Chapter 1416


Truck Ride


Mary and Laura were already waiting in the foyer of the main dining room area when the rest of the group arrived.

"I didn't think you were coming." Mary said.

Allison was happy to see them. She didn't want to give too much away.

"I think it's something we've all done plenty of." Allison said.

Vanna wanted to be a little more explicit.

"It was actually part of the delay." Vanna said.

Her statement brought a round of laughter.

Cameron led the group into the dining room. They were all seated in a few minutes.

"It's seven minutes until sunset." Cameron said.

The waiter was there to take their drink order as soon as John sat down. He was the last one to be seated.

Cameron ordered a stiff drink for Leticia. She wanted to have her pliable for later on. Sheila assured her it was unnecessary before.

Leticia was very willing to please Sheila.

Sheila and Leticia arrived two minutes later.

Leticia and Sheila turned every head as they entered. Leticia seemed to have a lot of her body on display along with her diamonds.

Cameron was sure Sheila modified the dress to be even more revealing. Her nipple rings were almost as prominent as her diamonds.

The ship previously altered course again so they could see the sunset from their table.

Vanna and Allison held hands as they watched it. Vanna took Gail-Cam's hand as well. Young Jesse took John's hand as she looked into his eyes. Holly-Camille and Cameron made sure their presence wasn't forgotten. They each took the hand of their designated partner. Mary and Laura held hands. Sheila was pleased when Leticia took her hand.

They watched the sun go down. The waiter returned with their drinks and took their order for appetizers and dinner.

It seemed Sheila was the only Metal girl there who didn't feel apprehensive. All of the other ones were worried about losing their human girlfriend. In her case, it was just the opposite. she now had a human girlfriend if she chose to keep her. As much as she liked the idea of a submissive, she wanted things to change. She wanted Leticia to stand up for herself. She would work on building her self esteem to become a little more assertive.


The last of the Kona pie was finished at the Islands.

Savannah and Young Allison held hands as they watched the sun set. Savannah took Cammy's hand and Young Allison took Anna's hand. They were all very content at this point.

"I guess we're done here." Savannah said.

Cammy gave the waitress a twenty dollar tip and they left. The waitress was thrilled.

Brian and Randy appeared on either side of them when they came out of the Islands.

Young Allison knew they normally remained in the background.

"Is there any trouble?" Young Allison asked.

Randy looked over towards the theater across the street.

"There was a further disturbance twenty minutes ago at the theater. It seems the 'clown movie' sparks a lot of trouble." Randy said.

Brian scanned the parking lot for any threats.

"Our side is clear." Brian said.

Mel was in their SUV again. It was warmed up and running.

Young Allison wanted to drive but figured she might be able to do it later on.

Savannah moved over to the driver's side and got in. Cammy and Anna got in the back and Young Allison sat in the front.

"Where are we going to go?" Young Allison asked.

Savannah knew it was time to take Young Allison back home.

"I think back to Palmdale." Savannah said.

Young Allison frowned. She quickly looked at her phone.

"There's nothing operational happening right now." Young Allison said. "There's no hurry to go back."

Cammy and Anna whispered with each other in the back.

Savannah was aware Cammy and Anna could converse at a level she couldn't hear at all. It was clear they wanted to be heard and asked.

"What's going on back there?" Savannah asked.

Cammy nudged Anna slightly with her elbow. It was clear she wanted her to speak.

"We could go by the Fashion Center." Anna said. "It's not very far away."

Savannah knew she could take Rinaldi to Corbin or Tampa and head south. They could be there in about five or six minutes if CamNet gave them all the lights.

It seemed like a very unusual request to Young Allison.

"Do you want to look at some clothes or something?" Young Allison asked. "It's not a place you normally go. Is there something special there?"

Savannah glanced back at Cammy and Anna. She knew what they were really after. It was why they'd wanted her to ask earlier.

"They want to go to the pet store." Savannah said.

The big smiles which formed on Cammy's face and Anna's face confirmed it.

"It sounds like a great idea." Cammy said.

Savannah headed for Corbin. It was the closest street.

"I'd like to go there as well." Anna said.

Young Allison looked over at Anna.

"I'd get you a pet, but they're a lot of work if they're treated right." Young Allison said.

They didn't know it, but it was the same thing Sheila slowly found out on the ship with Leticia.


Hank blindfolded the female prisoner. They were going to move her to a different location. She was told she was being taken to an internment camp until the war was over.

The prisoner was still skeptical about everything she'd heard. She didn't know why she needed to be blindfolded. It made her worry even more.

