Chapter 5: Lieutenant General Katherine Brewster
California
L.A. Human Resistance Base
—
Lieutenant General Katherine Brewster had her head in her hands as her light brown eyes stared at the concrete under her feet.
"What do you mean you're going with them!?"
Her father's lip had curled as a mix of anger and confusion spread across his face.
"You can't go with them, Kate. I'm not going to have you get mixed into Sarah and John Connor's nonsense again."
"Maybe it's not nonsense, dad! What if they're telling the truth? What if everything we know will truly be gone?"
He had fastened his hands on her shoulders, staring straight into her eyes.
"Kate, listen to yourself. I know I taught you better that this. Just stop and think for a second. Are you willing to leave everything behind to travel with fugitives over an event they cannot prove?"
"Dad, mom and I were attacked by one of those machines; the same one that killed Tim. He didn't deserve to die. They were coming for me. They are coming for me. Mom got shot!"
"You had a moment of hysteria, Katherine. Things like that can happen in a traumatic event."
Kate drew in a slow breath as she adjusted her position, laying her arms down on the desk in front of her. She closed her eyes, picturing the memory perfectly. She had stepped away from her father, offended by his words. A flash of panic had gone across his face for a moment before he hardened again. Her mother was sitting in a chair from across the room, not saying a word, and the Salceda family was standing nearby waiting to leave.
"What it does happen, dad? They're going to hit San Diego, L.A., and San Francisco. We'll die! Isn't it worth our safety?"
"No, Kate; breaking the law is what gets you killed."
"And what if I believe them? What if I leave right now and go with them?"
Tears blurred in Kate's eyes as she was reminded of what came next. Her mother's eyes were wide and her father looked as if she had broken his heart.
"Then you will go alone."
Kate had stumbled back with surprise feeling her own heartbreak at the same time. Her eyebrows furrowed with confusion as she looked over her father. Despite her wound, her mother was on her feet, hobbling to her husband's side.
"Robert…"
"No, Margaret. You can make your own decision but I will not be aligned or associated with the Connors. I… I just can't allow it."
"So you would let her be alone with those fugitives?"
"That is for her to decide."
Kate's world fell around as she thought over the words and how she felt, trying to make sense of it all. Even if he didn't believe in the Connors, she still didn't understand why he would decide to leave it up to her. Maybe he was trying to teach her a lesson but Kate never understood it. She wiped a tear off of her cheeks as she sniffled softly.
"Dad…"
"I'm sorry, Kate. If you go, I will not go with you."
"But…"
"Kate, you're not a soldier. You're not like them. What are you going to do when war breaks out? What will you do if the government finds them and arrests them? You'll be arrested too. You'll face the same charges just by being in the same room and affiliating with them in any way. Are you prepared for that? To live a life full of fighting, and running, and hiding?"
Kate hadn't been able to look at him. Her eyes had either been fixed on the ground or looking back at the Salcedas. Her mother was leaning against her husband for support as she spoke in a voice laced with pain.
"That's why you need to go with her, Robert."
"And what about you, Margaret? Are you going to go with her?"
Kate had known the answer by reading her mother's face before she had said it.
"I… no… no. I couldn't do it."
Kate had nervously looked between both of her parents, unsure of what to do. She knew that if she were leaving, they had to leave soon. But she couldn't imagine having to leave her parents.
"Dad…"
"Kate, if you feel like you need to then go. But you can't turn back. Once you leave, you're gone."
"No, dad. You have to come with me. If you don't, you'll die."
"I've made my decision, Katherine. It's time to make yours."
Kate lifted her head and looked out at the empty space, imagining the last time she had seen her parents. Tears had rolled down her cheek as she remembered sobbing in front of them.
"I… I have to go, dad. I have to go."
Her father had stepped forward, wrapping her arms around her.
"I know, baby."
Kate remembered feeling the unity and warmth as both her parents wrapped their arms around her. It had been the most heartbreaking moment of her life. Her mother had taken her hands and spoken with tears in her own eyes, forcing a smile on her face.
"It's okay, Kate. It's okay."
