Chapter 1452
De-Briefed
John and Cameron went to the Command Center after dinner.
There were a few things John was worried about. He wanted to know the status of everything around the area.
"What about the port?" John asked. "What's going on down there?"
John Henry looked at Cameron. He had some good news to report.
"The cruise ship left on time." John Henry said.
Cameron was glad the ship left as scheduled. It would have bothered her if it hadn't. She was sure CamNet was involved with its scheduled departure.
"I was afraid it might be delayed because of the 'terrorist incident' at the port facility." Cameron said. "CamNet would've been displeased. She wants her passengers to be happy. A happy customer is a repeat customer."
John quickly looked over at Cameron when she made her statement. He'd heard her refer to something else the same way. It was when they made love. He was definitely a happy customer. He was also a repeat customer.
It was apparent CamNet 'took over' some government agencies to make sure things moved along and there were no undue delays.
John Henry was aware of some of the behind the scenes activity. He was sure there was more he wasn't able to view. He knew when not to dig and look for more answers. He did have a few preliminary findings earlier.
"There was some effort to do so by several government departments. CamNet overruled them on all accounts." John Henry said. "The ship is on its way to Ensenada. It's about to pass Dana Point."
Cameron knew the ship was ahead of schedule. She was sure it was so the ship wouldn't be ordered into a port. The closest port to be able to take it would be San Diego. It seemed very unlikely at this point.
"I see CamNet sped things up a little" Cameron said.
John Henry was sure more than the speed of the ship was manipulated.
"Indeed." John Henry said.
John was still a little concerned with everything which went down there.
"I'm worried about our involvement at the port facility." John said. "I don't know what kind of questions will be raised."
Cameron felt it was under control.
"There's nothing to worry about. It was blamed on a terrorist group. CamNet even made sure they took 'credit' for it." John Henry said. "The FBI has already raided their hideout and they were all killed in the raid."
Cameron looked at the drone footage from over the port area.
"The fire is mostly out now." Cameron said. "Everything there was incinerated."
John was worried about anything that remained.
"Does anything there tie back to any of the groups from the future we deal with?" John asked.
John Henry believed everything was destroyed in the fire.
"No." John Henry said.
John wanted to make sure there wasn't something else happening he would be informed about later. Cameron was known for being involved in similar incidents. He knew she'd been with him on the ship the entire week. He was unaware of her away mission while the ship was docked in San Francisco.
"Are there any other things pending I need to know about?" John asked.
John Henry wanted to keep things simple. He wasn't going to speculate on what might be going on behind the scenes with CamNet. He would let Cameron deal with it.
"There's the debriefing with Savannah and Young Allison tomorrow morning." John Henry said. "You'll both be able to go over everything in detail with them. It's my advice Summer be included for some parts of the operation as well."
John wasn't sure he was comfortable with it. He didn't want any negative repercussions directed at him. He was aware as the person in charge, the buck stopped with him.
"How was Summer able to spend so much time here and not run into a problem with her mother?" John asked.
John Henry didn't want to bring up how Summer used Samantha to run 'interference' for her. She'd used sex to 'control' her mother indirectly. It was a very effective strategy.
"Perhaps it's best left until tomorrow to discuss." John Henry said. "It will be much more direct with all of the actual participants."
There was one thing John wanted to know. He believed there was only one way for it to happen. He felt it was another indication Summer was River. It would point the finger at Cameron for 'temporal malpractice' in some way. The buck might stop with him, but the finger was usually pointed at Cameron. There was one thing he really wanted to know. He felt it was important.
"You said Summer broke River's encryption. Do you know how she did it?" John asked.
Cameron looked at John and looked away before he noticed she did.
"No." John Henry said. "She sat down and did it while I got up for a very short time. I don't know how she was able to do it."
John Henry couldn't help but glance at the security monitor for a moment. He decided not to mention when he attempted to pursue the issue earlier, CamNet 'leaned on him' and shut his system down. It was a warning he took seriously.
It seemed like something important to John. He felt they should know.
"I want to know." John said. "I want to know how she was able to do it."
Cameron mostly listened so far. It was time to say something she felt was important.