"Do you really need to blindfold me?" The prisoner asked.

Hank didn't want any problems.

"Yes." Hank said. "It's for your protection."

She thought it was strange. She was the prisoner. What did she need protecting from?

"How is it for my protection?" The prisoner asked.

Hank's words were direct and to the point.

"You won't need to be terminated for trying to ascertain our location." Hank said. "Even if we try to be amicable, there still are certain rules everyone must adhere to. I know you understand."

The prisoner felt some hope she wasn't going to be executed at this point. If she was still alive, she might be able to escape later on. She'd escaped from a Skynet work camp before. It was why she'd surrendered instead of trying to fight earlier. She couldn't fight or escape if she was dead.

"You're really cheerful." The prisoner said.

Hank thought it was a compliment.

"Thank you." Hank said.

The prisoner just shook her head.

Everything was all different from what she'd expected, or even heard about. She actually thought she would be dead by now once she was captured.

She was taken to a location where she could hear vehicles.

There was a 'clank' sound and something which sounded like a roll up door opening.

Much to her surprise, she was lifted off her feet and handed up to someone else. She could tell she was in the back of a truck of some kind. The idea crossed her mind it was like a cattle car which was used to take her relatives to a concentration camp. They'd been given their own form of a 'barcode' as well. The current enemy she fought didn't distinguish between racial groups or religious groups in its quest to cleanse the planet of what it found distasteful. It was all humans.

"Please be seated." Larry said.

The prisoner sat down. She thought it was the front of the box section behind the cab. She wondered if there would be more people joining her. She didn't want to ask too many questions and get gagged again. She did note neither captor touched her inappropriately. It wasn't always the case. She'd already been abused several times by this point in her other captures. It was so common; it was part of the training. It happened to every female and some of the younger males as well.

She heard the rear door pulled down and the latch thrown. It made a loud 'clang' as it latched closed.

She stood up and walked around the back of the truck to see how big it was and if there was anyone else in there with her. She hoped not all of her team was dead. The interior of the back of the truck was about twenty feet long and eight feet wide. There didn't appear to be anyone else, or anything else, in the box part of the truck with her.

The truck started out and she tumbled to the floor. She hadn't been expecting it to move so soon. She landed hard on the floor. She took a moment to collect herself.

The jolt caused her blindfold to slide up on one side. She tilted her head down and pushed up with her shoulder. She was able to move the side of the blindfold enough to see with her left eye. The back of the truck was in total darkness. They passed under a street light and the interior was briefly illuminated. There was a fiberglass section in the roof. She stayed on her rear end as she almost fell over again when she tried to stand.

She looked at each section of the interior a few feet at a time when they passed under a streetlight. She wanted to find a piece of metal which stuck out from somewhere. There were metal tie downs, and a metal track which ran the full length of each side. They slowed and stopped for a signal. She moved to the rear of the truck and looked at the metal track. She found what she wanted. There was a screw missing or something. The end of the track stuck out a little from the side. She quickly turned around and started rubbing the material which bound her hands behind her back against it.

The truck started out and she slammed into the rear door. It didn't seem to be a tight fit. There was no way for her to check it. She needed to get her hands free to do anything else.

The truck changed lanes or something and she fell off to the side. She got back up and continued working. It was going to take awhile. She didn't have any idea where she came from, where she was at, or where she was being taken to. She was pretty sure if she were dumped in with other prisoners, she would be abused soon after her arrival. It's how it always was before. Everyone wanted a crack at the 'new girl'.

It was best to just lay there and let it happen. No one lasted longer than two minutes before the next one started. Well, it wasn't always the case. Usually on the second round, a few of them would make it past the three minute mark. It was when they rolled her on her stomach and bent her knees underneath her when she worried. Half of the men found a new way to abuse her.

She was on an unknown timetable to try and get free. She didn't have a clue if they would drive for an hour, or a day or two. She hadn't been physically roughed up too much and she wasn't beaten or tortured. She really wondered if they would try to 'fix' her damage. She really didn't see how. Maybe they could. Maybe it was all a lie to keep her compliant and in line. She'd actually consulted a plastic surgeon before. He told her the best thing would be for him to completely remove the withered breast. Somehow it sounded like an even worse idea to her.


Cameron and the group finished with dinner and were almost done with dessert.

"What's in the main theater tonight?" John asked.

He'd looked at the little newspaper in the room earlier but forgotten already. His mind was on a lot of other things. Most of them were people. The ones he thought about the most were the human females. All of the Metal girls so far had been 'Cameron'. She was in control of their chassis. When it came to the human girls, it was really them.

