked.
Cammy and Anna were soon Terminators again instead of 'schoolgirls'. The fun was over. It was time to get the show back on the road.
Young Allison walked over to join them.
"We need to go." Savannah said.
Young Allison wanted to diffuse the 'threat' level. She didn't want everyone to get worried over nothing. Well, it was nothing yet. It still could turn into it.
"Everyone needs to chill out." Young Allison said. "It's all part of my plan."
Savannah could hardly believe it.
"What plan?" Savannah asked. "You let an anti-Metal prisoner go?"
Cammy and Anna didn't seem any less concerned with the news it was part of a plan. It still seemed like a major threat to them.
"They may be able to expose our base." Cammy said.
Anna held up her phone. She could take pre-emptive action.
"A drone is tracking her." Anna said. "It can take her down with gunfire or a missile."
Cammy thought either one of those options should be used immediately.
"I agree." Cammy said. "John Henry or CamNet needs to act before she gets away."
Young Allison could tell they didn't understand. Everything was covered. She wondered if maybe she should have explained herself more thoroughly earlier. The reason she didn't was exactly because of what was happening now. It would have happened then as well.
"There are three trackers on her." Young Allison said. "There are two drones on her specifically and three teams of Terminators. It will be four soon."
Savannah didn't look happy about it.
"Why weren't we told about this before?" Savannah asked.
Young Allison could see it was a problem now.
"We skipped the part about having a Terminator beat the information out of her and tried to use drugs. It wasted a lot of time and produced nothing of value." Young Allison said. "I wanted to have her 'escape' and lead us back to her hideout. This way we can clean out the whole nest."
Young Allison's answer and reasoning didn't seem to satisfy anyone.
Savannah began to think of all the things which could go wrong.
"We need to be in on the tracking." Savannah said. "CamNet needs to be ready for a 'fire mission' at a moment's notice. The female is a threat of the gravest magnitude."
Young Allison saw some additional assistance ready to go. It was their group.
"We have two vehicles." Young Allison said. "Brian and Randy can procure another one and we'll have three teams to assist."
Savannah looked at Young Allison for a long moment. She could see there was a lot more at play. She wanted to make her opinion known.
"You did this to get 'a piece of the action'." Savannah said.
Young Allison thought it was a sound plan. She did want a 'piece of the action'. It wasn't her intent when she'd formulated the plan to do so.
"I wanted results." Young Allison said. "The prisoner was blindfolded when she was moved both times. She doesn't know where she was taken."
Savannah led the group back through the mall. She wanted to get back to the SUV.
Anna walked alongside of Young Allison. She spoke with her quietly.
"Savannah isn't pleased with what you've done." Anna said.
Young Allison still thought it was a good plan. She began to feel a little bit of frustration. She wanted to try a different approach.
"A drone has her zeroed right now." Young Allison said. "Do you want her killed? She can be dead in five seconds."
Savannah slowed and looked back. She didn't want to be angry at Young Allison or create the impression she was. She could see there was some merit to Young Allison's plan.
"Since you've started this, we need to let it play out some." Savannah said. "I'm not angry at you. I wish you would have said something earlier."
Young Allison knew where it would have gone. Look what was happening now. She thought it was important to point out her earlier reasoning.
"Would you have agreed to the idea any more then, than you do right now?" Young Allison asked.
Savannah wouldn't have changed her mind.
"No." Savannah said.
She realized why Young Allison didn't say more earlier. It would have been much the same conversation as they currently conducted.
Young Allison still thought her plan was sound. She thought there was more to be heard by the rest of the group.
"I wanted to try a new approach." Young Allison said. "You can all listen to the 'interview' when we get back to the SUV."
The group exited the Fashion Center and moved through the parking lot. Mel was by their SUV as they approached.
Young Allison wanted to offer them some more possibilities going forward.
"I'll ride with Mel and Anna." Young Allison said. "Savannah and Cammy can be one team. Randy and Brian can be another."
Savannah would rather have two reinforced teams, not an extra one. An extra one may be needed at some point. It wasn't necessary right now. It seemed to her there were a lot of unknowns in play.
"No." Savannah said. "We'll remain as the same two teams like the way we arrived."
Young Allison didn't think Savannah was being farsighted enough right now. She also knew she was pushing it. She didn't want to push too far. The current reaction seemed to be pretty close to it. It was way more 'push back' and negative reaction than she'd anticipated.
