Chapter 1419
Green Sedan
The prisoner drove the 'borrowed' truck through a set procedure of turns to see if she was being followed. It didn't appear so. There should be someone watching her from her group. They would be looking for a tail. She pulled into a gas station and parked on the east side. She went inside as if she was going to buy something. She waited a while as she looked around inside. She looked out the windows and came outside. She glanced around her and went to the west side of the gas station. She got into a waiting sedan. The green car drove off.
The green sedan passed by the truck the prisoner arrived in.
The passed out driver of the first truck heard something. They woke up and looked around. They didn't know where they were. It was an unfamiliar place.
They sat up and moved back into the driver's seat.
They started the truck and were about to back out. They paused and checked the glove compartment. The revolver was still there. They picked up another bottle off of the floor and opened it. They took a swig and backed out of the parking spot. They took another swig and headed out in the direction they wanted to go.
They briefly wondered if they drank too much. The driver shrugged their shoulders, took another swig, and kept driving. It wasn't the first time they'd woken up in an unknown location. They thought they could handle their liquor, unlike some.
Savannah drove the SUV. Cammy was in standby in case an EMP was used against them. Mel looked at his phone. He viewed some of their drone footage.
"The prisoner has just made a vehicle switch at a gas station." Mel said. "She's now the passenger in a green sedan."
Savannah hoped things panned out. She wanted to get everything taken care of before Cameron returned. It was only about eight hours from now.
"We can bet whoever picked her up is with the anti-Metal faction as well." Savannah said. "I think there will be a tail car on them too at some point. Everyone needs to stay sharp."
She didn't know if it could be finalized or what would happen. Whatever it was, she didn't have a good feeling about any of it.
John Henry and Summer watched the scene unfold in the Command Center. He monitored the com traffic in each of the vehicles. There were four teams out. The conversation in all of them was pretty much the same.
"I think Savannah is right." Summer said.
John Henry heard almost the same thing from Young Allison.
"Your sister said the same thing." John Henry said.
Summer looked at the deeper implications.
"I think there'll be an extra precaution because she 'escaped' from two Terminators." Summer said. "It seems few could do it and survive."
John Henry was aware it could get worse.
"She may be questioned and terminated by her own group." John Henry said. "They may think she sold them out or is leading the Terminators to where they are."
Summer watched the prisoner get rid of the first tracker by dumping all her clothes.
"If they have some kind of scanning device, they will find at least one of the two trackers on her." Summer said. "I know one is sub dermal and I know where the other one is at deep inside her."
John Henry was aware CamNet was adamant where the trackers were to be placed. He wasn't sure if it was due to her private sessions with Savannah or not. It was supposition on his part. He be believed CamNet was able to get a first hand look at the female human body up close and personal. It gave her insights with 'hands on' experience of where and how things could be hidden. It was unknown if Savannah offered advice or suggestions.
"How do you know where they are?" John Henry asked.
It didn't seem like a big deal to Summer.
"I asked CamNet." Summer said. "They could have made her swallow one too. It's possible they'll check for it there."
Summer and John Henry viewed all the drone footage. He was able to view all of it at once through his server. Summer needed to view what was on her monitors. They changed at a rapid pace.
"I haven't spotted an ambush location or a tail car." John Henry said.
It seemed too soon to Summer for the procedure.
"I don't know if they've initiated it yet." Summer said.
Summer needed to keep track of where her mother was at. Her mother became very displeased if she was 'caught' doing 'Resistance things'. It was an understanding between Cameron and her mother that she would be able to 'keep' one of her daughters. It was supposed to be her. Depending on how the future played out, it was probably not going to be any of them. If any of them remained at some point, it would probably be Allison. Young Allison and her would most likely end up elsewhere.
She figured Young Allison may be the one who was guiding operations earlier, but she wanted to be out in the field. She could easily fill Young Allison's shoes there. She hoped Young Allison didn't think she would have a monopoly on it either. She was ready to expand as well.
John Henry wanted a 'heads up' from Summer on anything.
"If you spot either of those things I need to know." John Henry said.
Summer quickly checked where everyone was at in the base.
"I'm not sure how much longer I can stay." Summer said.
John Henry wanted her to stay longer. He wondered if Claire's actions were selfish or if Cameron's actions were.
He thought everyone should think what the best choices were for the future. They should be worried about protecting it. The best way to protect the future, was to protect the present.
Sheila waited for Cameron to enter the private area. She opened the door for her. Cameron thanked her and headed straight for the Owner's Suite.
"Cameron, do you have a few seconds?" Sheila asked.
Cameron paused.