Cameron wanted to refocus John. She could see he looked a little distant. He actually reminded her of herself at times.

"The Rockabilly Trio has it as their venue tonight." Cameron said.

Mary remembered seeing it was a comedian. She knew things changed at times. She didn't know Cameron, who she knew as 'Barbara', was the one who'd changed the venues.

Allison liked the music. It had a fast rhythm and upbeat tempo. It also shook the room.

"They're good." Allison said. "I'll go to see them if someone else wants to go."

Vanna wanted to keep an eye on Allison. She was worried she would get lost in the loving of the other girls. It was just sex to her. Allison was different. She wanted 'more'. Mary and Laura offered it. Leticia offered was what she liked to experience. The goal was the finish.

"I'll go." Vanna said.

Vanna knew she needed to have some slack in the leash or the attempt to 'break away' grew stronger. She'd learned if you held something too close, it would try to get away.

They all decided to go.

The three girls all hoped they could get a crack at 'Stephany'. They could see she was 'all over' 'Tony'. If what 'Sue' told them was true, which they didn't doubt, 'Stephany' got 'popped' last night. It appeared she wanted a little more. They all thought she was going to feel a little sore. They didn't know she'd already delivered a baby 'In Some Future'.

They finished up with dessert and their drinks.

John could have done without the espresso, but Cameron insisted. She'd laced it with the 'medicine'. She wanted to make sure John would be 'up' for any eventuality. It would literally be in more ways than one.

Leticia wasn't too sure about the protocol on the ship for gratuities and how it worked.

"This is the last night. Are we supposed to give the waiter and staff a tip?" Leticia asked. "I read something about it."

Cameron smiled at her.

"I have it covered." Cameron said.

John felt Cameron reach in his pockets and she came out with a stack of envelopes. She'd told him to hold on to them earlier. Now he knew what they were for. They were full of cash.

They stood to go. The waiter and assistant waiters all came over to bid them farewell. Cameron handed them each an envelope. She was greeted by the head waiter and the Maître d'.

All of them received thousands of dollars. Cameron was pleased with the service. The funny part about it was, the money meant nothing to her. They were literally pieces of paper with green ink on them. The 'value' existed within everyone's mind. She always had access to plenty of it. She'd taken what she needed before.

Now with all her 'off the books' operations, there were millions in cash laying around both of the bases and billions in bank accounts. Much of it was gleaned from the Syndicate and the Cartel.

The precious metals and stones were usually from local sources. If she got wind of the Syndicate or the Cartel trying to move some, she made sure she intercepted them. The girls all displayed the fruits of her efforts. The value of the jewelry they wore was in the millions.

She thought about letting John hand the envelopes out. She decided to do it herself instead. She liked the appreciation they showed. She didn't think she received enough of it around the base. She did have to admit John seemed a little more appreciative of her, and her efforts on the cruise to please him.

They headed for the elevator and all got in the same one.

The buttons they needed 'pushed' were already lit up when the doors opened.

They made their way to the main theater. The girls all stopped for a restroom break. John did too. It seemed not only did he consume more food on the ship, he consumed a lot more liquid too. He thought back on what Cameron gave him to drink again with his dessert. He really disliked the taste of an espresso. He did like his performance afterwards. He didn't have a clue what it was really about.

They used the lower front entrance and walked up to the front row. Bob waited there for them with the front row cordoned off.

"I've been waiting for you." Bob said.

Allison and Vanna giggled.

The significance of seeing the big security chief wasn't lost on Mary, Laura and Leticia. He always seemed to be nearby the group. They knew when not to ask questions. They always got the same response. They appreciated what they'd been offered by the mysterious group. There was no need to rock the boat.

They took their seats the same as they'd done before.

The performance would start in a few minutes.

The cruise director was prevented from speaking again before the performance. He would be allowed to speak at the next one. Cameron got tired of hearing everything she already knew.


Savannah drove to the Fashion Center. It was just a fancy name for a mall. She parked on the north side. There was no parking structure there. The parking structures were located on the east and the west sides. The south side, and the north side where they were at, was just surface parking. It made things much simpler. They would have to walk the length of the mall the way they'd entered. It would take them past most of the small shops.

They would pass several women's clothing stores on the top or the bottom floor as they walked along. She'd been there with Cameron before and planned to go by the 'Whispered Secrets' women's undergarment store. She wanted to see what Young Allison would look at.

