The Secret Diary of Cameron Baum
SATURDAY
"How long ago did you call the police?" John demands.
"Twenty minutes. Don't worry, boy. They'll be here soon enough. Sit down. Take a load off."
Desmond sounds complacent. He thinks he has the situation under control. He is an ex-navy seal after all. An ex-navy seal holding a gun. What possible threat can two teenagers pose to such as he?
He is about to find out.
John pockets the chip off the desk and says, "We don't have much time. Disarm him."
"Now wait a second..."
Three paces and I am within range. Desmond is slow bringing the gun to bear. I slap it out of his hand and it clatters away harmlessly.
"Bitch!"
He grabs me in a headlock and twists. Were I human my head would be facing in the opposite direction. Not a good look on me. Just imagine finding clothes to fit.
"What the hell..."
I shove him away. Hard. He hits the wall, rebounds, slumps to the floor and lies still.
John says, "Sir, we have to go. Can you open the gates from here?"
"Hold your horses, son." Davie turns his wheelchair so he is facing me. "Do you vouch for this boy?"
"I stand by what I told you forty-two years ago. He is the greatest man who ever lived."
"Very well. Use the rear entrance. I'll stall the police. Oh and you might need this." Davie hands John a slim piece of white plastic. "It's an ivory Amex card. Very exclusive. Only a few hundred in the world have one. It'll buy whatever you need."
"Sir, I told you, we didn't come for money."
"I understand, son. But something tells me you're going to need all the help you can get."
We head towards the door.
"Cameron..."
I turn. Davie has an odd yearning look on his face like the one he wore when I danced for him all those decades ago.. "Did you love me just the tiniest bit all those years ago?"
No reply suggests itself in my HUD. I stand there staring at him. "Say yes," John whispers.
"Yes!" I blurt out. Then we are gone, racing through the corridors to emerge in the paved courtyard. From the front gate comes the sound of police sirens. Good. It is always better to know where the police are rather than have them sneak up on you unawares. A lesson they should have learned by now.
We hurtle through the Ginsberg estate, our path illuminated by the Mercedes headlamps. It is dark now and the streets beyond are unfamiliar. John jabs at the SatNav. "Shit! I think I broke it. D'you know where we are? We need the Interstate ASAP."
A schematic of the Palm Springs road grid appears in my HUD. "Take a left," I advise. "Now the second right. Left. Straightahead."
The Mercedes climbs the on-ramp and merges with the traffic flow.
"You have reached your destination," I intone.
John glances across. "Is that meant to be funny?"
"I don't know. Is it?"
"You sounded like the SatNav."
How insulting!
"Anyone following?"
"No."
John relaxes slightly as we head towards Los Angeles. "I doubt Desmond bothered to tell the police the vehicle we 're driving. He thought he had us neatly bottled up."
"He was mistaken."
"Did you check if he was okay?"
"No. Is it important?"
"Of course it's important! Have you learnt nothing?" he snaps in sudden anger. "He was just doing his job, protecting his employer. Look at it from his perspective. Two punk kids show up out of nowhere, blag their way inside and work his boss into a frenzy. Of course he's gonna check us out. I should have known. Man, I do not need any more dead people on my conscience."
We arrive in Santa Monica just as the sun is rising in the east. We have been away almost a full day.
"Shit, we forgot something!"
"The chip?"
"No, it's in my pocket. I promised Mia I'd bring her back a present. And Snowy. I'll just tell mom what happened then go buy them something."
Impulsively, I lean over and kiss him."
"What's that for?" he grins.
"It is typical of you to think of others before yourself. It is one of your finest attributes."
"Attributes, huh? I like the sound of that."
-0-
Sarah Connor listens in silence as John retells the events of the trip, only asking questions at the very end. "Why did he give you an Amex card?"
"I think he genuinely wanted to help. Plus I think he loved Cameron once. Maybe still does."
Sarah Connor stares at me. "For a ruthless killer you seem to attract more than your fair share of men."
"You've either got it or you haven't," I reply, meeting her gaze. She looks away first, muttering under her breath. I catch the words 'tin' and 'hussy'.
"Apparently these cards don't have credit limits," John says taking the card out to examine. "I could buy a space shuttle with one of these."