"No." Cameron said. "I want it to remain her secret. There may be a point in time when one of us needed to be 'infected' with an encryption virus to stop us. If it is, it would be done for a good reason. We shouldn't know how to circumvent it."
John felt he needed to ask again. He looked directly at Cameron.
"Is she…." John started to ask.
Cameron cut him off. She was tired of the unspoken accusations. They bothered her greatly. She didn't think she was responsible.
"Don't ask me if she's River, her sibling, her clone, her daughter or even her mother." Cameron said. "I don't know and I haven't done anything like that, yet."
John and John Henry could see Cameron was a little steamed about it.
Cameron looked highly irritated now.
John didn't want to leave the vacation with a negative ending.
"Maybe I'll wrap it up early tonight." John said. "It appears everything is under control."
John thought everything he knew about was under control. It was what he didn't know about that worried him. If he didn't know about it now, he probably wouldn't know about it until some later date anyway.
Cameron smiled. She still wanted to line up a few things for John. She didn't want the vacation to end. Everything had been spectacular so far.
"We could go out and do something." Cameron said. "It would just be us and a few Terminators for security. We could go out to a movie or even go dancing somewhere nice."
John liked the idea, but maybe for another night. He was ready to spend more time with Cameron to do nice things. He was afraid she would be back to operations and drag Savannah around with her soon enough. He was a little tired. He didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night. 'Little Willie' got quite a workout.
"Maybe I need a night of rest." John said. "Where's Savannah? She looked tired at dinner."
Cameron wondered if John wanted to 'break in' Savannah. She wasn't sure if Savannah wanted it at this time. She wasn't really sure Savannah wanted it at all. She wasn't going to push her. She would like to know what Vanna's impression really was. She was aware both Allison and Vanna had been with John more than once. She knew Young Jesse had been as well. She wanted Savannah to make her own choice.
"Savannah went to her room after helping do the dishes with Young Jesse." Cameron said. "Once they arrived in her room, I'm sure Savannah and Young Jesse 'de-briefed' each other."
John wondered what for? Was there some other operation he'd missed? He really wondered how much he actually did miss.
"Why would they need to debrief each other?" John asked.
Cameron almost laughed. It was her turn to have some fun.
"They didn't debrief each other, they 'de-briefed' each other." Cameron said.
John Henry could see John didn't get it. It was a play on words.
"It's briefs, as in panties." John Henry said.
It took a second for it to sink in with John.
Cameron started to laugh.
"I fooled you again." Cameron said.
John got it. He laughed too. He thought it was a pretty good one.
"I do have to admit it was funny." John said.
John and Cameron looked over the operations again before they left. They exited the Command Center and headed for their room.
John touched Cameron's rear end.
"I'm going to do the same thing to you." John said. "You'll be de-briefed soon enough."
Cameron checked the time. The medicine she'd slipped John at dinnertime should be in full force right now. She planned to harvest Cammy's or Samantha's virginity tonight. She would set it up and get one of them to show up in about an hour. Since she'd been back, all the Metal girls sent her more than one message and indicated they were available if she needed to 'borrow a chassis' for John and her to use.
The only thing which would trump it, would be if one of the human females asked to be with him. So far it hadn't happened. They'd mentioned it on the ship, but no one mentioned it since they'd been back to the base.
"It sounds good to me." Cameron said. "I need to check on a few things first and I'll join you in the room soon."
Cameron wanted to snag Cammy for later on since Savannah was 'busy' with Young Jesse. She would get things set up and knock off a quick session with John. She wanted Cammy to have the best experience through her. She didn't want John to be thought of as a 'Minute Man'. He would be otherwise.
She left John at the door to their room and headed off.
Samantha hoped to be able to slip out later on to be with Young Jesse. She was able to share with all the Metal girls during dinnertime. Things were a little rushed but they all were able to share with her. The Metal girls could all work quickly when they needed to.
Camille said she would cover for her and help her set something up with Young Jesse. She didn't think Young Jesse would spend the entire night with Savannah so she could get some undisturbed rest in.