She knew Cameron selected everything Young Allison wore. Cameron wanted Young Allison to 'look' a certain way and she made sure she did. It was all part of Cameron's plan to make Young Allison the 'human version' of herself. She was pretty sure some of the underwear Cameron picked out for her gave a new definition to the term 'briefs'.

Savannah witnessed something several times which bothered her. Claire didn't always agree with every selection Cameron made for Young Allison. When it occurred, Hanna would take Claire away into the bedroom and have sex with her. The issue was quickly forgotten.

She was pretty sure Cameron controlled everyone, to some extent, with sex. Just about everyone shared with a Metal lover and they were always ready to 'go'. It was hard to turn down a guaranteed finish, especially if it could be a multiple one.

She looked over at Cammy and she smiled back at her. She wasn't immune from the influence either. She was sure Cameron knew everything possible about each female in their group. She was aware infiltration programming consisted of a lot of sexual influence. Open legs, opened doors and made targets compliant and easier to control and manipulate. It was amazing what one small body part could accomplish. It seemed to be the case since the beginning of time.

It made sense to her why Skynet concentrated on getting the female body parts to respond with as much 'feeling' as possible. It would allow the female infiltration units to better pass as human females. She was pleased with the results she'd witnessed first hand from all of the Metal girls. It seemed they were pleased as well.

Savannah slowed as they came up to the 'Whispered Secrets' store with the risqué undergarments and outfits.

Cammy and Anna didn't want to stop. It didn't bother them if they were naked. They wanted to see the pets.

Savannah would rather be alone with Young Allison anyway in the 'Whispered Secrets' store.

"You two go on." Savannah said. "Randy and Brian are on either side of us."

Cammy and Anna were hesitant to go but both Savannah and Young Allison insisted. The pet store was just down the main corridor and on a smaller corridor off to the side.

Cammy made sure Brian and Randy were aware of what was happening. They moved in closer to the girls.

Young Allison looked at some of the selections but wasn't sure what the point of some of them were. She would feel uncomfortable wearing most of them.

"Do people really wear these things?" Young Allison asked.

Savannah figured the rent was expensive on any location in the mall.

"They must have a market to have this store." Savannah said.

Young Allison looked at a pair of 'crotch-less panties'.

"I think it would be easier just to take them off." Young Allison said.

Savannah thought she'd missed the point. They could spark some excitement into a relationship which may have grown stagnant or cold. It was the fate of all relationships. It was all a matter of time. Time caught up with everyone at some point.

"It is about being sexy and alluring." Savannah said.

Young Allison previously noticed when they went swimming, her panties were very different from other girls her age. They were like the ones Cameron wore. There wasn't a whole lot of material. It was one of the reasons she'd needed to start using a razor. She didn't have a choice.


The female prisoner worked to free her bonds. She was unsure of her progress when suddenly they loosened and dropped off.

She pulled off the blindfold and looked for anything she may have missed earlier to use as a weapon. She didn't think anything short of a plasma rifle would work against two Terminators.

The truck stopped abruptly. She was flung across the floor to the front of the box. She wondered if they knew she was free. She was going to try and evade them. If they were in traffic, they may not pursue her. It would draw an audience. She was ready to take her chances amongst the speeding autos to try and get free. If she got hit, death would be instantaneous. At least it was what she hoped. Freedom was worth the risk.


Young Allison checked her phone. She wondered how her 'plan' was going. There'd been no feedback or updates.

Savannah hoped Young Allison would be a little more excited about the store they were in. Instead she seemed distracted. Maybe it was because she never bought any of her own clothes. She never even got to pick them out.

"We can join Cammy and Anna if you want." Savannah said.

Young Allison smiled at her.

"I'd like that." Young Allison said.

Young Allison took one last look around. The store made her feel uncomfortable. The women in there looked at her a lot too. She was glad Cameron provided her wardrobe for her. It seemed to her most females could use a lesson in style.

They exited the 'Whispered Secrets' store and bypassed the other women's stores and went straight to the pet store.

Cammy and Anna were both holding puppies when they spotted them.

Savannah could see they were as careful as we were thrilled.

"They act like they're holding babies." Savannah said.

Young Allison knew all of the animals were very young. She also knew it was one of the reasons why people purchase them. They were cute and playful when they were young. There were plenty of adult animals in shelters waiting to be euthanized. Few people ever came for them. She knew there was always an appeal of 'younger' over 'older'.

"Well, they are sort of." Young Allison said.