"Yes." Cameron said.
Sheila figured she would get straight to the point.
"If you want to borrow another chassis tonight or tomorrow morning, I'd like it to be mine." Sheila said. "It would be a good wrap up the same way it was for the start."
The idea intrigued Cameron. She'd actually thought about using Jim's or Bob's chassis. If she used Sheila's chassis, she could see what John did differently this time. She was sure John would see her in Sheila's chassis as 'Young Jesse'. She would like to see how he did anything different or if it was the same.
"I may do so." Cameron said. "Thank you for your assistance."
Cameron started to walk away.
Sheila wasn't really sure if she should mention anything at this point or not. She understood what Cameron's long term goals were. She also wanted to give her the option to take things a little further.
"There is one more thing." Sheila said. "The three new girls are all willing to give 'Tony' a try, especially Leticia. It's possible conception could occur with her."
Cameron was aware of it.
"Would she be willing to part with the child?" Cameron asked.
Sheila thought if she played it out for nine months, she could get Leticia to 'give up' the infant. It would involve coercion and manipulation. She could make Leticia choose between her and the baby. She could be terminated as well.
"It would take some work, but it's most likely." Sheila said. "There are several options which can be played."
Cameron understood what some of those options were. She didn't want to use those methods yet. It was still something to think about. There were always females available to her on sex trafficking operations as well as drug raids. She'd terminated a number of viable females. She could have used them for a number of projects including her experimentation. She'd followed Savannah's guidelines and didn't. They were simply terminated instead.
"I'll keep her in mind for the future." Cameron said.
Sheila wanted to see Leticia going forward. She already knew she didn't want to be with her 'full time'. A full time human lover seemed too 'needed' to her, even if she was a submissive. Metal girls were 'low maintenance'. Leticia seemed like she would be 'high maintenance'.
Cameron watched Leticia first hand with Sheila. She also watched the 'security' footage of her with all the other girls. She was worried Leticia would 'spoil' John for all other human females in the Resistance. They all lacked her experience. It was one thing she knew. There was no substitute for experience. Only Jesse, and maybe Claire, possessed the same level of experience. It just wasn't the same. It seemed more elegant and refined with Leticia.
Ally and Hanna entered the private area. They'd been shadowing Cameron to keep an eye on her. It appeared their job was finished, at least for now.
"Did we miss anything?" Ally asked.
Cameron looked at them. It seems like a good time to express her gratitude.
"No." Cameron said. "I appreciate everything you've all done for John and me on a personal level. Thank you."
Cameron turned to walk away.
Hanna glanced at Ally and then looked at Cameron. She wanted to give Cameron a reminder.
"Don't forget our 'one time' like you promised." Hanna said.
Cameron glanced back as she entered the Owner's Suite.
"We'll see." Cameron said as the door closed behind her.
Ally and Hanna looked at each other.
"I bet." Ally said.
Hanna frowned.
"Bet only if you want to lose your money." Hanna said.
The Metal girls were all sure it was never going to happen. Cameron took from them what she wanted. They no longer had anything to offer. They no longer had a bargaining chip either.
Young Allison was currently parked as well as the other three teams were. They needed to see where the green sedan was headed. The two trackers were still transmitting. There was high altitude drone footage of the green sedan from two different drones.
She looked in the back. Anna was in standby. She would reboot every three minutes. They were concerned about an 'EMP attack'. As she looked at Anna, she saw her eyes open. She wanted to give her an update.
"Nothing's changed or developed." Young Allison said.
No sooner than she'd said it, she was informed they'd lost the second tracker.
Anna received the information too. It wasn't a positive development. She believed it increased the chances of an EMP attack even more.
"I think it's bad news." Anna said. "They're going to know we're tracking her."
Young Allison wondered if they would kill the prisoner now because they figured she'd 'rolled over' on them. If they did, her blood was on her hands. No. She would have been terminated anyway. She would already be dead under standard interrogation procedures. She still felt her hands were a little dirty. It didn't really bother her. She was the enemy.
"It was a good effort anyway." Young Allison said.
Anna received another update.
"Wait." Anna said.
The prisoner parked the truck in the gas station. She looked at the driver slumped over the seat. She took the revolver and placed it back in the glove compartment. She should have a contact there waiting for her on the other side. She entered the store and picked something up off of a rack on the side they were supposed to be parked on. She spotted the car there. It was a green sedan.
She put the item back and exited the little store at the gas station. She went outside, glanced around and headed straight to the green sedan and got in. The driver immediately drove away.
