So … there is three ways I can go about addressing the last flash back.
I can defend it by saying it was meant only as a way to show the lengths Cameron would go to save Ryan.
I can apologize to anyone I offended and it wasn't my intention to do so.
But I think I'll go with three …
I was so totally drunk when I wrote it … so Drunk!!
;)
Present or Past
"He'll have lost everyone he holds dear … his mother, his soul mate, his child and amongst his heartbreak and sorrow, that's when you'll come to him."
"No" Sarah protested
"He'll want to touch your face, hold on to you like he once did. You'll return the hug, shush him, kiss his brow, and tell him you will make it better."
"I won't do it!" She yelled.
"When he is broken in your loving arms … that's when you'll know what you're expected to do."
"No!!" Sarah yelled.
She felt hands clasp on to her bare arms as she thrashed about.
"GET OFF ME!!" She screamed fighting off the grip. Sarah was only free a moment before strong arms pulled her out of a lying position roughly and into a restraining frontal embrace. She heard a distorted voice calling her name; it was ignored in her fearful rage.
She fought hard, tumbling off a high place and landing hard on a surface. She rolled still in the tight embrace. The voice was getting louder and slowly she left the nightmare and a gloomed room took its place.
"Hey … err…goddammit, Hey!!" a familiar voice boomed into her ear as she struggled against the hold, feeling hands locked together on her back.
In the dim lighting a scarred, handsome face panted inches from hers. Sarah stopped her battle with the figure. Her eyes were wide and her breath was heavy as she was in a state of shock and disorientation from her pinned position.
"Hey, it was just a dream … gram … Sarah. What ever it was, it was just a dream, okay?" Ryan reasoned with her. Sarah was still in shock, but she nodded absently. After awhile Sarah got her breath under control and a sense of self awareness took over.
"Alright, I'm going to let you go now … you promise not to come at me with a knife or something when I do, huh?" Ryan gave a playful yet nervous chuckle trying to break some of the tension. Sarah nodded again, he returned the nod and slowly she felt his hands realize the lock on her back. The freed movement gave her a better piece of mind as she flexed her arms.
For the first time she noticed that they were on the floor of the bedroom, both were tangled in the army blanket. Ryan sat inches away examining her worriedly. After a moment she was almost back to normal, though she was still shaking. Ryan cautiously placed a comforting hand on her arm, However when she felt a clicking of a piston she immediately shrugged away.
Though it was a small action, she might as well have plunged a dagger in Ryan's heart. His face fell sadly as he averted his eyes away from her, closing his hand in a shameful fist.
"I'm, uh … I'm sorry." He crocked half in shame, half in embarrassment. He untangled himself and got up, padding across the heated floor boards to the chair where her main clothing and his Jacket and Utility belt hung on. He kept his back toward her as she heard him unattach something. When he turned he had a canteen in hand and walked back toward her. Kneeling he handed her the container slowly with his flesh hand, placing his cybernetic one behind his back.
Sarah took the canteen and looked into the brown eyes of her scorned decedent with guilt. Then quietly he sat back on the cot and looked at her for a moment. She swigged the water with a sloshing sound. When she was finished she screwed the cap back on, she got up, wrapping the blanket around her for modesty. She placed the canteen back on the chair and slowly returned to the cot. Ryan was lying back down looking at the ceiling. She sat with a squeak. She turned her head, gazing at Ryan every now and then.
"You feel better?" Ryan asked with concern. Sarah nodded not catching his gaze, but instead staring at the dusty floor boards. "Remember, it was just a dream … and if you need me, I'm right here?" Ryan consoled seriously. Sarah smiled at him lightly in acknowledgment. Ryan sighed tiredly and turned away from her using the side of his elbow as a pillow.
Sarah turned her gaze out toward the common room staring at the dimmed light of the electric lantern on the table.
Her nightmare wasn't like anything she had ever experienced before. There were no pictures or images. Nothing but blackness and words, words from a familiar sickly voice of the dying woman who stole her away from her time and family.
Suddenly things became very clear. Sarah knew why she was there in the future. This Dr. Serena Kogen had done something to her, changed her in someway, all in the name of one goal …
To have her murder the one person she loved more then anything in the entire universe.
Sarah's face hardened as she stared hard at the pistol holstered on Ryan's utility belt. Once again a sense of ease over took her like the fight with the cops in front of the metroplex theater. Sarah Connor would do anything to protect her son … even if it meant taking her own life.
"They can't make me do something if I'm dead." Sarah thought as she shed the blanket. Turning she looked at Ryan who seemed to have fallen back to sleep.
"I'm sorry for putting you through so much" Sarah whispered taking the blanket and with a small creak she slid close to the warm body and draped it over the young man's sleeping form. She leaned down brushing aside some grown out raven curls and kissed his temple. She smiled letting her hand linger in his hair as he didn't shift. Just like John when he was in a deep sleep.
With a light creek she removed herself from the bed and walked purposefully to the chair. She didn't hesitate in reaching for Ryan's side arm. She felt the cold rubber grip of the chromed pistol in her palm.
"It doesn't work that way." An emotionless voice called to Sarah from the other room. Sarah turned to a familiar silhouette seated in one of the chairs at the table.
"Cameron?" Sarah called in confusion. She moved to get a better look but was halted by an unseen force that had frozen her in place.