Savannah didn't want to think about how all of the pets had been pulled away from their mothers at a young age. It made her think about her situation. It was sort of the same thing for her. Everyone always treated her very nice. They all showed her a lot of love and attention. It included the Terminators as well. She looked at the puppies they held.

"I guess they are." Savannah said. "Everyone is enamored with something small."

Young Allison indicated a bench in the center of the corridor. She didn't want to distract the Metal girls.

"We can watch them from here." Young Allison said.

Savannah did watch them. She could see they were completely oblivious to everything happening around them.

"I think they've forgotten about us at this point." Savannah said.

Young Allison smiled as she watched them.

"I really like to see them 'happy' like this." Young Allison said. "I really don't think it happens too often. Well, maybe it does in the bedroom. Everyone else gets to do it."

Savannah thought about it. It was seldom when a female Terminator was genuinely 'happy'. Right now Cammy and Anna were happy. They were 'free' from all their obligations to Cameron at this moment. They could truly enjoy what they were doing.

She also needed to think about what Young Allison mentioned about the bedroom. Maybe it was time to take things a little further. She knew Young Allison was ready. It seems she was the one who was hesitant. She didn't want to complicate Young Allison's life any more than necessary.

Young Allison looked over at Savannah. Their eyes held each other's eyes. They both knew what they wanted. They wanted the love to become physical. They both wanted more.


The truck started out again. It must have stopped for a signal. She went to the back door and rattled it a few times. There was less than a half inch of play in the latch. It wasn't enough to get her hand underneath it. She could only get her finger tips under it. She hoped she didn't lose any. Getting away was what mattered. She went back and looked up at the 'skylight'. It was only fiberglass, but so was a Corvette. She couldn't get up to where the panel was. The brakes went on again, and down she went. She rolled to the front again.

It was only a matter of time until she would be injured on one of the stops. She needed to get out of there. She was sure wherever she ended up at, she would be abused and then most likely terminated. It would be better to die fighting. She didn't want to be held down by a group of men again. It was the worst. It wasn't so much the actual abuse. It really was no big deal anymore. It was the way it was done and the brutality involved. She'd learned to let them have as much as they wanted as long as they didn't hurt her. Some of them still did anyway, just to hear her cry out.

She picked up the material which bound her hands. It was the remains of her original shirt. She ripped the material into inch wide strips and tied them together. She tied the makeshift 'rope' to the lower corner of the roll up door on the side with the most play. She lay on the floor of the truck and fed the material out the back. She hoped a car would drive up on it at a stop and when the truck pulled away, it might pop the corner of the roll up door out of its track before the material ripped. She might be able to squeeze out then. She rotated around as the truck slowed. She was prepared to slam both her feet into the corner as they began to move.

Nothing happened at the stop. The truck drove away again. The material streamed behind it. She felt it slow again. It stopped and nothing happened again.

It went on for half a dozen more stops. She was very discouraged. She didn't know how soon she would be in the internment camp. She decided to tell the men who would abuse her she would do what they wanted if they didn't hurt her.


Ally, Hanna and Camille-Holly took Jim to the private box section to watch the show. Cam-Gail stayed behind to man the Control Center. She liked being plugged in because CamNet allowed her to watch Savannah and Jesse.

Jesse seemed content with Claire and wasn't 'hurting'. Savannah was with her true mate, Young Allison. They seemed to have a good time together. She was fascinated to watch Cammy and Anna with the small animals. They looked like they were really having a good time. They looked very happy. She hoped Jesse would take her to the pet store sometime. It would be nice to do something 'fun' for once. Maybe she would ask Savannah to take her.

She checked the ship's position and viewed the marine radar, and aerial radar. There were no contacts close to them. Ken and Lou were nearby in Santa Barbara with the Blackhawk. They could be to the ship in a very short time if necessary. Dan and Frank were nearby. They'd earlier exited the pier in Santa Barbara. They said they planned to do some 'clean up' duty before they departed

She continued to monitor the ship's security cameras and watch the show in the main theater. She thought how it would look on stage with Holly and her with their current identical sheaths singing some of the songs. Cam's chassis and sheath were identical to Camille's chassis and sheath. It was where their chips were right now.

It briefly crossed her mind she could slip in the Owner's Suite and pass herself off as 'Cameron' to John. She still wanted her 'one time' like Cameron promised. She'd even take it in Cam's sheath.


Earlier:

Dan and Frank walked among the crowds of people. They didn't like being around so many people in close quarters. There was little room to fight if it became necessary. They were bound to be noncombatant fatalities and injuries.

