Chapter 7: Getting Closer

April 2nd, 1993

01:21 A.M.

Oaxaca, Mexico

—

Sarah Connor groaned when she heard their old truck begin to squeal, struggling to move forward. It was later than they had planned meaning that she was tired and frustrated. Her son was at the small flat alone and with every passing minute, she began to worry that something might happen to him while she was gone. She had taught him all she could but he was still young and small.

John had a tendency to naturally trust people and Sarah felt horrible for working to destroy that trait of his but it was too dangerous. It was too risky to trust anyone outside the family and that meant it was just her and her son. She had noticed her son becoming more dejected recently but there wasn't much she could do. Despite her best efforts, she knew that she was becoming obsessed with their lives and how it would affect their future. Her entire life was geared towards being smarter, faster, and stronger so that if they opportunity every came, she would be able to fight to keep her son alive. She didn't want him to have the same fate as his father.

As Sarah began to recognize the familiar streets, she became more relaxed and slowed the groaning truck down. As she drove up to their small rental flat, she noticed a shadow in the back and her heart squeezed from inside her. She parked the car and flicked the lights on and off. The shadow turned and she was relieved to find that it was her son. He nodded and tossed whatever he was holding at the back of the house and ran through, appearing at the front door, dragging their two suitcases from behind him.

Sarah leaned forward on the passenger's side and helped him load the suitcases in the back seat. She glanced over at him with a small smile as he closed the door softly behind him.

"Everything good?"

John nodded as he straightened the camo jacket over his shoulders.

"Yeah. I broke the computer and tossed it out that way they can't track it to us."

"Good."

John leaned his head back against the seat as Sarah pulled out. He turned to his mother, drawing in a slow breath.

"So… you got the boss what he wanted. How are we going to get away without them knowing?"

Sarah opened her mouth to speak and hesitated, cursing herself silently. She knew that John could sense whenever she hesitated. She didn't want to tell him the truth but she watched from the corner of her eyes as John's eyebrows furrowed. After a few minutes of contemplation, John's eyes widened as he looked at her.

"You didn't give him the money. Did you?"

Sarah stopped at the nearest intersection and reached across John, opening the glove box. Hundreds of pesos fell out of the compartment and John stared at it, stunned. He turned to her with fear, trying to say something but was unable to get it out. Sarah looked back at him scornfully, noting his slight overreaction.

"They were going to sell us out, John."

"Like not give us a cut of the left overs?"

Sarah shook her head slowly as she continued to drive out of the small town onto the dirt highway.

"No… like they were going to call the authorities on us. You know I can't let that happen. So I knocked out the guys with me and tied them up to the target's fence so they couldn't follow us. Then I destroyed all communications between us and them. That is why we are leaving."

John looked away from his mother, staring at the road ahead of them as he tried to process all his mother had said. Sarah, however, did not want to wait for him to reply so she continue speaking, glancing over at him every few seconds.

"John, you have got to learn to always think and act a step ahead of everyone around you. You have to be able to predict when people are going to take advantage of you. We can never trust anyone but each other. We are never safe."

John's stunned expression quickly faded and turned into one of sadness and a hint of anger that Sarah picked up on. She knew that John wanted to be normal but he wasn't and neither was she. Kyle Reese wouldn't have been willing to die for her if she had been normal like other girls in 1984.

"We're going to Durango."

"Why?"

"Because it is about 15 hours away from this place and 10 hours from San Angel which distances us away from all our mistakes. Besides, it also helps us work out a way closer to the United States."

John drew his legs in close to his chest, still resting his head on the back of the seat.

"Why would we want to get closer to the U.S.? I thought we weren't going to go back there."

"Someday, when things get too bad here, we will go into Los Angeles, California. But it's dangerous because Cyberdyne Systems is there. There is a lot of risk in going back to L.A. but eventually that is going to be something we have to do."

"More risky than a Mexican mob boss wanting us tossed in jail or killed?"

Sarah chuckled halfheartedly, shaking her head slowly.

"Yes, we'll have to do some pretty great sneaking in order to stay away from the police and under Skynet's radar."

"We don't even know if they have a radar, mom."

"They will soon. You can quote me on that if you'd like."

A grin erupted on John's face as he turned away from her and she smiled as well, grateful that she had made a tense situation a little calmer. She glanced down at the dollar bills that had spilled from the glove compartment and continued to speak.

"Now… we're going to get gas and hit the bathroom there, grab some food, and then you can sleep. Okay?"

John nodded slowly as he looked back at his mother with his tired green eyes.

"I'd like that."