She gave a brief report to the driver as to what happened and how the interrogation went. When she got to the part about a detention camp, which sounded more like a resort, they didn't buy it. The talk of Terminators looking for a peaceful coexistence with humans and opposed to Skynet wasn't actually a new concept to them. There'd been rumors there was a Liquid Metal Terminator who'd initiated the concept among Terminators and sought out the Resistance.
The prisoner knew she was actually being interrogated now. This time it was by her own group. She didn't think it was going well for her, even with a detailed description of how she'd escaped. She was truthful in all of her responses. They still might not believe her.
The driver wasn't sold on the idea of her escape from a group of Terminators.
The prisoner reached over and touched the driver's barcode on their arm. There was the proof people did escape from Terminators, even if they were Skynet Terminators. It did happen.
The green sedan ran a series of maneuvers to see if they were being tailed. Nothing was spotted.
The green sedan drove into another gas station and went under the large overhang. A figure got up off of a bench in front of the store and went to the restroom area.
The driver looked over at the prisoner.
"You know the drill." The driver said.
The prisoner did know the drill. She got out and went into the restroom. The newcomer waited there. They quickly greeted each other.
The newcomer produced an electronic wand of some kind. He didn't want to seem too invasive, but there was a procedure to follow.
"You know how this works." The newcomer said.
The prisoner was scanned with her clothes on.
There were a couple of faint beeps.
The newcomer frowned slightly. There would need to be a closer inspection.
"I need you to strip." The newcomer said.
The prisoner didn't like to take her clothes off in front of anyone. Whenever she did, she wanted it to be dark. It wasn't always possible. This wasn't a sexual encounter. It's still bothered her anyway. She removed her clothing and stood naked before the newcomer. She could see them wince a little as they looked at her burn scars and withered breast.
The wand passed over her again and there was a faint beep.
"I think I have something." The newcomer said.
The prisoner wanted to offer a possible explanation. It was actually something she'd inquired about when she was first interrogated by the two Terminators.
"I asked if I was going to be branded with a barcode." The prisoner said. "They told me they didn't use the same technique for identification any longer. They said they used a different method."
The newcomer produced a knife.
The prisoner backed up a step. She was naked and unarmed.
The newcomer could see the fear he instilled in her.
"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you. I just need to see if I can find what's there." The newcomer said. "It will be a small incision."
The prisoner looked at her body now. A new scar wasn't going to matter. She only hoped they wouldn't scar her good breast. If they did, they did.
"Do it." The prisoner said.
The newcomer made an incision in her arm and took out a small chip. He wiped the blood off of it and looked at it for a few seconds.
"This looks like what they use on pets to identify them." The newcomer said. "I'm going to take it with me. I don't think it can be used as a tracker. I think it's for identification."
The newcomer was satisfied they'd found a tracker of some sort. They didn't search further. The other tracker was deep inside her.
The prisoner redressed and went out with the newcomer. He told the driver of the green sedan what he'd found.
The driver got out of the green sedan and directed the prisoner to get into a blue truck. It sat under the overhang in the last row of gas pumps. They both got in and drove back the way they'd come.
The newcomer took over the green sedan and drove away in the direction the green sedan was previously traveling.
The driver made his report and was told what would be waiting. It looked as if they would have a surprise waiting for anyone who followed them.
"It was a good effort anyway." Young Allison said.
Anna received another update.
"Wait." Anna said.
There were now two different signals. The drone showed one from a blue truck and one from the green sedan and they were going in opposite directions.
Young Allison quickly looked at the images. She didn't want to lose the prisoner.
"Can we tell where the prisoner is?" Young Allison asked.
Anna followed up on it. Both of the vehicles would need a closer scan.
"We'll need to have some lower drone scans to make a positive ID." Anna said.
Young Allison didn't want to lose the prisoner. If the prisoner was able to avoid them, it would be on her. It wasn't going to happen on her watch. She also needed to consider the possibility of an EMP attack. The drones could be disabled and destroyed when they crashed.
"I want it done." Young Allison said. "I know it's a risk."
She was about ready to tell Anna to ask for volunteers from the drone fleet.
"'Coltan Overcast' and 'Cherry Bomb' have both volunteered and are moving to intercept the two vehicles. They will remain just out of human hearing range." Anna said. "They'll be compromised in an EMP attack if they're close to the targets. They've acknowledged the risk and closed in."
Young Allison felt a twinge of sadness. They all had jobs to do. Things could get messy before it was over.
Ally, Hanna and Sheila discussed what to do for the rest of the cruise on the last night.
Hanna and Ally decided they wanted to be with Allison and Vanna. They went into the spare bedroom of the Master Suite. They would start there and hope to pair up with the new girls soon enough.