They walked out onto the pier. They walked to the end of it.

"The wooden structure we're on seems unstable." Dan said.

Frank could feel it too.

"I believe it's the impact of the waves on the piles driven into the sand." Frank said.

Dan still looked a little uneasy.

"I hope they go all the way down to the bedrock." Dan said. "I don't feel like walking back to shore drenched with sea water."

Frank already considered the possibility of the same event.

"Hopefully we won't have to engage in combat with any aquatic creatures." Frank said.

Dan felt confident they would prevail.

"They will lose." Dan said.

They waited and watched the sun go down. They could see everyone on the pier looked at it as well. It was clear it held some fascination to humans.

They weren't sure if it was more aesthetic than anything before or after the sunset.

Once the sun set, everyone resumed whatever they were doing previously.

Frank looked in the direction of where the sun had gone down and back to Dan.

"What did you think?" Frank asked.

Dan noted how all the talking among the individuals on the pier seemed to stop. No one was moving around either. He could hear the sound of the ocean moving through the uprights below them in the water.

"It did seem rather peaceful." Dan said. "It was like a moment when time stopped."

The two big Terminators looked at each other. It was time to get back to work.

"Let's see what we can do to help Santa Barbara since it will be dark soon." Frank said.

The two Terminators reviewed satellite images as well as updated ones from the drones. As soon as some targets were identified, they would head in their direction and pay them a visit. They knew there was more than one way to achieve beauty in a location.

Dan nodded.

"Let's get to work before we need to move on." Dan said.


Savannah watched as Cammy started to purchase pets for everyone in the store.

Young Allison watched as she touched each one of them when it was given to the new owner.

"I can see she likes to help the children." Young Allison said.

Savannah wondered if she did it more to help the animals, rather than the people. She wanted them to have a good home and a larger place to live than a cage.

"I think she does." Savannah said. "She likes to see everyone happy."

Young Allison watched them a little longer.

"It really seems to make her happy." Young Allison said. "I think it's as happy as I've ever seen a Terminator."

Savannah thought it was true. They didn't look quite as happy during love making, but it was pretty close at times. She didn't share the information with Young Allison. It was hard enough to keep the pants on her now.

"I'm happy to see them happy." Savannah said. "Maybe we better wrap this up soon. I'm going to check on them. I wonder if they still remember us at this point."

Savannah excused herself and went into the pet store.

Young Allison quickly checked in with CamNet.

There was no new information.


The Rockabilly Trio wrapped up the performance to a thunderous round of applause and a standing ovation.

The crowd began to filter out of the main theater.

Bob appeared and held up the departure of some of the passengers to get Cameron's group out first.

It seemed they all wanted to hit the casino except John and Young Jesse. There was a different type of 'slot' machine they wanted to play. It came with a guaranteed 'jackpot'.

Cameron made a point of scanning Young Jesse several times. So far there was no conception. She was sure it should have happened by now. John would be ready to 'assist' her for at least the next four hours once they returned to a suite. The medicine should be in full effect during the time period.


The female prisoner felt the truck slow again. There was something which sounded big in back of them this time. It sounded close. She got ready to kick with both of her feet in the corner of the door. She was flat on her back with her knees bent. The truck started to move and she kicked hard with both feet. There was a loud 'snap' and 'pop' noise. She could see the corner of the rear door was loose. The makeshift rope was gone but the corner of the door was bent out.

She quickly moved to the opening. It wasn't big enough for her to slip out. She saw she could get her head out if she tried. An arm was easy to get out.

She couldn't tell where they were at. She saw them pass someone on a bike. She felt the truck slow again. They stopped. She saw the bike rider coming up on the side.

She stuck her head out.

"Hey." She called out as the bike approached.

The bike rider looked a little startled. They almost fell off their bike

"What the hell?" The bike rider asked.

The prisoner didn't want to reveal her true status. She was sure it would cause even more panic and alarm. It might alert the Terminators driving the truck.

"Can you flip the latch on the door? I accidentally got locked in." The prisoner said.

The bike rider moved in back of the truck and looked at the latch.

"What do I do?" The bike rider asked.

The Prisoner assumed it was a standard latch. She hoped there wasn't a lock on it.

"Flip the long side up." The prisoner said.

She heard the latch flip but the door only went up about six inches and jammed because the side was out of the track.

The truck started out again.

"Thanks." The prisoner called out as the truck drove away.

The bike rider moved out of the street and tried to use their phone to call 911 but it didn't work.