The Angelic young woman got to her feet and walked into the bedroom. Sarah watched her with great fear and anger as she couldn't move her body. Cameron stopped in front of Sarah looking her straight in the eye.
"Killing yourself won't help …" Cameron said coldly.
"And why is that?" Sarah gritted. Cameron tilted her head at her.
"Because, you cannot self-terminate." She answered Sarah's question without missing a beat.
"The hell I can't!! I'm not a damn machine!!" Sarah said ruthlessly, once again trying to will herself through the alien control.
"Are you?" Cameron asked. Sarah stopped cold looking at the cyborg.
"What have they done to me?" Sarah asked after a moment. Cameron studied her.
"I don't know" she deadpanned and walked toward the cot where Ryan was still fast asleep.
"You don't know? You're a part of this … all of this!" Sarah shouted. Cameron stared at Ryan's peaceful slumbering.
"I have no mission details on your condition." Cameron stated distractedly. Sarah strained again to move.
When she realized it was futile she decided to try another tactic.
"You know what this is about, Cameron. You know what they want me to do. They want me to kill John. You were married to him for eleven years … he loved you, why would you help Skynet do this?" Sarah asked in a scolding manner.
"That was a different TOK." Cameron stated coldly.
"Bullshit!" Sarah scoffed. "You're a horrible liar. I can see it in your eyes when you look at Ryan." She motioned her head at the still fast asleep Officer. Cameron visibly tightened her jaw.
"Unlike you, I have no choice but to carry out my mission." Cameron betrayed a hint of sorrow as she sat on the cot without a sound.
"And what is that?" Sarah asked the troubled cyborg.
"I must kill my child so you can kill yours." Cameron's voice was unreadable but Sarah could have sworn she saw a small tear stain her cheek.
"Why not stop it then?" Sarah shook her head. Cameron reached and touched her boy's matching cybernetic hand gingerly.
"I can't … but nothing is set in stone." Cameron said in an ominous tone.
"Are you saying there is a way to stop this?" Sarah asked turning her head to the side. Cameron said nothing, touching Ryan's cheek before pulling the blanket up to his shoulders. She stood and gave Sarah an unmachine like glare.
"The answers are there if you're willing to look." Cameron began to walk out of the room.
Cameron … Cameron!!" Sarah called but she left.
There was a large blinding flash that hit the entire room and before Sarah knew what had happened she was back on the bed looming over Ryan her hand still in his hair. She quickly turned her head from left to right seeing no one in the bedroom.
"What the hell!?" Sarah said jumping off the cot and stormed into the main room. There was no one there, in fact nothing was touched since she had went to bed. She gave a close look around before retreating back into the room. She sat back on the cot and gave another good look around.
"Was it a hallucination …? Maybe some sort of walking dream?" Sarah questioned as she turned back to Ryan who was still covered by a blanket, but it was not adjusted the way Cameron had left it.
Feeling a bit nervous she walked over and picked up the chair, placing it and the pistol near grabbing distance. She got under the blanket and sat in a guarding position keeping her eye on the front door.
***
Alertness kept Sarah up for most of the night, as she watched the room. The conversation with Cameron dominated the unoccupied part of her brain in those hours as she glanced at the chromed pistol now in her hand.
'Was she right … Can I really not be able to commit suicide?" She thought running the handgun up and down her covered ankles as she brought her knees to her chest in pensiveness. "The Answers are there if you're willing to look for them? What the Hell does that even mean?" Sarah sighed frustrated running a hand through her long curls and scratching the back of her head.
The mattress shifted as Ryan tuned from his side on to his back in his sleep. Sarah watched him a moment as his chest rose and fell with out a sound. Suddenly a slow sinking feeling fell into her belly as something in her brain clicked on.
Somewhere in Sarah's mind a fear became a certainty. A certainty that was in the same vein as the sun rising in the morning and the sky being blue, a certainty that Ryan Connor was going to be dead by the next day.
She tried to push it away, dismisses the claim as her not getting enough rest. But the more she resisted, the more it became a fact in her mind. She felt warmth in her eyes as she glanced down at him. Ryan exhaled from his mouth and his eyes opened with a flicker. He stared sleepily into her hard emerald orbs, and then looked at the object in her hand.
"Oh shit!" Ryan startled, shooting into a sitting position.
"What … what?" Sarah became frightened and raised the gun, pointing it around the room looking for an invisible target.
"What do you mean what? You got my flipping pistol in your hand!" Ryan chastised in a fluster.
"You don't think I was going to shoot you, did you?" Sarah said, a hint of hurt betrayed in her voice.
"What am I suppose to think, when a woman with PTSD is looming over me, in tears with a loaded gun?!" Ryan shouted at her. Sarah sighed and lowered the firearm.
"I'm sorry …" Sarah placed a hand on his shoulder. He let out a shaken breath but nodded and placed his hand out motioning her to give him the pistol. Sarah complied and handed the gun to him. He checked the magazine and then flipped the safety on. He leaned over Sarah and holstered the weapon. When he returned to his position, he looked at her with a concerned face.
'What's the matter?" Ryan studied her eyes. Sarah shook her head wiping away any traces of mist in them.
"Nothing" She cleared her throat. Ryan gave her a look that let her know he knew something was the matter. Sarah however continued to say nothing as she refused to meet his gaze.