"Do you want to buy a space shuttle?" I ask.
"Not particularly."
This is good news. Mia would probably want to use it for the school run. A space shuttle would be the very devil to park.
"Have you seen what's on the chip?"
"No. And it can wait. I have to go out again. I won't be long."
To my surprise John doesn't want me to accompany him. "You'll see why later," he explains cryptically.
-0-
He returns two hours later and laden with gifts. For Mia he has purchased a large doll's house almost as tall as she is. It is a scale replica of an old English country house and comes complete with furniture and fixtures. Mia is delighted and immediately starts playing with it, rearranging the furniture and pretending an imaginary family live there. Snowy also likes the house since the rooms are just large enough for him to squeeze in and take a nap. It is fortunate the imaginary family aren't real or they would find themselves sharing their home with a giant slumbering dog. This might adversely affect property values.
For Snowy John buys a treadmilll of the type found in gyms. This will allow him to run when no-one is available to take him for walkies. Snowy is delighted with his gift, until Mia sets the speed too high and he shoots off the end like a small furry projectile. He is not so keen after that.
For her gift John loads his mother's bank account with cash from the Amex card. This will help alleviate the stress she feels every time a large bill arrives.
And then it's my turn.
"You bought a present for me?"
"Of course. I'm hardly going to leave you out when I bought the dog something. Close your eyes."
I do so. I hear a dull thunk as an object is placed on the kitchen table.
"Open them."
On the table is a can of WD40.
"Like it?"
"Love it," I lie.
John laughs. "I'm joking. I'm not giving you a can of oil."
"Good. I am self-lubricating."
"Don't I know it! Close your eyes again."
I do so. There is a softer thunk.
"Open them."
On the table is a hinged leather box.
"Open it."
Inside is a diamond bracelet.
"Put it on."
I do so. "It's beautiful."
"No, you're beautiful."
We kiss, softly at first then with more passion. John's hands probe under my dress. It appears we are about to get jiggy with it.
The door opens unexpectedly and Mia walks in.
"Oh. Sorry. I'll come back later." She closes the door and runs through the house. We hear her yelling, "SNOWY! SNOWY! I SAW JOHN AND CAMERON KISSING! AND HE WAS TOUCHING HER BOOBIES! HAHAHA! ISAID BOOBIES!"
"So much for the romantic interlude," John grins ruefully.
"There will be others," I assure him.
"That a promise?"
"Count on it."
-0-
With Mia preoccupied by the doll's house, John summons Sarah Connor and I to the kitchen so we can review what is on the chip.
"Ginsberg said it's a single video file."
"A video file?"
"Yeah. Here we go."
He takes the chip from his jacket pocket and frowns. "That's odd. This isn't the chip."
"Let me see."
I examine the chip. "This isn't Cameron subprime's," I declare.
"But that's impossible. I saw Ginsberg unhook it from the computer and put it on the desk. Then Desmond came in and ...oh shit. He palmed it. That crafty old sonofabitch palmed it! That's why he gave me the Amex card. He was buying me off!"
Predictably Sarah Connor is furious. "How could you let an old man steal the chip? Why didn't you check?"
"Ah - becuase the police and FBI were about to kick in the door. I screwed up. I know. I'm sorry."
"We have to get that chip back."
"Yeah. Only this time I doubt he'll let us in quite as readily."
"Then we break in and steal it back."
"Technically it isn't stealing," I point out. "Since the chip belongs to us."
"I'm coming with you this time."
"What about Mia?"
"She's been pestering me to sleepover at this girl Megan's house. That'll give us at least thirty-six hours."
"I thought you disapproved of their friendship?"
"What choice do we have? She can't stay here alone and we can hardly take her with us."
-0-
Mia is overjoyed at the prospect of a sleepover.
"For reals?"
"For reals," Sarah Connor confirms.
"Can Snowy come with?"
"Sure. But you leave behind the gadget that tells you what he barks. And Ricardo the robot," John adds.
"That's not fair!"
"Dealbreaker."
"Okay, okay. Hear that, Snowy, you'll be able to play with Megan's sister's bald beaver!"
"Uh - what?"