They all got back into the SUVs like they arrived in and headed out. They listened to the interrogation as they drove toward where the prisoner was at.
Savannah actually would like to have an internment program like it so no one else in Resistance custody needed to be killed after interrogation. It would be hard to maintain. There was no end to any of it either. It could last decades. The battle in the future did.
"Did you develop the back story in the interview?" Savannah asked.
Young Allison looked to the future, not the present.
"Yes." Young Allison said. "It is something we would need to do in the future. We can't kill every prisoner and try to build a new future."
Savannah wasn't so sure about it. Then again, even Skynet didn't kill all the Resistance prisoners outright. They at least tried to get some slave labor out of them. It was all very unlike what Cameron would do.
"Is this your plan alone?" Savannah asked. "I don't believe it is."
Young Allison was contacted by someone before she planned everything.
"No." Young Allison said. "Summer worked with me on it. She wants a better future for everyone."
Her revelation gave all of them something to think about. Someone was thinking outside the box on this one with a little more vision than they all possessed. They were used to the death Terminators dealt out.
Savannah thought of her earlier effort to make contact with the anti-Metal group to see if they could reach some type of an accord. Based upon what she'd heard, it didn't seem possible.
There was nowhere to keep prisoners for any long duration. Until Skynet was defeated, war could rage on for decades. It really made her wonder about who the driving force behind Young Allison's plan really was. She knew Young Allison thought like a Terminator. She knew it must be Summer who asked to try something different. She was sure it was based upon her earlier action to try to make contact with the anti-Metal faction.
In her desire to see something positive about the situation, she missed what was really going to happen once they found out where the anti-Metal lair was located. They were all going to die. It was what the real plan was based on. It was total annihilation of one of their enemies.
Cameron went to the top of the sky lounge with Jim. The air was cold and windy. It didn't bother them. They moved behind the superstructure of the elevator shaft to block most of the wind. It was dimly lit up on the top of the sky lounge.
"It's dark all around us." Cameron said.
Jim wasn't sure why they were up on top of the sky lounge at night in the first place. Maybe it was the furthest place Cameron could physically go on the ship to be away from her suite. She was probably a little more troubled than she would admit to. It was quite understandable. He looked for a glitch in her left hand but didn't see one. It seemed like a good thing.
"We're out on the ocean at night." Jim said. "There's never much to see. It's difficult to even see the sea."
Cameron looked over at the port side. It was the side the land was on. She couldn't spot any lights on the land. There was probably some coastal fog between them and the land.
Cameron looked up at all the stars.
"People see beauty in what's up there." Cameron said.
Jim looked up. It was the same thing which was always there.
"The rotation of the earth gives the stars the appearance of moving through the night sky." Jim said. "It was something early man didn't understand."
Cameron looked at the stars and thought about Savannah.
"People now like to see them too." Cameron said. "Savannah has tried to show me the beauty in them."
Jim didn't understand the fascination. It seemed to him most humans didn't understand the concept of space at all. Most of them believed it held the future. It didn't.
"Some of the stars may be gone already and there may be new ones we can't see yet." Jim said. "It takes many light years for us to see what we're looking at now. In reality, it may all be different. We look into the past when we look at the stars. We don't look into the future. It's another common misconception about space and the stars. It's all what was, not what is or will be."
Cameron thought about it too.
"Life seems to be the same way." Cameron said. "What we see and perceive as real, may not actually be there at all."
"It means seeing, isn't always believing." Jim said.
Cameron actually thought it was even more convoluted. There was a lot of deception.
"You can't always believe everything you see." Cameron said.
Jim was more confused than ever why he was up there with Cameron. Now he wondered if this was the build up to Cameron wanting to use his chassis. He would decline the file in real time and not want to view it at all.
'Everyone sacrifices for John Connor.' Jim thought.
It was most likely the prelude to 'his turn'.
Most of the girls were still in the casino.
Mary knew 'Peggy' could win big and win fast.
"Are you going to break the bank?" Mary asked as she looked at Allison.
Allison looked at Vanna. She knew Mary referred to Ally as 'Peggy'.
"Not tonight." Allison said. "We've cleaned enough out of this place. I don't want to get busted."
Laura looked over at Leticia and Sheila.
"It seems 'Sue' is doing a pretty good job." Laura said.
Camille-Holly was briefed by Cam-Gail in her com. She moved to 'takeover'.
"I can play with you two if you want." Camille-Holly said.