"Don't worry … I'll get you back to your time." Ryan guessed at his grandmother's issue with a roughshod but cocky smile. Sarah knew that his confident answer was felled by ignorance, but she went along with it.
"I know you will." She said nodding, but couldn't help the tears that were falling from her eyes. Ryan watched with a sympathetic look. After a beat he scooted over and enveloped her in a cautious hug. She however in turn squeezed to him tightly and buried her face into his navy blue T-shirt. She wanted to pass along as much of her hardened heart to him as possible in what she believed was his short amount of time.
Ryan was surprised at such a heat felt and meaningful hug as he had been told all his life that Sarah Connor was a very guarded woman and rarely showed normal affection to her own child much less someone she had only known for four days. But he decided to take what was given back to him, embracing her tightly.
This time, both eventually nodded off to sleep in the embrace.
***
Several hours later Sarah was awoken by large booms from outside. She turned to find much to her confusion, Ryan still asleep.
"Ryan … RYAN!!" Sarah yelled at the young man as she struggled out of his arms.
"They're not even the big guns … plus if something was going on someone would come to get me." Ryan groaned lazily, showing off some of his youthful sloth. Suddenly the door opened and a figure rushed inside making a dash into the bedroom. It was the same Auburn haired girl from the other night. "Like that" Ryan sighed
The girl saw Sarah without her pants and averted her eyes before clearing her throat.
"What is it, Sid?" Ryan yawned not even opening his eyes.
"Ummm … Rye the artillery is firing." The girl said nervously as another boom sounded.
"Obviously" Ryan huffed. There was a pause as the young woman waited for the CO to do something.
"Well …" she asked as Sarah slid on her pants.
"Do you know what they're firing at?" He asked condescendingly.
"No"
"Do they know what they're firing at?"
"I guess"
"Then why don't you get them to let us in on it?" Ryan sighed. Sydney glared at him
"I'll go do that then, lazy jerk." She muttered, as she was leaving she gave Sarah who was putting on her fatigue button up the same star struck once over before leaving.
Sarah frowned at Ryan who looked like he might have already dosed off again. She sat down with a large creek causing him to shift agitatedly on to her lower back. She next slammed her boots on the wood floor loudly.
"I'm up!" Ryan yelled into the mattress. He sat up tiredly and glared at Sarah who was slipping on her socks. He silently walked over and snatched is boots up, sitting next to Sarah; he tiredly put on his socks.
Finished dressing she snatched the .45 out its holster and stalked to the door with it in ready position. Quietly she pushed the door open and peered out side.
The small village was unchanged in the dark. However she saw flashes of violet light streak across the orange and purple sky.
"What are you doing?" Ryan asked tiredly from behind her. She glared at her decedent's lack of situational awareness.
"What does it look like" Sarah hissed annoyed.
"Well it looks like you are being overly cautious." He shot back once again holding out his hand and motioning her to give him the gun. This time Sarah hesitated fixing him with a scolding scoff as she slapped the gun in his hand. Ryan holstered the weapon with a yawn and walked out into the town. Sarah shook her head, following cautiously.
After a moment Sarah felt a bit embarrassed as the soldiers of Companies A and B watched Sarah from there sitting positions in the middle of the road with goofy faces. She cleared her throat and walked casually behind Ryan who stopped in front of the Lieutenant from last night.
"Isn't it a bit early for Eiling to be forcing another engagement?" Ryan shook his head at Crowley. The Lieutenant shrugged folding his arms across his chest.
Just then the firing stopped and everything went still. There was a hush as everyone looked around.
"That was strange." Ryan muttered as people went back to whatever they were doing. Sydney arrived soon after a little out of breath.
"Pickets made contact with a Skynet scouting party." She breathed. "Gray's" she finally said after several gulps of air.
"Huh …" Ryan scratched his neck in interest. Sarah was confused at the word, but chose not to say anything. "Alright, I'm going to HQ to get word … tell your boys to gear up." Ryan addressed the two in front of him. They saluted and walked in opposite directions.
Ryan turned to Sarah and sighed pensively.
"Umm… why don't you get yourself some breakfast?" Ryan smiled lightly. Sarah glared, feeling like she was being treated like a child. Ryan knew automatically that he had tripped a wire in Sarah's temper.
"I'm not some withering flower or some damsel tied to the train tracks. I can help here or maybe you have forgotten, but I was the very first resistance member?" Sarah gritted her teeth. Ryan sighed at her.
"Tell me … what is 3, 6 flip hole?" He asked with a very Cameron like tilting of his head that only got Sarah angrier.
"I don't know." Sarah said
"What is Lead Triple Option?" Ryan asked again.
"I don't know" Sarah answered on his heels.
"Do you know what an Ogre is or what a delta attack pattern contains?" Ryan said in an irritated voice.
"No" she responded in frustration.
"They're all tactics and nicknames used by us. So tell me how you could help if you don't know the first thing about this war or the people in it?" Ryan said hotly. Sarah tightened her jaw in response. "Now quiet being a pain in the ass and go eat!" Ryan growled at her.
"Go to hell!" Sarah said intensely and stormed away.
Ryan felt as much like an ass as he sounded, but he would have to make it up to her later.
***
Sarah tossed the soupy eggs on her plate with a ruthless scrape sitting at the table back at the house.