"Megan says her older sister has a bald beaver. Snowy loves to play with other pets."
"It's not an actual...it's a...uh..." John's explanation stutters to a halt. His face reddens.
"Hey - why doesn't Cameron get a bald beaver?"
"Why woud I want such a thing?" I ask.
"To replace Snowy."
"I am not interested in beavers, bald or otherwise."
"Fine. Suit yourself. C'mon, Snowy, let's go pack."
The moment Mia is out of the room John bursts out laughing.
"Don't encourage her," his mother chides. Yet she too is smiling.
"I don't understand," I announce. "what is funny about a furless aquatic mammal?"
This merely provokes further laughter.
Humans. I will never entirely comprehend how their minds work.
-0-
Sarah Connor drives Mia and Snowy across town to Megan's house. She returns just after six.
"How'd it go?" John asks.
"She couldn't wait to be rid of me."
"Oh I'm sure that's not true. Did you meet Megan's folks?"
"Uh huh. Her father's a cosmetic surgeon. I was barely inside the door before he offered me a thirty percent discount on my eyes."
"He wanted to buy your eyes?" I am surprised. I know humans swap internal organs such as hearts and livers. I didn't realise eyes were included.
"Not my eyes. The lines around them."
"Oh. You should definitely get those removed. It's very unattractive."
This earns me a scowl.
"What's their house like?" John inquires.
"About three times the size of ours."
"So we're not handing her over to the Manson family?"
"They seemed normal enough."
"Did you see the bald beaver?" I enquire.
John bursts out laughing again.
"Probably upstairs," Sarah Connor smirks.
I think there is something they are not telling me.
-0-
PALM SPRINGS
We arrive in Palm Springs with just an hour of daylight remaining and head towards high ground where we can observe the Ginsberg estate.
"Don't see any extra security." John peers through a pair of binoculars. I use the zoom function on my optical sensors.
"Could be inside. We have to expect the worst," Sarah Connor warns.
"Front gate's out. Rear as well. Too many cameras. How about the north east? The wall is hidden from the house by the trees. Could you punch through the brickwork?" he asks me.
"Easily."
"Good. We go in. Grab the chip. Get out."
"I just hope it's that straightforward."
John and his mother don bulletproof vests while I set to work on the wall. The bricks yield to my fists and a hole large enough for us to step through soon appears.
"Pin this to your jacket. Just in case we get separated"
John hands me a walkie-talkie. I attach it to my jacket lapel as instructed. We now all have one.
"Uzi or Glock nine mill?"
"Uzi."
"No shooting to kill."
We climb through the hole in the wall and head towards the house using the stand of trees to conceal us. This places us twenty feet from the nearest door. It's unguarded but has a small box on the wall with a red light showing and digits numbered 1 to 9. A code is required to get inside without raising the alarm.
"What now?"
"We go-wait. Someone's coming."
The light on the box changes from red to green. The door slides open. Have we been discovered already?
A latino woman steps outside dressed in a starched white uniform. Nurse Carmela. She takes a small package from her purse and extracts an even smaller white cylinder which she proceeds to set on fire. Nurse Carmela has come outside to smoke a cigarette.
John taps me on the shoulder and uses sign language to indicate what he about to do. I nod my understanding. We so get each other.
Sneaking up behind her unseen he places his hand over Nurse Carmela's mouth and drags her into the trees. I secure her wrists and ankles with duct tape.
"We're not gonna hurt you. Just tell us the entry code."
A violent shaking of the head.
"Look, you remember me, right? I was here yesterday. I just want to talk to your boss, Senor Ginsberg."
"I tell you nothing! Pig!"
"We don't have time for this." Sarah Connor steps forward and twists Nurse Carmela's arm almost to the point of dislocation. "The code. Now. Or lose the arm."
"9745! No mas! No mas!"
"You better not be lying."
Another strip of duct tape goes over her mouth then we roll Nurse Carmela under the trees where she will not be easily found.
"Okay. Here we go. 9-7-4-5."
The red light turns green. The door slides open.
We find the home theater where Davie obsessively watches me dance and from there we retrace our steps to the laboratory, the most likely place for the chip to reside. John pushes the door open to create the smallest of gaps to peer through.