Sheila decided to visit Jim. There were some things she wanted to get taken care of. She could always join Ally and Hanna at any point. There was always room for one more. She wasn't sure what Cameron would actually do next. Jim's concern seemed very real to her.
"I want you to contact me personally if Cameron comes for Bob or you." Sheila said.
Now Jim wondered what the discussion was about in the private area.
"I'll do it." Jim said. "Thank you."
Sheila didn't know what was going to happen. It was still open ended.
"Don't thank me until we disembark." Sheila said. "Things can happen at the last minute. It doesn't take long for results in a male body or chassis."
None of it was encouraging news. Jim wanted a little bit of a buffer zone.
"I'll pack the computer gear early and take it down to the holding area for disembarkation." Jim said. "I'll remain there to safeguard everything. I'm sure Bob will assist me."
Sheila could understand his apprehension. She doubted it was justified.
"I'll have the girls help me fix up the rooms before we leave then." Sheila said. "You won't need to worry about it. You've done more than your share already. Thank you for assisting me."
Jim wondered about the chip swaps.
"When will we put everyone's chip back where they belong?" Jim asked.
Sheila wanted it dealt with soon. She thought they should take care of it before Cameron came up with any different ideas. Maybe it was time to start now.
"I'll go relieve Cam-Gail and Gail-Cam and have them come see you now." Sheila said. "When you're done with them and they return, I'll send Camille-Holly over and replace her. You will need to contact Holly-Camille. Young Jesse may want to do the chip swap with them for practice."
Jim liked the idea of getting things started. He looked forward to being alone with Cam and Gail with their chips out. He might even give them an examination to make sure there wasn't any unreported damage.
Sheila checked on the anti-Metal operation and left. It seemed like there were a lot of unknowns involved with it currently. There was nothing she could do from the ship. She headed for Mary and Laura's suite.
Cameron entered the Owner's Suite and found John looking out the open balcony door. She was able to walk up behind him unnoticed with the rushing of the ship through the water.
She placed her hands around the front of him.
John continued to look out the window.
"I told you we need to play it cool." John said.
Cameron instantly stiffened. John must have thought she was someone else. Maybe he thought she was Young Jesse. He'd been with her just a few minutes ago.
She didn't want any problems.
"It's just me, John." Cameron said. "I always play it cool."
John wished he would have looked before he'd spoken.
"I thought someone was trying to trick me." John said. "We're cool."
Cameron wanted to remind him everything was fine on the ship.
"Whatever happens on the ship, stays on the ship." Cameron said. "Everything is what I wanted to happen. I wanted you to have the best honeymoon ever."
John was pretty sure it would be hard to top what he'd experienced.
"It has been, Cameron." John said. "Nobody has ever had it better."
His statement made Cameron smile. She wasn't sure what he was 'up' to at this point.
"Do you want to rest or do something else?" Cameron asked.
John was pretty beat. There were several things they could do.
"Maybe we can relax together for a little bit." John said. "We can keep it simple."
Cameron wondered if John showered since he was with Young Jesse. She thought about getting him 'started up' to determine what she could ascertain in that regard.
"We can do anything you want." Cameron said.
She led John back into the bedroom. She removed her clothing along the way.
John was surprised to see she was naked when they got to the bedroom.
Savannah was anxious to see what happened with the signal from the prisoner. It was now in two separate vehicles going in different directions.
Cammy rebooted.
Savannah gave her a brief rundown of what happened while she was offline. She also thought about what would happen next.
"I think the prisoner is in the truck and the green sedan is now the decoy." Savannah said. "Since they found the second tracker, they're going to set up an ambush for sure."
Cammy agreed with her assessment. She wanted to take some preemptive action.
"We need to split the teams." Cammy said. "Young Allison is going to need to go after one vehicle and you're going to need to go after the other one."
It's not what Savannah thought would happen when she'd allowed Young Allison to stay in the field. She needed to remind herself Young Allison already proved herself in combat the other night. She'd followed her training and did everything the way it should be done. She'd also killed over a dozen men. It still bothered her. The other options available to her were just as unappealing. She didn't want to call for 'help' and drag the other Resistance members out into the field.
John Henry contacted her about the very thing seconds later.
"What do you want me to do?" John Henry asked.
Savannah didn't want to risk Young Allison getting jammed up or being the only one with a group of seven disabled Terminators if an EMP was used. It wasn't because she didn't think she could defend them. She was afraid she would go on the offensive and take the fight to the enemy. It's what Cameron would do. It was clear at this point Young Allison acted and responded like Cameron.