She resented the way Ryan was treating her, like she was some inept idiot who didn't know the first thing about fighting machines or worse, some delicate princess who need protecting 24/7. If it was one thing she hated, it was being useless in a fight.
Her angry thoughts where interrupted by a gentle knock.
"Come in!" Sarah said harshly thinking it was Ryan. However it was the auburn haired girl who poked her head inside.
"Is this a bad time?" She asked in a small frightened voice that immediately caused Sarah to feel guilty.
"Umm … No." Sarah cleared her throat. The girl nodded and walked in, closing the door behind her. She watched Sarah as if trying to get close to an angry animal with out setting its temper off. The girl motioned to one of the seats across from Sarah. "Not my house." Sarah commented going back to the gunk on her plate that somewhat looked like they might have been possibly eggs in there former life. The girl sat quietly observing the map in front of her in an awkward silence.
"So you guys must have one hell of a night." she commented off handedly.
"Why's that …?" Sarah scowled
"Oh … umm no reason it just I heard you screaming and groaning last night, that's all." She said awkwardly.
"It wasn't what you think." Sarah corrected the girl.
"Oh … I know … Lauren told me." The girl smiled and went back to staring at the map.
"If you're waiting for Ryan … he's out." Sarah scowled angrily at the name.
"Umm … I'm actually not … I know he's up at the church with Colonel Perry." She responded with a small nervous chuckle trying to lighten the mood. Sarah glanced up at her expecting the girl to continue. After several moments the girl looked at Sarah.
"You're … her … Sarah Connor." The girl asked nervously. Sarah nodded her head in answer. "Lauren … she uh … she told me that you and Ryan's mom … you guys saved my parent's lives?" the girl asked with a glassy look in her green eyes.
"You're Sydney Fields?" Sarah asked with a tilt of her head. The girl nodded with a smile. "Yes … once." Sarah confirmed with a hint of remorse remembering Derek telling her the story of the girl's mother's death while they lay in bed one night. Sydney had a look of pure awe at the woman in front of her. When she realized that her hero worship was evident she cleared her throat and plastered a fake passive look on her face. However she looked into Sarah's eyes with a spark of emotion.
"Thank you" she crocked.
"For what …?" Sarah frowned feeling guilty about the loss of a woman that she couldn't quiet remember the name of.
"When you saved my mothers life … you saved mine, so thank you." Sydney smiled gratefully.
Sarah looked at the pretty young woman in front of her and realized that the botched mission at the Field's cabin wasn't such a disaster after all.
"You're welcome" Sarah smiled slowly at the realization.
***
Sarah walked with Sydney through the Mexican town giving the young woman her side of the cabin story.
Sydney ate the story up. laughing at her sister's wit and tearing up at her father's determination to protect his family (Sarah left out the part about her real father).
"I just want to thank you again for telling me about all this." Sydney said fondly.
"It's your family … you have a right to know about your loved ones." Sarah replied seriously. The girl nodded. After several more minutes of idle walking, they spotted Lauren sitting next to Ryan on a sand bag wall.
"Speaking of family." Sydney smiled. Sarah glared at the Navy Blue T-shirt clad back several yards in front of her.
Sydney laughed at Sarah's murderous glare. "Don't be too hard on him … he can be a jerk sometimes, but he just wants to keep you safe."
Sarah didn't respond, just watched the two converse. It seemed to be a serious talk, in which Lauren looked remorseful with a hand on the young Captains back as if consoling him.
After a beat she got up and spotting the two of them, she walked up. Lauren greeted them with a tired sigh hugging Sydney with glassy eyes.
"What's the matter?" Sarah asked seeing the hurt behind them.
"I … uh lost Barnes on the table last night." Lauren shook her head stroking her sister's hair tiredly. Sydney looked like she had just been slapped, but after a moment she wrapped an arm around Lauren.
"I'm sorry" she said consolingly.
"He was a stubborn old bastard … but out here, when your time comes, it comes …" Lauren steeled herself. Sydney and Sarah nodded in agreement.
After a moment of silence Sydney sighed. "You need to get something to eat." She stated to Lauren.
"Pass" Lauren wrinkled her nose at the prospect. Sydney gave her a stern look.
"Quit being an infant … I eat that crap, but you don't see me complaining." Sydney crossed her arms.
"Yeah, because you were raised on that crap, I however remember the way food supposes to taste." Lauren shot back.
"Look at you, acting all special, because you remember pizza." Sydney mocked. Lauren stuck her tongue out at the young woman, but sighed in defeat when she realized that she wasn't going to top little sister this round.
"You wanna come along, Sarah?" Sydney smiled with the knowledge that she had won. Sarah smiled at them, but turned back to Ryan who was still sitting by himself on the defensive structure.
"No, you go ahead, I already ate." Sarah nodded at the two siblings.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." Lauren said sympathetically. Sarah laughed a little at the comment. Sydney glared at her mother figure while tapping her foot.
"Fine …" Lauren let out an exasperated sigh and stuck her arms out like expecting to be handcuffed. Sydney snatched her by the wrist and pulled her away.
"Now who raised who again?" she heard Sydney ask as they disappeared.
Sarah flicked her eyes toward the sound of a slow somewhat sorrowful rendition of Dixie being played by a lone Harmonica.