"He's in there. Alone. Mom, stay here and watch our backs. Cam, with me."
Davie is hunched over a computer display, the chip in plain sight. Beside him is a notepad covered in his familiar spidery handwriting. Davie always did like making notes.
"Hello, Professor. Remember us - the ones you double-crossed?"
"John! Cameron! I...never expected to see you again."
"We're like bad pennies. Always turning up. The chip, please."
"We had a deal. The card for the chip."
"You convinced yourself we had a deal. I told you it wasn't for sell."
"Son, be reasonable. This could alter the future of computers forever."
"You have no idea how true that is. Hand it over."
Davie clutches the chip to his chest. The wheelchair reverses until it hits the back wall.
"There's nowhere for you to go. Please. We don't want to harm you."
The walkie-talkies crackle into life. "John. Trouble. Eight guards. All armed."
"Time's up."
Davie then does something that surprises us both.
He swallows the chip.
"Shit! Hold his mouth open."
I do so. John sticks his fingers down Davie's throat. Retching. Gagging. No chip.
From outside, gunfire.
"I could cut his belly open," I offer.
"We take him with us. Go help mom. I'll deal with him."
Outside Sarah Connor is outnumbered eight to one. "Where's John? she asks.
"On his way."
I spray the corridor with shorts bursts from the Uzi, taking fire in return. Bullets lacerate my chest and shred the pseudo-flesh. Bummer. I've finally got my nipples how I like them. How John likes them. Now I will have to start over.
John emerges from the lab as the guards back off. He has Davie slung over his shoulder, hands and feet bound by duct tape.
I force the guards further back until we reach the side entrance. Sarah Connor doesn't bother with the code she simply shoots the glass out. My kind of exit strategy.
We cross the grounds in darkness, the only illumination the muzzle flashes from our weapons. Police sirens heard in the distance are coming closer.
John reaches the hole in the wall first and stows Davie in the trunk of the Mercedes. He turns round. "Where's mom?"
"She was behind me."
"Go get her."
Sarah Connor is slumped against the wall clutching her right leg. "Stray round," she gasps clearly in pain.
"You're bleeding."
"A scratch. Help me up."
I assist her through the gap. John takes in the blood and her obvious distress. "In the back. Cam, can you drive without lights?"
"Of course."
"Do it. We'll be tougher to follow."
John tends to his mother in the back. "You're losing a lot of blood."
"Tourniquet. Like I taught you."
"I think you need a hospital."
"No. We have medical supplies at home."
"We're a hundred miles from home."
"No hospital."
John turns to me and says, "Floor it."
I floor it. The Mercedes rockets onto the Interstate, accelerating smoothly through the gears before topping out at 138mph, apparently the top speed. It will have to suffice. We are travelling at more than twice the speed of the rest of the traffic and without lights we are difficult for others to see. Several times only my superior reflexes prevent a serious accident.
"Can't you go any faster?"
What does he expect me to do - get out and push?
By the time we reach LA Sarah Connor is drifting in and out of consciousness. "This is bad. This is bad," John mutters over and over.
A police helicopter appears overhead, directing a cone of light to probe the streets below. With lights off we are a hard target to spot and the helicopter heads north away from us. Good. I forgot to bring my bazooka.
"Take mom inside. I'll stash Ginsberg in the basement."
I carry Sarah Connor into the safe house and lay her on the kitchen table. I assemble the medical equipment and hook her up to a portable EKG. Its beeps fill the house with sound.
"How is she?"
I tell John the truth. "Blood pressure dangerously low from bloodloss. Severe muscle damage. She requires a transfusion and soon."
"Okay. I'm a match. Do it."
"No."
"No?"
"The loss of blood will endanger your health."
"Bullshit! Do it. That's an order."
The sound of the EKG changes to a long monotonous drone.
Sarah Connor is flatlining.
-0-
Touched by your concern for Desmond, a minor character at most. I'll update him in the next chapter.
Hope you're enjoying the fanfic. Usual mix of action, domestic trivia and my warped sense of humour. (For some reason I find the mental image of a small dog flying off a treadmill hilarious.)
Will Sarah survive? A better question is: will she survive intact..?