"You would do it for us, 'Barbara'?" Laura asked.
Allison and Vanna wanted to be elsewhere at this point.
"We wanted to spend some time together." Vanna said.
Mary hoped for a little more with both of them.
"What about later on?" Mary asked.
Allison wanted a little more too. It was the last night. It might be years before she got some 'strange' again. The new girls were 'fine' too.
"We can hook up." Allison said.
Vanna figured as much. It was OK with her. She didn't want Allison to get too attached. In the past, the future, any of their hook ups were only once or twice before someone moved on. They'd been with these girls a lot. It was all quality time. The fact they all sported perfect bodies wasn't lost on her. They were all younger than her too. They all possessed productive bodies as well. It was something she lacked, even if she could lactate.
She couldn't stop Allison from wanting to be with them because it was beautiful to do so. Maybe she would see about hooking up with Leticia later on as well. She might as well go for the gold if she was going for it.
Sheila liked the way everyone looked at Leticia. She felt she was her 'personal project'. Leticia was Hot to begin with. She felt she'd 'refined' her some.
Maybe it was all the attention Leticia gave her. There was just something about the look in her eyes when they spoke and interacted. She hoped she wasn't 'playing' with Leticia's life, but she knew she was. She'd gotten rid of her partner and where she lived. Now she was 'responsible' for her. She was pretty sure at this point, there was going to be a big problem later on.
Leticia moved close to 'Sue'. The look of love was in her eyes.
"When you're done winning, we can go back to my suite." Leticia said. "I want to spend the night with you."
Leticia really wanted to tell 'Sue' how much she loved her. She was afraid she would 'scare' her away. She'd never met anyone like 'Sue'. She felt she was 'perfect'. She was confident and strong. She always seemed just a little out of reach with an emotional block thrown in, just to make it interesting.
Sheila looked for Vanna and Allison. Maybe she could dump Leticia off on them.
"I'm sure we'll work something out." Sheila said.
Sheila thought how life was simpler with the girls in the Resistance. There was no 'maintenance' necessary. They were all self sufficient.
Ally and Hanna knew to stay away from the casino since Vanna and Allison were there. They'd already played it pretty close by being there earlier to go with John and Young Jesse. It was all done under the direction of Cam-Gail and it all worked out.
It was nice having a control center to keep track of everything. They both new CamNet did the same thing as well. Everything was double covered.
Ally looked at the other passengers.
"Everyone around us seems burnt out." Ally said.
Hanna could think of a good reason for it.
"Not everyone is a cyborg." Hanna said. "It has been a very pleasant time."
Ally thought of a few ideas. There were a few things they could do on their own.
"Why don't we go back in time and do this for a few years straight." Ally said. "We could live on the ship. We could do a world cruise. We could do a few of them. It would be our chance to get away from it all."
Hanna looked at her to see if she was joking. It didn't look like it.
"Don't mention it to Sheila." Hanna said. "She already wants to get a 'job' as a 'porn star'."
Ally didn't doubt it. She wanted something more sedate. She could think of a few ways to pull it off without creating a problem or anyone else even knowing.
"I really mean it." Ally said. "We could spend a few years riding the waves and pick up on different females for a week. We would move on to a new group the next week. We would need to make sure we were back, 'when we left', so no one would miss us."
It sounded like a good idea to Hanna. There were other factors to consider. It also could cause a lot of problems.
"What happens if we end up changing things by doing it?" Hanna asked. "We might inadvertently create a new timeline. What if we did it and couldn't get back? Maybe we should schedule our departure after our return."
It sounded like the 'Catch 22' which existed with Cammy and Sheila going back in time to the Sixties. No one else actually left yet. There was always the speculation they met up with the same people but from a divergent timeline. Many things were possible in their universe.
"If we don't leave in the first place, how are we going to come back before we go?" Ally asked.
Hanna thought if they went back far enough, she could try and find Claire and hit on her. She might even look up Sarah as well. She could find them as teenagers when they were both in high school. What if it's what they actually did and….
Ally snapped her fingers loudly in front of Hanna's face.
"Hey." Ally said.
Hanna blinked her eyes a few times.
"I don't want to lose you." Ally said.
Hanna knew the temptation was too great to go back and target their lovers.
"I don't think it's a good idea." Hanna said. "We would change too much, even without trying."
Ally worried about it too.
"It really makes you wonder what Cameron has done." Ally said. "Who knows what she's actually responsible for in the world we know."