The crackle of gravel under Sarah's boots ended the small tribute when she got close enough. Without a word she took a seat next to the glassy eyed Captain. She shifted on the soft sand filled bags as Ryan looked down at the beaten up harmonica.
"He was always a fan of that song … god only knows why." He sniffled slightly shaking his head. Sarah was hard pressed to fight off the mother in her as she could clearly hear the hurt in his voice. She merely nodded in acknowledgement at the sentence.
There was a long pause before he stuck the harmonica in one of his pouches on the belt.
"I'm gonna miss that rough old son of bitch …" Ryan's sigh was cracked with emotion.
"He's in a better place now …" Sarah tried to give him some comfort through words.
"… Yeah, I guess you're right about that." Ryan cleared his throat and wiped away the mist from his eyes. Sarah saw a backpack sitting at Ryan's feet and found something to take his mind of the hurt.
"What's in the bag?" she motioned her head to the pack. Ryan breathed a short chuckle and picked up the bag and put it in his lap.
"There's an old saying that when you've scorned a woman you shower her with gifts. So with that in mind …" Ryan handed the pack to Sarah. "I'm sorry and Merry Christmas." He smiled roughly with a tilt to his head. She raised an eyebrow and opened the flap.
Sarah smiled lightly when she pulled out a black Tank Top and a Utility Belt with a black Colt 1911 holstered in it.
"It's not quite Christmas yet, but I thought since you'll most likely be back home with Mom and Dad in 2009 by then, I'd give yours early. Plus women like clothing." Ryan shrugged.
"Thank you." Sarah smirked at the items in her clutches. "I didn't get you anything …" She smiled cheekily.
"Meh … how bout you make up for it by not trying to kill Mom when she gets pregnant." Ryan said with humor clearly evident in his voice. Sarah gave him a playful pensive look which earned her a bump from his shoulder.
"Alright … deal." Sarah sighed in mock exasperation.
"You Captain Phillips!" a deep voice called to the two of them. Both turned to a large burly soldier.
"Yeah" Ryan nodded. Sarah's gaze was captured by three soldiers guarding a tall shackled man behind the lead soldier.
"We caught this Thing outside one of the pickets." The soldier motioned to the shackled man. Ryan's face darkened at one glance of the prisoner.
The man was exceptionally taller then all of the soldiers. He had on grey and black unblemished clothing that sort of resembled a type of military uniform. The man looked beaten up, but what caught Sarah's attention was how perfect he looked. He had no blemishes or scars on his supermodel like face. He had perfect posture and looked unfazed by his current surroundings.
"He had these on him." The Soldier handed Ryan maps with writing ink on them. He observed them, looking to the woods and back to the maps. He snorted in miniscule anger. Sarah tried to read what was scratched on the paper, but the red ink was some sort of binary writing with circled drawn on the topography. She frowned and turned to look at the prisoner.
Sarah felt chills when the man locked eyes with her. He averted away from her sharply as if he was unworthy to even look at her. The quick action caught Ryan's attention.
"Stay here." Ryan ordered with protectiveness in his voice, handing the map to the Soldier. Then he got to his feet and overtly stood in front of Sarah defensively.
With slow menacing crackles Ryan walked till he was standing only inches from the prisoner.
"Name and Rank" He commanded. The prisoner said nothing. Ryan snorted at the defiance given to him. "He say anything to you?" Ryan turned to the lead Soldier.
"Oh yeah, he was talking all sorts of that Gray Bullshit, till now" The soldier said with a sigh. Ryan "huh" and shot a curious look at Sarah who was to busy studying the Gray to notice.
"See something you like?" Ryan addressed the Grey motioning to Sarah. The chained man looked him the eye with some outraged anger. "I don't know she's really pretty, think I got a shot?" Ryan asked with a cheeky wink. The Gray began to seethe in silent anger. "I mean the things I would do to her …" Ryan trailed off.
The Gray tried to come at Ryan. "You gutter rat … my father will murder all of you! He knows your positions and where you'll hide … you won't live to see tomorrow!" He yelled as the Soldiers held the prisoner back. Ryan laughed in response.
"You know what I love about the Cannon fodder … the canners bring them up with so much entitlement that when there captured the slightest pinprick gets them talking." He announced, which earned him some laughs from some on lookers. "Take the maps to CP and make sure not to kill Test Tube before he gets interrogated by intelligence." Ryan ordered. The lead soldier saluted and motioned the others to move along.
"Don't worry you're not alone … He'll come for you!" The man yelled out to Sarah as he was being dragged away.
"Hold!" Ryan said and walked up to the Gray. "Who are you talking about?"
"Wouldn't you like to know." The man spit.
"That's why I asked, genius …" Ryan slapped the Gray lightly.
"The terror of men, the unstoppable gale, the hammer of Connor …. The Beast!" the man listed of names but put poignancy on the last.
"Please tell me you're not actually talking about the Minotaur!" Ryan sighed as if he was told a really bad joke.
"The same … and he'll come for you!" He again shouted at Sarah with reassurance. Ryan rolled his eyes upward and motioned the guards to take him away.
When they were gone Ryan's humored face melted away and was replaced with worry as he rubbed his soul patch with his thumb in thought taking a seat next to Sarah.
"Something he said …?" She asked.
"Something he wrote." He answered distractedly.
"On the maps?" Sarah asked studying his face.