The safe bet was to strike each of the vehicles with a missile now and dispose of the wreckage. They would score a hit on a few of the anti-Metal group. They wouldn't find the base of operations. Everyone in their group would go home at the end of the evening.
The enemy would remain out there and still pose a threat. They could strike at a time of their choosing. They would have time to target the Resistance, which they believed was infested with 'Metal Lovers'.
Savannah decided to do what she would need to do in the future and work with what was currently available. She would talk directly to Young Allison and they would devise a plan.
It was what she did. It was decided Young Allison would lead her team after the blue truck along with Steve, Tom, Al and Ed in the second SUV. Brian, Randy and Anna were already with her.
Savannah would lead her team of Cammy and Mel, along with Richard, Michael, Hank and Larry in the following SUV after the green sedan. It was the one most likely to run through an ambush designed to take out Terminators.
The teams united and went in a loose pursuit of their objectives. The high altitude drones would keep them posted.
The close in drone scans from 'Coltan Overcast' and 'Cherry Bomb' confirmed what they thought they were after. The prisoner was in the blue truck now.
"The 'chase' was on. For now it would be the drones doing the actual chase.
It was hoped any ambush would be spotted before it was sprung. It was unlikely as the whole purpose of an ambush was to remain undetected and strike without warning. They understood it could come at any time from anywhere.
Jim was pleased to see Cam-Gail and Gail-Cam arrive. They both wore only a bathrobe. They wanted to get the chips swapped and get back to what they'd been doing.
He watched as they carefully cut each other's chip port open and removed the protective cover. They both sat in a chair side by side and awaited chip extraction. The best part of it was they'd each removed their bathrobe to avoid getting any of their synthetic 'blood' on it. They both sat there naked and waited for him to remove their chips. It was a really good way for him to compare their sheaths side by side in detail. So he did.
He removed both of their chips. He did a quick examination to make sure there was no 'unreported damage' on their sheaths. He was unable to compare 'everything' since they were seated. Maybe it was why they chose that method instead of laying down on the beds in the room.
It was when he went to put the chips into the proper chassis he noticed he was still plugged in. He thought he'd unplugged. He was sure CamNet 'influenced' him. If it was the case, everything he'd just experienced she probably did too. Now it made him wonder if the inspection for 'unreported damage' was even his idea or not. Somehow he didn't think it was. He wouldn't do it on his own. Would he?
He quickly put Cam's chip back in. He was about to install Gail's chip when Cam rebooted.
"I'll do it." Cam said.
At this point Jim was relieved to be done with the process. They would take care of each other and sew everything back up.
He watched Cam touch her breasts and frown. He was a little worried about his previous actions.
"Is something wrong?" Jim asked.
He was afraid Cam might know he'd 'inspected' her. Maybe what he did was detected.
Cam looked down at the front of her sheath.
"My breasts feel so small now." Cam said. "I didn't like the large breasts at first, but I sort of grew into them. They were much nicer than I thought. I can see the draw for humans, both male and female."
Jim watched Cam touch her breasts again and touch Gail's breasts on her deactivated chassis. He wanted to say what he felt.
"Your sheath is beautiful." Jim said.
Cam continued to touch herself.
"Thanks." Cam said. "I'm going to miss something else even more on her sheath…. Actually it's two more things. The 'neural network' is superior to mine and 'another part' is superior to mine as well."
Cam put Gail's chip in and she rebooted.
He watched Gail touch her breasts and frown.
Cam noticed it as well. She hoped she hadn't done something to damage Gail's sheath.
"Is something wrong?" Cam asked.
She was afraid Gail might know she'd 'inspected' her.
Gail continued to touch herself.
"My breasts feel so big now." Gail said. "I didn't like the smaller breasts at first, but I sort of grew into them. The overall appearance was very beautiful. I liked to look like Cameron. I liked to look like you. You're beautiful."
Cam and Jim looked at each other. Cam wondered if maybe a chassis trade was possible.
Gail looked down.
"There's one thing I'm glad to get back." Gail said.
Cam knew it was the end of the possible chassis swap. IT was the best thing on Gail's sheath. Maybe the superior 'neural network' enhanced it even more.
They stitched each other up and left. They only put their robes on as an afterthought. They were busy checking each other out and thinking what they both just gave up. They agreed to tether in the future and 'be each other' for some sexual activity.
A few minutes later Camille-Holly arrived. She too only wore a bathrobe.
"Hi, Jim." Camille-Holly said.
Jim hoped she'd remove the bathrobe.
"Hello." Jim said. "Are you ready to return 'home'?"
He indicated her chassis.