Kate had instinctively looked at her father, remembering the disappointed look on his face. Kate could still see it as if it was for the first time. She wiped away her tears as she looked back at the ground.
"Dad. Mom. I… I love you so much. I…"
Her father had placed his hands on her mother's shoulders, gently pulling her away from Kate. Kate let out a gasp as her mother's fingers slid out of her's and felt a hole begin to grow in her heart. She knew that she would never forget it and that it would always come back and remind her. That moment she had lost her parents and had left feeling like the biggest disappointment in the world. She had everything… and she had given it away.
"I'm…"
Kate shook her head as she whispered out the last thing she had ever said to her parents.
"I'm sorry."
Kate flinched as she heard a knock at the door. She licked her lips quickly and sat up.
"Come in."
The door opened and Jesse Flores stepped through with a serious look on her face. Her long, curly black hair was in a ponytail behind her head and her dark brown eyes look tired. She was breathing heavier than normal and held one hand on her enlarged stomach. Kate rose to her feet and met Jesse at the door looking over her worriedly.
"Are you sure you should be walking around? You need to rest so you can have the baby."
Jesse waved the remark off.
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"I think I should ask how you're doing."
Kate backed off and let out a small sigh.
"I'll be okay. What's going on?"
"Red Alert. An untagged vehicle with unidentifiable figures crossed the wire. They're about five miles away and approaching quickly."
"How quickly?"
"Too quickly."
Kate nodded and walked back to her desk, putting on her camo jacket with her last name and rank on the lapel.
"Let's go."
Jesse returned the nod and followed Kate out of the room, closing the door behind her. As Kate quickly walked down the staircase to the communications room she pushed her straight red hair behind her shoulders with a sigh, trying to prepare herself. She opened the door and all eyes turned to her. She nodded respectively and walked over to Private Niah Peale's computer desk. Kate set her hand down to brace herself as she leaned forward to look at the screen.
"What's new?"
"They are three miles away and approaching quickly."
"Can we get a satellite image of the passengers?"
"We've been trying but the image won't clear up. It's too grainy to pick out any details."
Kate stepped back and folded her arms across her chest, turning on her heel to look at Private Charles McHenry's station.
"McHenry."
He spun around in his chair instantly, his eyes wide and attentive.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Can you establish a radio link with the car so we can speak with them?"
"I can try."
"Do it."
Private McHenry immediately went to work and Kate walked to the other side of the room, leaning over Private Thomas Freer's station.
"Can you stop that car before it gets any closer?"
"There are emergency barricades we can try to set up but I do not know how quickly it will come up."
"No. We just need one thing to stop them in their tracks. Can you disable the car somehow by hacking into it?"
"I… I don't think that is possible, ma'am."
Kate smiled slightly, fighting back a nervous laugh.
"Good to know. Just do anything you can."
Private Freer nodded.
"Right away, Lieutenant General."
Kate clapped her hands together.
"We've got to stop that car! McHenry, radio link?"
"Working on it."
"Work a little faster please."
Kate turned to Jesse who was leaning against a desk with her head down and a hand on her stomach.
"Flores!"
Jesse instantly looked up at Kate expectantly. She opened her mouth to say something but Kate spoke first.
"You are relieved of duty until your baby is two months old. I don't want to see you here unless it is an extreme emergency."
"But…"
"I mean it. Please, Jesse. You're overdoing it and this way I know you'll rest."
Jesse let out a deep sigh of annoyance but Kate knew that she appreciated it. Jesse was a woman of action but she was about to be a mother. She had to start taking it slow.
"Thank you, Colonel Flores."
"Thank you, Lieutenant General."
Jesse flashed her a small smile before she slowly walked out of the room, closing the door loudly behind her. Kate turned her back to the door and turned to the rest of the people in the room. She pursed her lips as she paced a couple steps, waiting for a response. If they were hostiles, they could set up the emergency barricades, or use some of the deactivated landmines and blow them out. But even through talking with them, she wasn't sure she would be able to tell if they were enemies or not. She cursed under her breath at the thought and hoped they wouldn't have to do anything. But that wouldn't make the problem go away and she knew it.