Hanna just thought about her thoughts moments ago.
"I'm sure it's a lot." Hanna said.
Ally wanted to take her mind off of things.
"Let's go see what's happening in the rear lounge." Ally said.
Cam-Gail informed them they were good to go.
The prisoner turned down another side street. She didn't like the 'feel' of the neighborhood. Maybe she would work her way back to the main street. There'd been no sign of the truck she'd escaped from.
It made her wonder about what the Terminators told her. Was it for real? Was there some group of Terminators trying to 'help' people. Were they just another Skynet wannabe working for their own agenda? Maybe they were from a different future. They knew the Fanatics were from a different future or maybe a further future. There was really no way to know. The Fanatics were a group of real nut jobs. They believed SkyMaster was their god. She really wondered how it all came about.
A cat hissed at her and ran off when she approached several trash cans. It made her jump a little. She hadn't expected it. She needed to focus. She needed some money, a weapon, and a vehicle. She wasn't sure in what order she could obtain them.
Once she got some cash, she could buy a burner and make a few calls. She'd posted a warning for her group already.
She heard the cat hiss again. This time it sounded angrier. It was in front of her somewhere.
Someone stepped out of the shadows in front of her. They didn't go in any direction but just stood there. She decided to avoid them. She looked behind her and there was someone there too. They were following her. She quickly crossed to the other side of the small street. She saw the glow of a cigarette brighten as someone took a drag. The glowing butt flew through the air and landed in front of her with a small shower of sparks.
"Nice night for a walk." A voice said. "Now it's 'party time'."
The prisoner knew when it was wisest to retreat. She turned around and started to run. The person who was behind her moved to block her path of escape. She dodged around them and kept running. She glanced back once and saw there were four men running after her now. She knew if they caught her, what was going to happen. She'd already accepted it for when she arrived at the 'detention center'. This was different. There'd be a beating with the abuse. She hoped they wouldn't mutilate her one good breast.
She learned to be a fast runner in the Wastelands. She wasn't always fast enough. She hoped she was fast enough now. She glanced back and there were still four men running. She'd actually pulled away some. Their lifestyle probably didn't have any physical training aspect to it. She cut back up the alley she'd run through earlier. There was gunfire behind her somewhere. She expected to see the men come around the corner but they didn't. Maybe they run afoul of another gang. She remembered avoiding another group earlier. They'd been in the shadows too.
She made it out onto the main street and kept running. Now she needed to worry about the Terminators again.
Savannah and the girls watched their phones as they tracked the prisoner from the drone footage. They watched the altercation take place. It clearly wasn't part of any plan. There was really no way to foresee such an event would have occurred.
"How does that figure in?" Savannah asked.
Cammy wasn't impressed. She still wanted to rip the prisoner's tongue out for what she'd said earlier. She still planned to do it if they ran into her. She decided to tone her responses down slightly.
"They'll save us the trouble of terminating her." Cammy said. "I wanted to snap her neck myself."
Young Allison couldn't see Cammy snapping anyone's neck when she was holding the puppy twenty minutes ago. Now she was a Terminator again and ready to do her job.
She checked on who was the closest team of Terminators to the prisoner. It was Al and Ed.
They all listened as Young Allison directed Al and Ed to stop the men.
"Are you helping the prisoner?" Anna asked.
Young Allison saw several things in play here.
"I need her to lead us to the anti-Metal group. Those men are no more than Scavengers now in this timeline." Young Allison said. "Everything comes with a 'price' sooner or later. Theirs is now."
They watched Al and Ed move up behind the men in their SUV. One of the men turned and saw it was a hit. He fired a few wild shots at the SUV. All of them missed. Ed fired his silenced M9 and all four men fell. Their SUV turned off and paralleled the direction of the prisoner.
Savannah felt they were lucky how things played out.
"What would you have done if they'd caught her?" Cammy asked. "Would we have just watched what would have happened to her?"
Young Allison wasn't sure. She could have called for a drone strike if she wanted. It wasn't something she really wanted to do.
"Yes." Young Allison said. "She's the enemy."
Savannah didn't think it's what would have happened. She wanted to remind Young Allison about her humanity. She wanted to do it indirectly.
"I think Allison would have ordered a drone strike and killed all of them before the prisoner was abused." Savannah said. "She would have allowed her to die with some dignity."
Young Allison looked at Savannah. It was one of the options she'd considered. She wasn't sure if she would have.