"Not really." Camille-Holly said. "I really like this sheath. I get to look like Allison. I think it's the best thing ever."
He wondered about some of the attributes of her original sheath.
"Do you miss anything on your original sheath?" Jim asked.
Camille-Holly touched her breasts. She did like her larger breasts but she liked to look like her lover.
"Not really." Camille-Holly said. "I like being the same size as Allison. I do miss my 'neural network' though. It's more 'responsive' and 'feels' more. It is superior to the one on this chassis."
Jim wondered how far she would go to trade with Camille.
"Have you discussed a chassis swap with Camille?" Jim asked.
Camille-Holly smiled. It seemed there was a workable solution going forward.
"Yes." Camille-Holly said. "We both agreed to do a permanent exchange. I wouldn't mind losing the better 'neural network' and larger breasts to look like Allison forever."
Jim wondered if it was why Holly-Camille wasn't there yet.
"Are you going to keep her chassis then?" Jim asked.
Camille-Holly frowned. There was a higher calling she needed to answer to right now. It was the desires of her lover. It wasn't just her lover either.
"Young Jesse and Allison want us back in our original chassis." Camille-Holly said.
Jim wondered about it.
"You have free choice." Jim said. "You can pick your own chassis."
Camille-Holly looked over at the Master Suite. She wanted Allison's love.
"I love Allison and I want her to be happy." Camille-Holly said. "I'll sacrifice my desires for her desires."
Jim nodded his head.
"Sacrifice is the true test of love." Jim said.
Camille-Holly nodded and looked at the monitor of the private area.
"I guess it is." Camille-Holly said. "Here comes Young Jesse and Holly-Camille now."
Jim looked at the monitor. Holly-Camille didn't look happy. She stopped and went to turn back to the Honeymoon Suite. Young Jesse took her hand and stopped her. She moved in front of her and gave her a kiss. Holly-Camille nodded and followed Young Jesse to the Control Center.
It was clear Holly-Camille wanted to keep her current chassis, but was about to switch for Young Jesse. Love won over personal desire.
"Sacrifice is the true test of love." Jim and Camille-Holly both said at the same time.
CamNet's Terminators watched the drone footage as the two men from the white van attempted to gain entry into the rear of the old supermarket. There was also footage from the surveillance cameras they'd hidden around the area previously.
The two men were at the rear door of the old supermarket. It originally had been booby trapped at one point in time. They'd since remove the booby traps because of the heavy homeless traffic around the area. It was done on Savannah's suggestion.
It appeared they carried a 'snap gun' of some type. They put something up against the door, and it opened a few seconds later. The images on their phone switched from the drone images at altitude, to images from inside of the rear area of the old supermarket.
The interior surveillance cameras showed the men each carried a handgun and a flashlight as they moved through the area. It was unclear what they were looking for. There was nothing left there. The main advantage they now possessed, was they could receive audio from the men.
The two men entered the building.
"I don't see anything at this place either." The first man said.
The second man let out a sigh.
"We're just following up like we were instructed." The second man said.
The first man's light caught something hanging in front of them.
"Following up on what?" The first man asked. "Look at the spider webs. It doesn't even look like the homeless have been in here."
The two men searched the area. There was nothing left behind for them to find. They made their way back towards where the giant walk in freezer was at. They opened the door and went inside.
"What's that smell?" The second man asked.
The first man sniffed as he looked around.
"It smells like chemicals." The first man said.
The second man wanted to leave.
"This place reeks." The second man said.
The first man looked around the workbench area. It was clear it had been heavily used.
"I wonder what happened in here." The first man said.
The second man looked towards the door.
"There's no way for us to know." The second man said. "I think it's time to blow."
The first man shined his flashlight on the floor.
"Maybe this is where the Mob used to keep people on ice." The first man said.
The second man believed the facts were different.
"They told us the Mob came here to attack the group in here." The second man said.
The first man laughed.
"Maybe they'll attack us since we're here now." The first man said.
The second man looked around nervously.
"Don't even joke about it." The second man said. "It's not even funny. There's enough freaky stuff going on around here with things from the future. I don't want to get taken out by a bunch of thugs from the past."
The first man I was more worried about their current enemies.
"I don't think it's the Mob we need to worry about." The first man said. "They're not the ones who attacked every place we've been too."
The second man needed to consider their source of intel.
"We don't even know who attacked what. We don't even know what was attacked at half of the locations because of the destruction." The second man said. "We're operating on records from the future."
The first man thought about the locations they recently visited.
"I'm not so sure they're from the future." The first man said. "Half of the places we've been to have been attacked in the last forty eight hours."