"Lieutenant General?"
Kate looked up at Private McHenry.
"Yes?"
"I transmitted a signal through the radio and received one back. I think we might be able to send a message."
"Perfect."
Kate grabbed a chair and dragged it to his desk, sitting down next to him. He handed her a walkie talkie and spoke nervously.
"I don't know if we'll be able to have a conversation with them so… make your message good."
He scooted his chair over, giving her full reign of the computer. She gripped the walkie talkie in her hand and looked over her shoulder to Private Freer.
"Anything?"
"I think so. Send the message and I'll see if it works."
Kate nodded and turned back to the computer, watching the vehicle approach in the camera. She drew in a deep breath and pressed the talk button, speaking confidently.
"You are driving on a minefield. Stop the car and identify yourselves."
She let go and watched the computer screen anxiously. She could see a rough image of the passengers conversing to one another. Kate raised her open in the air, prepared to give Private Freer a closed fist signal on her mark. Her heart beat quickened as she watched them continue to drive forward, not stopping.
"Blow a tire."
"What?"
Kate closed her hand and formed a tight fist.
"Make them stop. Blow one of the tires."
Within 15 seconds, a bomb went off and sent their back left tire into the air. The car skidded to a stop as the passengers looked around worriedly. Kate let her arm down and pressed the talk button.
"Last warning. Identify yourselves or you will not leave alive."
Kate could feel the tension hang in the air as everyone sat on the edge of their seats. She could hear Private Peale begin to breathe heavily, activating her anxiety but Kate kept her composure. For some reason she was chosen to be the leader of the L.A. Resistance against all odds and she intended on being the leader they needed. So she kept her back straight, her head high, and kept her eyes trained on the screen. She could see the passenger leaning forward and pressing several buttons on the radio, trying to find something that would work. After a few minutes, a voice crackled in reply.
"We come from San Diego. We seek refuge from the machines. We are just survivors."
Kate could feel everyone's eyes lock onto her.
"What are your names?"
"Adrienne Lance, Brian Pena, and Harlan Black."
Kate's eyebrows furrowed. She didn't recognize the names. She turned in her seat to Private Freer.
"Do we have anything that can scan the car for any dangerous materials?"
Private Peale raised her hand hesitantly before she spoke.
"We can see that they have rifles."
"Yes but I mean anything like grenade launchers or bombs. Anything that would be disastrous if they came in."
Private McHenry's eyes widened as he looked into his leader's eyes.
"You're considering letting them in?"
"Only once we know they won't be a threat."
Private Freer licked his lips quickly as his keys tapped on the keyboard.
"Scanning now… we'll see if it works."
Kate stood up and walked over to Private Freer's station, looking over the image on the screen. Five red flags came up; one handgun, three rifles, and one…
"Is that…"
Private Freer nodded.
"It sure looks like one."
Kate drew in a deep breath and ran her hand along her mouth.
"We can't risk letting them in."
Kate's stomach fell to her toes as she watched the video feed.
"McHenry, ask them if they know who we are."
Everyone was silent, awaiting the car's reply. McHenry turned to look at the Lieutenant General and spoke quietly.
"They don't know. They said they are just seeking shelter."
"Then ask them what they plan to do with that bomb. If they deny its existence or refuse to say anything… we take them out."
"Are… are you sure?"
Kate drew in a deep breath to steady herself and nodded as she turned to look at each of the one's in the room.
"Yes."
"Okay…"
Private McHenry turned back to the computer and asked the question that was on all of their minds.
"Why is there a bomb in your vehicle?"
Silence fell over each of them again as they waited for their reply. Kate could see the people in the car speak to one another before they heard their crackly answer.
"We weren't sure if we were going to run into the machines. We needed a way to stop them if they came. Please, we just want someplace safe. We can't keep running and hiding or they'll find us."
Kate shook her head as she rose to her feet, beginning to pace again. Her light brown eyes met Private McHenry and nodded.
"Let them in."