"It didn't happen." Young Allison said.
Cammy believed there were dozens of variables in play currently.
"Not yet." Cammy said. "This thing is wide open."
Savannah wanted to point a few more things out to all of them as well.
"She's lost and trying to stay alive." Savannah said. "She's trying to avoid taking anyone's money by robbing them or stealing a phone. She needs a set of wheels too. She's operating with her own set of ethics no matter how twisted we see them in relation to us."
Cammy wasn't impressed. She wanted to remind Savannah what would happen to her.
"She would cut the chip out of my head and crush it in an instant." Cammy said. "She should be terminated now and end this folly."
Young Allison didn't expect this level of 'push-back' by her friends. There was a lot of anger and animosity being displayed. If things did not 'pay off', she was going to have a very angry group on her hands. Maybe it was time to cut her losses and end it. It still seemed like a workable plan to her.
"The drones are ready to act if necessary." Young Allison said.
Allison and Vanna left the casino while Cam-Holly, Holly-Camille and Gail-Cam entertained Mary and Laura. Sheila and Leticia seemed wrapped up in their own little world.
"It looks like it is just us for now." Allison said.
Vanna liked more order the older she got.
"Isn't it better?" Vanna asked.
Allison still wanted a little more.
"Maybe it is, but this sure was fun." Allison said.
Vanna needed to remind Allison of the ways of the past, the future.
"It was, but we need to leave it behind us." Vanna said. "Life moves on."
Allison knew it was true. She still wanted to be with the girls one more time each if she could. Then again, maybe it was better to show some moderation and not do it. Maybe it would reaffirm her love and commitment to Vanna if she took a step back. Everything they experienced was all a part of them.
"I'm not sure we ever leave anything behind us." Allison said. "Somehow it's always still there, even if it's not."
Vanna often felt the same way as well.
"Some of what happened to us is still in the future and yet to happen. Some of it already happened in our future." Vanna said. "We know it was real because it happened to us and we bear the scars of it on our bodies and our minds."
Allison didn't want Vanna to end up in a 'bad' place.
"We can do whatever you want." Allison said. "You're my true love."
Vanna looked at her for a moment. The tears welled up in her eyes.
"You're my true love." Vanna said. "The sex here was good, but I want love."
Allison wanted it too.
"I guess it's time to head back to our suite then." Allison said.
It was where they headed.
Bob wasn't far behind them. He remained out of sight. He watched them until they entered the private area. He wanted to make sure they were protected.
Cam-Gail thanked him and informed Ally and Hanna it was 'open season' in the casino for them now. It would probably be 'open season' for them with the girls as well.
John Henry was displeased with all the events he'd witnessed unfold with the prisoner and how they were done. Maybe it was easier to let Terminators be Terminators. Even if Sheila would have been the interrogator, things would be over by now.
"I can see you're displeased." Summer said.
John Henry jumped a little. He wondered where she came from and how long she'd been there. He quickly checked his screens for anything inappropriate. He was good for now. It wasn't always the case.
"Hello, I didn't see you come in." John Henry said.
Summer smiled at him.
"I haven't been in here very long, this time." Summer said.
Her statement worried him a little. It made him wonder what was really going on.
"Is it your plan or Young Allison's plan?" John Henry asked. "She indicated you were involved. I have no indication there was any communication between you two."
Summer wanted to 'play' with him a little.
"Maybe I reached out and touched her with my mind." Summer said.
She saw it made John Henry even more uncomfortable.
"Relax, I called her." Summer said. "A girl needs to have a few secrets."
It was something Young Allison and her discussed previously when they were both still in Palmdale. It didn't necessarily apply to a specific group to try it on. It could have been any of the groups. In this case it turned out to be the anti-Metal faction of the Resistance.
John Henry thought about asking her if she could do what she said or if it was just a joke. He looked at the security camera and remained silent.
"Did you see what almost happened to the escaped prisoner?" John Henry asked.
Summer was a little concerned when she saw the unexpected interaction. She'd almost been hit by a car during her initial escape. She was almost abused by a street gang later on.
"I did." Summer said. "And it didn't."
John Henry knew it could have.
"What if it did?" John Henry asked.
Summer was aware how all interrogations played out. They all resulted in terminations. She wanted to try a different approach. She didn't care for the approaching Savannah tried either. It was too risky based upon their knowledge of the anti-Metal faction.