They looked to get a description of the truck. It was too far down the street already. They didn't get the license plate number either. There were two people at the bus stop around the corner. Both of them were fooling with their phones too. It appeared their phones didn't work either. They figured the local cell tower must be out or something similar. It happened from time to time.


Cameron looked at John and Young Jesse.

"You two can go back to one of the suites if you want." Cameron said.

Young Jesse took Cameron's hand. She wanted to be sure and have her blessing. She didn't want to seem presumptuous or take more than she'd been offered. She wanted Cameron to be the one who made the decisions and remain in control.

"I want to make sure it's alright." Young Jesse said.

Cameron tried to put on a brave face and smiled.

"It's alright." Cameron said. "I'm fine."

Jim wanted to give everyone a little reassurance. He came up alongside of Cameron.

"I'll be with her." Jim said.

John looked at Cameron. She nodded and then smiled.

"It's what I want." Cameron said.

John and Young Jesse left. She saw Hanna and Ally fall in line behind them. She wasn't sure where they all came from so fast.

Cameron didn't want to be in the casino. She wanted to go elsewhere. She wanted to get away from it all. She looked at Jim.

"Have you been up to the top of the sky lounge?" Cameron asked.

Jim checked the ship several times at night with Bob.

"Not with you." Jim said.

Cameron smiled and took his arm.

"You can be my escort." Cameron said.

Cameron and Jim left.

Leticia looked over. She was a little surprised at what she'd just witnessed.

"Did Barbara just leave with that big guy?" Leticia asked.

Sheila monitored her com. They'd needed to do a quick switch.

A few seconds later, Camille-Holly walked back in the casino from the direction Cameron left with Jim.

"No. That's her there." Sheila said. "She probably gave him directions."

Camille-Holly looked over at Allison and headed her way.

Leticia could see the way 'Barbara' looked at 'Peggy'. It looked like the look of love to her.

"I can see she really likes her sister." Leticia said. "Look at her face."

Sheila wanted to deflect the subject some. She would try to turn it into a joke.

"Maybe what they say is true." Sheila said.

Leticia continued to watch them.

"What is it?" Leticia asked.

Sheila tried to keep a straight face.

"I've heard it said incest is best." Sheila said.

Leticia laughed. She thought 'Sue' was joking.

"Let's go play." Leticia said.

Sheila didn't like to play. She liked to do something else instead.

"Let's go win." Sheila said.

Leticia looked over at Sheila with love in her eyes. She felt she'd already won herself.


The female prisoner fooled with the door. She pulled it down and then shoved it up several times. Each time she got another inch or two out of it to open a little further.

The rear door was open about nine or ten inches now. She pulled it down and shoved it up one more time. There was about a foot of space now. She felt the truck slow again. It hadn't stopped yet. She squeezed out through the gap and fell onto the street. The truck already started to move away. She got up and was almost hit by a red car which was going to make a right hand turn. The driver cursed at her and kept going. She made it up on the curb. There was a man talking on a phone.

"Hey, are you alright?" The man asked.

The prisoner didn't want to be rude or steal the man's phone. She thought she would ask first.

"I will be if I can borrow your phone." The prisoner said.

The man looked around the corner in the direction the one vehicle went.

"Here." The man said as he handed her the phone. "I saw the guy with the red car almost hit you."

The prisoner was a little worried about how she ended up in the street from the back of a moving truck.

"Did you see anything else?" The prisoner asked.

The man looked at the intersection and back at the prisoner.

"No." The man said. "You were in the crosswalk."

She looked up at the street sign and made a call.

"Thanks." The prisoner said as she handed back the phone.

The man looked away for a second. When he looked back, she was gone.


Steve and Tom were directed by CamNet to shadow the box truck. There were two drones over the truck. Al and Ed shadowed Steve and Tom. Richard and Michael each drove an SUV. They would turn one over to Hank and Larry once they dumped the box truck and re-team up once the detainee was 'free'. They were made aware of Young Allison's plan to be led to the anti-Metal hideout by the 'escaped prisoner'.

There were three 'trackers' on the prisoner. One was in her clothing and two were inside her body below the surface of the skin. One of them was deep inside her lower torso…. It was Young Allison's suggestion they place one there. She was sure the female prisoner would be very reluctant to have anyone look there. It was a very private area, especially deep inside.

So far everything was on track.


CamNet's Terminators returned to their SUV and continued to follow the two men in the white van. They stayed out of visual range and allowed the drone to track them. They didn't know what their next destination was going to be. They became a little more concerned when it appeared to be where the unknown energy ball was spotted by Savannah and Young Allison.