"It's for me to worry about." Ryan said with a confident smile but his eyes where troubled. Sarah started to feel that she was being condescended to again but she decided to table the discussion … for now.
"So who was that?" Sarah changed subjects flicking her eyes in the direction of where the prisoner and the soldiers disappeared.
"Oh … that was a Gray. They're part of Skynet's breeding program. Human's grown in Test Tubes and raised to serve the glorious father in the heroic cause of killing as many "Gutter Rats" as possible." Ryan explained with a stiff laugh.
"He seemed so perfect it was almost inhuman." Sarah observed loudly.
"Yeah, they're made the way a machine views how humanity should look and be, which means perfect and obedient, with a hell of an inferiority complex." Ryan chuckled at his last comment.
"What's the beast?" she asked feeling like there was something familiar about it.
"Oh, don't worry about that. He was just trying to scare you." Ryan answered with a snort. Some how Sarah doubted that generating fear was what the man was trying to do. It sounded to her like he was trying to consul her or even give her hope. Ryan caught on to Sarah's pensiveness.
"Look … there was tales coming out of Century that Skynet had some sort of monster locked up somewhere. He was suppose to be this super being, able to kill anything, they said that Skynet built this special prison complex where it took the most physically gifted and intelligent prisoners and put them in this maze where it trained the monster how to hunt and kill the best of the humans. They nicknamed it the Minotaur because it supposedly at least partly human." Ryan laughed mockingly when he finished the story.
"And you don't believe in it?" Sarah asked slightly spooked.
Ryan sighed and wrapped an arm around Sarah. "I been from one side of this wrecked world to the other and I've crossed blades with some flesh eating humans that where born with radiation mutation. But if your asking if Skynet has some fugally human eating monster locked away somewhere … then the answer is no." He shrugged. Sarah turned and smiled to humor him.
However her memory flashed to her standing in a darkened room in a half tied hospital gown. Her eyes where in tortured tears touching a glass tube where a baby floated in green liquid with a wire connected to it's belly button.
"You okay?"
A voice took her out of her flash and she was once again sitting next to Ryan who had an arm around her.
"Yeah …" She looked down at her hands. Ryan looked up at something and sighed.
"I got an Officers call I have to be at." Ryan sighed removing his arm. Sarah nodded silently. He gave a friendly slap to her thigh and stood up.
Sarah felt a hand take her chin and pull it up and she locked eyes with Ryan.
"There just stories …" he said consolingly and gave a quick kiss to her forehead. She watched him walk away.
Sarah wrapped her arms around herself in attempt to stop the shivering that the flash had left her with.
***
The Command Post was bristling with anticipation as Helicopters dropped squad after squad of anxious soldiers who rushed out of the landing zone and formed up with there platoons and companies.
Each soldier kept there eyes on the main command bunker where inside there fates were being decided.
***
The main Bunker was filled with Regimental Colonels and brigade generals, along with there Company commanders.
Each officer sat in undesignated rows of seats facing a white wall with a futuristic looking projector.
Inside the room there was a calm storm of emotions, unlike the men and women outside the bunker waiting anxiously for the word to move with nervousness. Those who sat in the large briefing room where the seasoned veterans of the war, who have fought in many battles large and small, who where rewarded for there services with promotions. Each man and women of the senior command of the 1st Division where focused on the job at hand, not death.
There was a thud and a creek of a heavy door and a petite woman walked in to the room. She walked with authoritive purpose as she passed the rows till she reached the projector and turned on her heals, looking out at the crowd.
She was an attractive older woman in her mid forties. She had long flowing brunet hair and high cheek bones. Her stormy brown eyes surveyed the group in front of her.
"Good morning ladies and Gentlemen." She spoke with an elegant English accent that took many by surprise.
"General Eiling has been dismissed, my name is General Hughes. John Connor has personally asked me to relieve the General and take charge of the defensives here." She explained simply. There was a murmur of acceptance from the officers. "Lets get started." She smiled lightly which caused several lifted eyebrows.
The Woman's charismatic and gentle tone was different then the Officers of the 1st Division were use to, but they accepted her as the woman in front of them possessed the rare quality that made all those who meet her to immediately fall in love with her.
The lights dimmed and the digital projector flipped on. A digital map of the surrounding six miles appeared.
"Though I believe that the other nights blunder in orders was a ghastly affair at best." She nodded with a sympathetic look to a Brown eyed officer with grown out raven curls. Ryan nodded back in acceptance. "I do believe we have gained a slight advantage. With the mistake in orders Captain Phillips and the late General Barnes has forced Skynet to speed up there offensive, therefore forcing its hand and giving us the advantage of choosing our own ground to fight on.
General Hughes flipped a button and the map turned vertically.
"Skynet know that to get to home plate that it can't simply march over open ground where our bomber and Gunships can tear them apart. It will have to use the mountain ranges and passes till they reach the river, here" She walked toward the map and with a slender finger traced a path through the 3D topography toward a thick blue line.
"Colonel Andrews you and the 82nd are to skirmish the machines advance and harass them as mush as possible, till practicable." The map zoomed in and several red dots flashed in the mountain passes.