The goal was to try to get more of the enemy. They always seemed to miss a few in every operation. It was understandable because individuals associated with each group could be out on missions of their own at the time they attacked. The enemy was the enemy. There was no way for them to change it. Each of the groups already possessed their own agenda and how best to accomplish it in their own opinions.
"She's the enemy." Summer said. "She's chosen her own lifestyle. She'll answer to it. She'd already be dead right now anyway if this approach wasn't tried. We all know how this story ends. She's living on borrowed time."
Sometimes John Henry wondered if they all weren't living on borrowed time.
Dan and Frank finished up their adventure on Stearns Wharf earlier. They watched the sunset and returned back to the station so they could get to work. They received information from the drones over them. They were aware CamNet was part of the process now. John Henry needed to deal with other Resistance matters. What they currently did was a non Resistance operation.
A group of taggers was spotted near the industrial buildings on the east side of the railroad station. They decided to act before they moved across the main boulevard and defaced the old passenger station. It was constructed in 1905. It seemed the mentality of the taggers was everything belonged to them. They seemed to think it was their right to deface and mar whatever they wanted. Tonight would be a little different.
Dan moved directly across the street alongside of the railroad tracks. Frank broke into a mild run and moved up one street. They wanted to trap the taggers where they were at. They didn't want any of them to get away. A more permanent message needed to be sent. If they came across a group of thieves, it would be sent.
Frank notified Dan when he was in position.
Dan already had the group targeted. He held his silenced M9 in his hand. He fired three times. He hit three of the spray cans he could see. Within a second, there was shrill screaming coming from the area. Four of the taggers fell to the ground. They were covered with the paint from the exploded spray cans. They all held their faces as they cried out in pain.
There were two more taggers. They ran out in the other direction.
Frank was in position. He grabbed both of the taggers as they ran by. He slammed both of them to the ground. He picked up the spray cans they dropped and placed them between them on the ground. He backed away and fired his silenced M9 once. He felt they were fortunate he didn't place them next to their heads before they were ruptured. He was sure more than a few bones were broken when they were slammed into the ground. He didn't overdo it. He would save the terminations for the thieves.
Dan and Frank quickly withdrew from the area. The drone picked up a new target.
A beat up van pulled up behind a warehouse. It was only a few blocks from where they'd taken down the taggers. They were near the area within a minute of the threat being detected
They quickly approached the van on foot. There were three men with a pry bar and a pair of bolt cutters. They attempted to cut open the rear door of the building. They already cut the lock off the back of it. The door was secured from the inside as well. They used the pry bar to try to pop the door open. So far their efforts failed.
Dan and Frank came up on each side of the van. They looked in the window to make sure no one else was in it, they weren't. The three men were busy attempting to pry the door open. They never saw what was coming.
They each grab one man and threw him against the back of the van. Both of the rear doors of it were caved in. The two men laid on the ground. The man with the pry bar turned around to see what all the noise was. What he saw was four red objects in the darkness. His brain couldn't comprehend what he viewed.
The pry bar was pulled from his hands. It was slammed into both of his legs and both of his arms. The man blacked out from the pain. The two men on the ground in back of the van received the same treatment. They took the pry bar in the bolt cutters with them. They didn't want any other criminals to get their hands on them. They returned to their van.
The drone over them provided them with new targeting information. There'd just been a robbery at a liquor store. It looked like it was going to be a busy evening. They were on a timetable so they would need to get things wrapped up as soon as possible so they could head for the Port Of Los Angeles.
CamNet's Terminators became a little more leery of their surroundings and where they were going.
They weren't very surprised when they saw the female Fanatic emerge from the back of the big rig. They were a little surprised as to who let her out. They still didn't think they were working together. From what they could view with the men in the pickup truck, it appeared there was more trouble in store for both of them. If they needed to make a wager on who would be successful if there was a confrontation, the sure bet would need to go to the female Fanatic.
They needed to refocus their attention on where they were going and what was happening around them. They'd begun to think they were being led into an elaborate ambush. They needed to worry about some type of an energy dampening field. It would incapacitate them and cause them to shut down.
Both of the drones which followed the van, moved to a higher altitude. They would still be able to fire a missile or deliver 'metal hail'.
Lena and Tina didn't want to have the drones become incapacitated. They didn't want to be incapacitated either. If they did, the drones would need to provide cover for them and protect them until all the assailants could be brought down.
"Where is the van going next?" Lena asked.