The two men made their way out of the freezer and shut the door behind them. They headed for the rear exit door.
"You don't think we're being set up do you?" The second man asked.
The first man cautiously opened the rear door and looked outside.
"I really don't know what's what anymore." The first man said. "I don't think any of the players do anymore either."
The two men walked back to the van and got inside. They started it and began to drive away.
The driver was almost past the rear supermarket when he hit the brakes. There was a black sedan parked at the end of the alley. We saw it for the threat it was. It did look like the Mob. He immediately began to back out the way they'd come. There wasn't enough room to make a U-turn.
Once they were past the supermarket on the other side, they spotted another black sedan. The driver hit the brakes but immediately released them. He didn't want to get trapped. They kept going. It appeared they could use the van as a battering ram if they needed to. The rear end would take all of the punishment.
The van passed by the black sedan. There were no rounds fired at them. They exited the alley onto the side street, and immediately headed for the main street.
CamNet's Terminators watch things unfold while the men were inside the rear of the old supermarket. They hadn't been inactive during the time.
The female Fanatic watched the big rigs leave. She spotted the pickup truck go in the same direction a minute later.
"I saw the truck with the thieves go by." The female Fanatic said. "Do you know if those men were armed?"
Jill thought about it.
"I never saw a weapon, but I can't imagine they're not." Jill said.
The female Fanatic checked her surroundings again.
"We need to wait for at least ten minutes before we start out." The female Fanatic said.
Jill drove the car around to the side of the motel.
The female Fanatic looked at her. She reached in her pocket and came out with another handful of cash.
"You can get a room here for a night or two if you want." The female Fanatic said. "Dealing with any of those men is very deadly."
Jill wanted to help. She also wanted retribution. She wanted the men to atone for what they'd done to her.
"I appreciate your generosity." Jill said. "I would rather work together as a team for now. My life hasn't amounted to much anyway. I want to do more to make those men pay. If they're a threat to the country, or people in general, I want to make them pay even more."
The female Fanatic would rather work on her own. She's been rather successful so far. The rest of her cell had been wiped out. She didn't know how to contact any other cell. She didn't know if any of them were wiped out. Jill had proven useful so far. She was highly motivated and her quest to seek vengeance. She would most likely be killed at some point along with herself.
"I need to make it clear about what can happen." The female Fanatic said. "They may get their hands on you again or you may be killed. It's the nature of the business."
Jill was ready to accept some of the consequences. She didn't want to be taken again. She would rather die first. The thought of any of those men touching her again almost made her want to vomit. It wasn't just the fact they'd abused her. It was the way they did it. They all had to make snide comments and say things. Some of them did things to hurt her. When she would cry out in pain, they would laugh. What kind of monster laughs at someone else in pain, when they'd just inflicted it? What's wrong with people?
"I don't want to stay here." Jill said. "I don't want you to ditch me either. I'll stay with you as much as I can and help you any way I can. I know you can't tell me much, but I know you're working for a greater cause. I understand it."
The female Fanatic was pretty sure if Jill was in the future, she would sign on to assist SkyMaster. Now wasn't the time to get into it. Jill believed she was serving a greater cause. It was her personal belief as well.
"You need to do everything I say, when I say it, and the way it needs to be done." The female Fanatic said. "It's the only way I can guarantee you a little safety. I already told you some of the endings."
Jill looked at the female Fanatic.
"I think you've seen a lot in your work." Jill said. "I think you've been around death a lot. You probably dealt out quite a bit of it as well."
The female Fanatic took one more look back towards the diner. There was no other activity around it.
"I have on all counts." The female Fanatic said. "Everyone on my team has died except me. It's doubtful I will survive this endeavor as well."
Jill could see the far off look in the female Fanatic's eyes. She reached over with her right hand and touched her hand.
"We can work together." Jill said. "My life has no purpose. I gave up on life a few years ago. I want it to have some meaning. Whatever happens, happens."
The female Fanatic felt the warmth of another. It was a genuine touch of affection from one human to another. It was very comforting and reassuring. She may have come from the Wastelands where she grew up, Jill came from her own version of the Wastelands. It was no less sad.
"Let's go back to the gas station and hit the convenience store." The female Fanatic said. "Let's get some healthy supplies and plenty of fluids to drink. I'm still parched."
Jill looked at the female Fanatic.
"Can you tell me your name?" Jill asked.
The female Fanatic felt a twinge inside of her. It had been a while since anyone had called her by her name. A name made a person human. The name gave a person individuality. It was her turn to reach over and touch the back of Jill's hand.