They were aware of the dampening field which emanated from the area and incapacitated Terminators anywhere in the vicinity of it.

They were worried about the portal reopening a few minutes ago, now they were worried about the energy ball reappearing along with the dampening field. It was certainly something they didn't want to get caught in.

The journey the men in the white van had taken so far was rather circuitous and prolonged.

"It seems like they know about some places and not others." Lena said.

Tina began to wonder about it.

"Maybe they know they're being tracked and want us to look in one direction while something else happens in another." Tina said.

Lena thought about it.

"It seemed at one point, they were headed to the old newspaper plant." Lena said. "It didn't happen."

They needed to consider the possibility they might be led into some type of ambush. As to whether it was a physical ambush, or an electronic ambush, remained to be seen.

CamNet's Terminators became a little more leery of their surroundings and where they were going.


The two men got back into their truck and quickly drove away.

"We should have checked the other big trucks." The first man said.

The second man seemed a little indignant.

"You heard whatever was in the back of the truck hit the door." The second man said. "I saw it. It was alive and moving. It must have been some kind of animal. Who knows what was in the back of the other ones?"

The first man needed to consider there were only sealed crates and some type of machinery in the truck they'd opened. It was most likely the same in the other ones.

The truck drove across the front of the diner and turned on to the main thoroughfare. It was a 'one stop sign' community.

They drove up along the other side of the diner and looked into the parking lot. They wanted to make sure no one else was moving around the trucks.

"Hey, man, look." The second man said. "There's the skank's car."

The first man looked over and saw it parked in front of one of the big rigs. They couldn't see it from their earlier position.

"She's probably there to turn a few tricks for the truck drivers when they come out." The first man said. "She needs money for food and gasoline."

The second man believed there was more than met the eye.

"Pull up to those bushes and park." The second man said. "I want to see what happens."

The first man thought it was unnecessary.

"We don't have time for this." The first man said. "The sun's already down. It will be dark soon."

The truck pulled over and both of the men got out. They moved back up and peered around the side of the bushes. They were a little surprised at what they saw.

"It looks like things just got better." The second man said. "There are two of them now."

In the dim light of dusk, the first man looked the two females over.

"They both look a little better than I thought initially about the one." The first man said.

The second man looked over the two females and came up with a hypothesis.

"I think the other chick must have already 'done' the truck drivers." The second man said. "She waited for the other skank to come and pick her up. The second slut is definitely better looking than the first one. It was probably why she got the trick."

The two men decided to see what the females did once they were back in their vehicle.


The female Fanatic followed Jill past the other two trucks to where the vehicle she'd acquired earlier was parked.

The vehicle looked like a beat up piece of crap.

"What's the status of the car?" The female Fanatic asked.

Jill thought she'd handled things well.

"It has a full tank of gas." Jill said. "I used the money you gave me for gas and for some food. I have some water and a few snacks inside the car. You can have whatever you want. We can always buy more."

The female Fanatic looked at the other two trucks as they passed by them.

"Do you know how long the other two trucks have been here?" The female Fanatic asked.

Jill glanced over at them.

"They were already here when I arrived." Jill said. "The three trucks here were all together for most of the trip. At some point they all separated. I didn't see when. I stayed as far in back of the one you were in as I could, and still keep visual contact of it."

The female Fanatic looked around as they reached the car.

"What about those two men?" The female Fanatic asked.

Jill didn't know exactly who they were.

"I saw them coming behind me last night." Jill said. "I pulled over and made it look like I was parked. They stopped and approached the car. I had my pistol ready to shoot them if they tried anything. They got back in the truck and drove away without approaching me directly. They said it looked like the car belonging to some homeless person. I guess it does now. If you need to use the restroom there's one on the back side of the gas station. I think it's still going to be at least fifteen or twenty minutes before the truck driver finishes up in the diner. We can get more food at the convenience store."

The female Fanatic wasn't sure if she wanted to involve Jill further or not. Jill did help her get out of the back of the big rig.


Maybe What They Say Is True

One needs to know a lot more
Than how to fight with Kung Fu
If they don't want the other
To overpower and subdue

It's easy for them
The events to warp and construe
It only cause anger and despair
Things become something to rue

Try to remember the good times
When the feeling expanded and grew
It was why each was chosen
To want and pursue

To call it quits now
Means both are through
Think about on the scrap pile
What both discarded and threw

If this is a preview
Everything needs further review
If there's no honor or virtue
Maybe what they say is true

Nobody