"There main goal is crossing the river. It's an obstacle that we will use to our advantage." The map shifted to the river. "The main crossing is to the north which will be guarded by the 2nd and 3rd Brigades. However we believe that Skynet will put extra focus on the southern crossings guarded by the 132nd." She gave a poignant stare at Colonel Perry. "All of our defenses will have artillery support and some air to ground, but be sure to use it wisely." She addressed the Officers nodding to the back of the room the lights came back on. Once on, she gave a hardened, dead serious look to her Commanders.
"Under no circumstances are there to be any break through. There is no retreat, no falling back. We are all that stands in front of the machines from massacring the settlements behind us. If we're over run then the only thing the children are getting for Christmas is a plasma bolt." Her voice was almost emotional and desperate as if begging them. She cleared her throat and gave a stern look. "However on the flip side, if we stop Skynet here, it will have no choice but to go on the defense for the duration of the war. So keep that in mind." She said confidently.
There was a thoughtful hush over the crowd of Soldiers as each thought about the prospect of the Mechanical nightmare ending.
"Dismissed …"
***
To say that it was humid was an understatement. Everyone who was outside for more then several minutes felt like they had been coated with slime. It wasn't the dry heat of the desert that Sarah had become use to it was the kind of heat that zapped the life out of you and made you think you might suffocate. Like the heat from the jungles of Central America.
In fact those times in her life kept flashing to some because she had changed into her Christmas present and braided her hair in the same fashion as she once did in the jungle, but mostly, because it was the only time in her life that she was ever close to a militaristic setting but .
Most of her training was given by veterans that had come home or retired and in turn for there help she surrendered to there deepest sexual desires. She had also been known to fake a passionate whirl wind romance, where she played the role of the helpless single mother who needs the protection of a strong man. Then when he taught her everything he knew she uprooted in the middle of the night with a note of romantic bullshit proclaiming everlasting love and sorrow.
Sarah regretted living that kind of life. Not for her, but for John, because from a very young age he wasn't sure what to believe. Not sure what face his mother would put on, the helpless beauty, the sultry party girl, the fearless mother. Back then Sarah use to think as long as John knew that she loved him all would be okay. But now she knew that the sounds of her screaming in another mans bed or wondering if this man who mama claimed to love would be his father. All of it scarred him deeply.
The sound of another group of helicopters broke her concentration. She watched the scores of dirty soldiers jump out of them and run out of the way as they lifted back into the air and left. She closed her eyes as the blades stirred the hot air around her. She sighed and shifted her bottom on the car hood she was sitting on next to Alice who was conversing with some other Lieutenant from the same Brigade. Sarah was surrounded by Tank top, T-shirt, and even only bra clad people who where waiting in the heat for there Senior Officers to come back and give directions.
"So rumor is we got Sector E …" Sydney announced to everyone upon her return.
"No way …" a shirtless 2nd Lieutenant said with a shake of his head in disbelief.
"They wouldn't do that to my mama's baby girl." Alice said in a campy southern accent wiping her chest with a towel giving her some attention from the males around her.
"What's in Sector E?" Sarah risked sounding like an idiot with the question.
"Southern river crossing … you know where HQ is." Sydney answered. Sarah frowned in confusion at the fear the youths had about the position.
"It's really the middle of the line. Usually Skynet is arrogant when it comes to tactics and hits the center hard." Alice explained the rest. She was clearly bothered by the heat as she fanned her self with her hands.
Everyone went silent when the bunker doors opened and men and woman began filing out. Everyone in the small group began to look for the company commanders. After a minute they spotted Ryan and a shirtless George talking to a large brutal looking bald black man.
"Was it really necessary for George to take his shirt off?" Alice laughed wiping her face on the bottom of her tank top attracting more stares from the males at her toned stomach.
"He just wants to impress a certain someone here" Sydney laughed and bumped Sarah who glared disapprovingly at the young woman. "Sorry" She apologized but kept a smirk on her lips.
"I wouldn't mind seeing Ryan take his off." Alice muttered loudly.
Sydney cringed. "I would, he's got all these knife and bullet wound scars. Plus have you seen his right hand, all his fingers are disjointed from the brakes. Sarah can back me up here." Sydney turned to Sarah.
"I wouldn't know." Sarah commented as she watched the three males talk.
"I still wouldn't mind seeing for myself." Alice commented, causing a smile slightly
"In spite of J-day and the war one thing hadn't changed and that was the Sex drive of a College age girl."
Everyone went quiet when Ryan approached them after a quick salute to the black man.
"So what's the verdict boss?" Sydney asked.
"Sector E" Ryan sighed. The air seemed to become scarce in the small group. Ryan seemed to move past it. "Alice you're with me." Ryan said glancing at the blond.
"Yes sir" the young woman couldn't hide the smile on her face.
"Jake … we're being reinforced." Ryan turned to the large man who hadn't said two words since the pickup ride there.
"With who?" Sydney asked pleasantly surprised.
"Gravies" Ryan answered. There was a collective groan from both Sydney and Crowley. But Alice looked like someone had slapped her face and called her a name.
"Are you kidding me? I'd take some green FNG tunnel rat over some Cherry Gravy." Crowley said in frustration.
"At least tunnel rats know how to fight." Sydney added.
"Look they're better then nothing … so quit bitching. When they get here I want you to break them up and pair them with a veteran. I don't want them running away in there first fight." Ryan ordered sternly. He received no protest but some choice words under breathing as the two left.