"My name is Jackie." The female Fanatic said. "Thank you for asking. I won't ditch you. I won't leave you behind either. I'll warn you again. Things may not end well. You may be abused again and die."
Jill was ready to make a commitment. She did want to point something else out first.
"I want payback." Jill said. "Right now we're like Jack and Jill. Well, Jackie and Jill."
The female Fanatic laughed. She wasn't sure when the last time she'd laughed was.
"I'm familiar with the story." The female Fanatic said. "I also saw something on TV once. I think it's going to be more like them."
Jill waited for her to say more. She didn't
"What was the movie?" Jill asked.
The female Fanatic remembered the name.
"It was called 'Thelma and Louise'." The female Fanatic said.
Jill heard of the movie, but she'd never seen it.
"I take it to mean it didn't have a happy ending." Jill said.
The female Fanatic wondered.
"I guess it depends upon how you look at it." The female Fanatic said.
Jill thought it sounded a little fatalistic. Then again, she needed to consider the 'secret agent's' line of work. She drove around the far side of the motel.
The female Fanatic spotted a dumpster.
"Pull up by the dumpster." The female Fanatics said. "I want to clean out the trunk. You didn't look in there did you?"
Jill thought the whole car could use a cleaning out. She pulled up to the dumpster.
"No, I haven't." Jill said. "I'm sure this isn't your car either. I really don't think you would own a piece of crap like this. Then again, it would make a good disposable vehicle."
Jill opened the trunk lid.
The female Fanatic got out of the car.
"Stay here." The female Fanatic said.
The female Fanatic moved to the trunk and saw the arm with the watch on it. She rapped some trash from the trunk around it and tossed it in the dumpster. She threw it in the farthest corner. She threw the rest of the trash from the trunk on top of it.
Jill leaned over the seat and collected an arm full of trash from the back.
"I have some more to throw away." Jill said.
The female Fanatic returned to the passenger side and opened the rear door. She began to collect trash as well.
"You may need to rest back here for a while." The female Fanatic said. "I don't think you've gotten too much sleep recently. I have. I really don't want anymore for a while."
They spent a few minutes and threw away the majority of the big pieces of trash from inside the beat up car. The female Fanatic moved over to the driver's seat. Jill quickly got in on the passenger side. She didn't want to get left behind.
The female Fanatic drove around the motel and back across the street to the gas station. She parked on the side where the bathrooms are at. It shielded the car from everything except something passing by on the main road. It couldn't be seen from the diner or the motel.
"Let's get some supplies and you can rest in the back." The female Fanatic said.
The female Fanatic and Jill locked the car and headed into the convenience store.
Earlier:
The two men in the pickup pulled out onto the cross street and stopped at the stop sign. They turned onto the main highway. They could see the big trucks ahead of them.
"We should have taken a better look at the other ones when we were there." The first man said.
The second man didn't want anything else to do with it.
"When they stop again, knock yourself out." The second man said. "I'm not going near them."
They passed the trucks, one at a time. In a few minutes they were past all three of them.
"I don't see any tail lights in front of us." The first man said.
The second man looked ahead.
"You mean we should see those skanks." The second man said. "I still want to 'do' both of them."
The first man thought about the street in each direction when they'd left. They hadn't seen tail lights on any of them.
"I don't think they actually left the area." The first man said.
The first man knew they took a good look all around them and in every direction.
"We didn't see them anywhere." The second man said. "The only place we didn't actually drive around was the motel. If they were going to spend the night, it's more than likely where they would spend it. They're probably right there in a motel room waiting for us to pay them a visit."
The first man looked behind him. The big rigs were back about a mile. He made a U-turn and headed back the way they'd come.
"If we find them, we will." The first man said. "We can always get a room for ourselves as well."
The second man quickly looked at him.
"I told you it was just a one time thing." The second man said. "I want the skanks for my sexual comfort."
The first man didn't want him to get the wrong idea.
"We're cool." The first man said. "The skanks it is."
The second man nodded.
"Or any other sluts we can put the grab on." The second man said.
The two men laughed as they headed back towards the hole in the wall community.
Need To Play It Cool
No one ever needs to hear
Harsh words or ridicule
It matters not if they
Like to do things old school
Words and actions should be
Kind, loving and never cruel
Nobody wants to be the one
That's played for a fool
A mind can be left spinning
As if stuck in a whirlpool
One needs to be careful
It doesn't end up in a cesspool
Two alone are weak
Things work better when they're dual
There's no need to face off
In a meaningless duel
Remember only one rule
Treat the other as a jewel
There will be times when everyone
Will need to play it cool
Nobody