Tina checked the satellite overlay map of all the locations around the area where they'd encountered the enemy over the years. Each of the different groups was marked with a different colored dot. Some of the locations had two dots. Some of them had three dots. They were the locations where different groups of the enemy were encountered at the same time. In some cases, it was at a later date.
"If they remain on their current path, I think it's going to be the old supermarket." Tina said.
Lena reviewed her files of the location and the incidents which occurred there. The Syndicate had been involved as well.
"How many of the other locations that they've visited have involved the Syndicate?" Lena asked.
Tina looked at the color coding on the satellite overlay map.
"It's only been one, so far." Tina said.
Lena and Tina kept up their relaxed pursuit of the white van. It appeared it would arrive at the old supermarket soon. They knew there was a possibility it could head for the port next.
The female Fanatic wasn't sure if she wanted to involve Jill further or not. Jill did help her get out of the back of the big rig.
"Let's go to the service station." The female Fanatic said.
Jill still had the keys. See expected the 'secret agent' to take them from her. She didn't.
They got back into the beat up car and drove away.
The female Fanatic drank both bottles of water as they passed in back of the trucks and crossed the street. They went back to the filling station and parked along the side of the building where the restrooms were.
Jill answered all of the questions she was asked. She didn't have a whole lot of information.
"I'll use the restroom and try to get cleaned up a little bit." The female Fanatic said.
Jill looked towards the corner of the building.
"Do you want me to get some more supplies or do you want to go in with me?" Jill asked. "I don't want you to ditch me."
It crossed Jill's mind the 'secret agent' might kill her as well. She didn't think so since she rescued her once. She'd returned the favor and got the 'secret agent' out of the back of the big rig.
"I just want you to know the people we're dealing with are extremely dangerous." The female Fanatic said. "You already know what they're capable of. There's a lot worse they can do as well."
Jill wanted some payback. She wanted some retribution. She felt it was owed to her.
"I want them to pay for what they did to me." Jill said. "Was there a bomb in the back of the truck?"
The female Fanatic thought there was something as good as a bomb in the back of the truck. In fact there were two of them.
"There was no bomb in the truck I was in." The female Fanatic said. "It was all crates of components. There were two large pieces of machinery in the front of the trailer. Wait here at the car and keep a lookout around you."
Jill watched as the 'secret agent' entered the restroom.
The female Fanatic looked around both sides of the gas station before she entered the restroom.
The two men decided to see what the females did once they were back in their vehicle.
"They're definitely together." The first man said.
The second man watched as they got inside and drove away.
"I thought they would stay around a little longer." The second man said.
The first man hoped they didn't take the same route they did. If they did, they would spot the truck.
"We need to get moving." The first man said.
The second man moved out from behind the bushes and looked down along the side of the truck.
"I think they're headed back to the service station." The second man said.
The first man was already back in the truck.
"Let's go." This first man said. "I don't want to lose them."
The second man ran back to the truck.
"Make a U-turn and we can see where they go." The second man said.
The first man started to pull out. He needed to step on the brakes. There was a motor home going by with the trailer. As soon as it passed, he made a U-turn.
They pulled up to the intersection which ran across two sides of the diner. He paused at the stop sign.
"I don't see them." The first man said.
The second man was clearly irritated.
"Damn." The second man said. "I thought we were going to get a double score."
The first man wasn't willing to give up so easily.
"They're either parked alongside of the diner, which we can't see from here, or they're on the far side of the gas station." The first man said. "There's nowhere else they could have gone in such a short time."
The second man doubted they would go into the diner if the second skank had 'done' all the truck drivers earlier. Then again, it might be good for business.
"Let's check the far side of the gas station." The second man said.
The two men in the pickup truck crossed the street and turned into the gas station. They pulled up to the pump where the first skank originally parked with her beat up car. It was almost like déjà vu to them. They'd done exactly the same thing earlier.
Show Some Moderation
Is any form of relation
The true path to salvation
It depends upon the duration
More than it does about sensation
What once was wild elation
Will soon devolve into stagnation
The journey breeds deviation
When there's no destination
New faces lead to temptation
It's bound to spark aggression
It can lead to isolation
When it becomes emotional suffocation
When a heart experiences starvation
It can allow abuse and domination
Sharing turns into an obligation
What remains is a fabrication
From themselves one needs a vacation
To prevent an early termination
To strengthen the foundation
Learn to show some moderation
Nobody