Ryan was about to address Sarah when both notice Alice was still there. She had a look of angry sadness on her pretty face. Ryan sighed and his hardened eyes melted and walked toward her.
"So that's why I got transferred … to help brake in the Test Tubes?" She said with angry tears mixing with sweat.
"Yes …" Ryan admitted honestly. She scoffed and turned her head. "Alice … I know you don't like it, but you're the only one they can relate too." Ryan said taking her cheek and turning her head to face him
"Rye … I'm not one of them! I may have been some Baby stolen from the factory, but I got a family …!" Sarah winced when she saw true emotional pain behind her eyes as she yelled at Ryan placing her hands on his chest.
"I know … but whither you like it or not, you share the same background and I need you on this, babe." Ryan was docile in tone as he stroked her cheek gently. After a moment of collecting herself she sniffled deeply and nodded her head. "Thank you" Ryan removed his hand and gave her a smile. She ran a hand down his chest and walked after Sydney.
Ryan sighed as he watched her leave.
"Gravies?" Sarah shrugged.
"Gray's captured in infancy and raised in Tunnel orphanages." Ryan explained without hesitation
"Is she a …?" Sarah asked watching the wavy haired young woman walk away.
"A Gray … could've been." Ryan finished her sentence and continued to watch her with what Sarah saw as something that could be construed as love. "We were both five when we met. Mom and Dad had cleared out a sector and Dad and I where scavenging around for a gift for Mom's birthday when I came across this abandoned R&D lab … she was the only one left alive out of 20 children. Dad got her out and led her by hand back to our quarters. Mom found her some adopted parents. But because she's so beautiful and we found her in a R&D lab there is no way of knowing who or what she is." He shrugged with a sigh.
"You love her?" Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow. Ryan gave her a hard stare.
"I'm a Connor … it's better for her if she didn't know one way or the other." Ryan said regretfully. Sarah felt sad, because she knew how he felt as Derek and Kyle both entered her mind.
There was a small pause between them.
"Where do you want me?" Sarah asked after a moment. Ryan looked at her and was emotional for a second.
"Well this is where the trail ends." Ryan said with a small smile. Sarah frowned in response. "You're going on the next Chopper out of here." Ryan explained.
Sarah hadn't really thought about this moment. Part of her was desperate to See John but on the other hand the same feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that Ryan was going to die that night.
"Please, I'm not looking for an argument right now …" Ryan said with a sigh seeing the indecision on her face. Sarah primal need to see her child out weighed everything in her mind at that moment.
"Alright … alright I'll go." Sarah nodded in agreement.
"I was hoping you'd say that." Ryan smiled with glassy eyes as he pulled a letter out and handed it to her. "You remember what I told you the other day?" Ryan asked. Sarah nodded.
There was a pause again between them, but this time unlike there other goodbyes there was no hesitation by either party.
Sarah squeezed him tightly in a fierce hug stroking his matching hair. Ryan buried his nose into the crook of her neck and returned the squeeze. Ryan released her after a moment but Sarah wouldn't let go as she felt his death looming stronger then ever.
"It's alright … its okay." Ryan whispered gently as he stroked her back when she wouldn't let go. Finally after a minute she kissed Ryan's temple and with several deep breaths she let go of him. Ryan had a few stray tears in his eyes.
The sound of a chopper landed with a thud and loitered. As soldiers jumped off and stretchers of wounded from the other nights battle where placed on it.
"This is you!" Ryan yelled over the loud hum of the blades. Sarah felt sick to her stomach at the thought of leaving someone that shared her blood with, that she in a strange way helped to create inside her. The line of thought made the three words spill out without any control.
"I love you!" She yelled over the hum.
Ryan gave her a look of shock. It was a rare thing for him to hear when he was a child and now grown it was even more of a rarity. He was about to respond when commotion from the command bunker made him snap to attention.
A soldier was yelling as the Gray from earlier who was streaking toward the helicopter.
Sarah reacted quickly, snatching Ryan by the utility belt and pulling him behind her. She drew her sidearm and fired three shots into the man's leg.
Then as if in slow motion Sarah saw a sphere leave his hand and land into the open door of the Hewey, where the injured where placed.
"GERNADE!!"
On instinct Sarah tackled Ryan to the ground and covered him with her body.
There was an ear popping boom and she felt the exposed skin on her upper back become coded with intense heat for a second as the ground shook. Then everything went silent.
Ryan sat up bring Sarah with him as both sat tangled together staring at the Helicopter burn intensely.
Both felt a strange isolation to everything around them with the sound of each others close breathing penetrating the unearthly silence.
Both turned to one another wide eyed.
"Thank you" Ryan said panting. Sarah nodded in response.
Ryan was the one who now felt a tug of nausea in his gut, as he realized that after this there wouldn't be any other choppers landing and therefore Sarah would have no choice but participate in tonight's firefight.
Feeling a deep worry he wrapped his arms around her. "I won't let anything happen to you." He whispered.
Sarah understood full well what he meant and turned her head to the main bunker where her heart leapt in her throat.
She watched Cameron lock eyes with her and discreetly leave the main bunker, passing into a crowd of onlookers.
The question has now become who was Cameron trying to kill?
And What is Sarah's link to the Minotaur?
Sorry for all the hugging and the family sappiness but Sarah is a mom at heart and Ryan is a small part of her so …