Samantha wanted to speak with Cameron about a few things herself. The main one was to do the updated 'Neural Interface' with Claire. She also wanted her chip copied first. She wanted the copy of the chip to be used to do the 'Neural Interface' with Riley. She felt it was worthy of being done, even if it wasn't put into a separate chassis at this time.
She asked CamNet to notify her if Cameron passed down the hall by herself. CamNet was appreciative of her keeping Claire 'occupied' while Summer did Resistance work. CamNet reminded her one hand washed the other. She was notified Cameron would pass by in a short time. Cameron was going to speak to Cammy and then she would be available. She thanked CamNet.
Samantha checked on Precious and slipped out of the room. Derek and Riley were there. Much to her surprise Camille showed up already and would take her place in the corner of Precious' room and go into standby. She would be there if there was a problem. She liked the way CamNet operated. She liked to cover all of the bases.
Moments ago:
Cameron went in search of Cammy. She found her with Camille. They'd just finished up. Camille was still putting her top on when she passed Cameron. They exchanged pleasantries. Camille seemed to be in a hurry to go somewhere.
Cammy was naked on the bed still. She noticed Cameron at the door. She stood up and faced Cameron. She knew why Cameron was there.
"Do you want me to dress?" Cammy asked. "I can go like this."
Cameron smiled.
"Is it what you want to do?" Cameron asked.
Cammy knew the deal.
"You get to pop my chassis. You get to have the first experience with a male in it. I get my 'one time' with John at a later date." Cammy said.
Cameron smiled. She wanted Cammy's virgin chassis for John as 'herself'.
"It's the deal." Cameron said.
Cammy doubted Cameron would uphold her end of the deal.
"Will you honor the deal?" Cammy asked.
Cameron frowned. It didn't seem any one believed her. It was a little dismaying.
"It seems everyone asks me the same thing." Cameron said.
Cammy didn't want to be too rude, but maybe a little bit.
"Perhaps your reputation precedes you." Cammy said.
Cameron tilted her head slightly.
"I believe I've been fair." Cameron said.
Cammy thought of a few discussions she'd conducted with Savannah. It was something which always bothered Savannah. She didn't feel she could address it with Cameron due to extenuating circumstances.
"Have you been fair to everyone?" Cammy asked. "I think Samantha wanted to speak with you."
The frown stayed on Cameron's face. She really didn't need any new headaches.
"Is there some new problem I don't know about?" Cameron asked.
Cammy wanted to get started.
"I'm sure there are a lot of them." Cammy said. "Let's go."
Cammy started to walk out of the room naked.
Cameron could already sense a problem brewing.
"John will be displeased to see you arrive how you currently are." Cameron said. "You're scheduled for one hour from now."
Cammy tilted her head slightly. She wondered what kind of a schedule there was. She would find out everything Savannah would need to know when it was her turn. She wanted to make sure it would be good for Savannah. It was what she told herself anyway.
"I'll be there." Cammy said.
Cammy thought about the few times she was almost with John. It had been close in Savannah's bed and in Las Vegas. She really would have liked to have beaten Cameron to it.
Cameron left. She didn't want to think about the times where Cammy tried to jump the gun and be with John on her own. She was sure her main reason would be just to spite her. She smiled to herself instead. She would be the one who delivered Cammy's virginity to John instead of Cammy herself.
Samantha passed by Savannah's room to see how Young Jesse and Savannah were doing.
It sounded quiet.
She spotted Cameron at the end of the hall.
They walked towards each other.
"Do you have a few minutes?" Samantha asked.
Cameron felt she'd timed everything perfectly.
"Let's go in here." Cameron said.
She opened the door to the room next to Savannah's room. Samantha followed her in.
"I'm ready for my updated 'Neural Interface'." Samantha said.
Cameron smiled. Samantha looked exactly like Claire.
"You look beautiful." Cameron said.
Samantha ran her other proposal by her about the 'Neural Interface' with Riley. She also unloaded about how Riley wasn't treated the same as everyone else and what it was.
Cameron felt a little offended. Allison had discussed something very similar when they were on the ship. She believed she'd gone out of her way to do many things for Riley.
"I've always tried to treat Riley fairly." Cameron said.
Samantha was aware the issue was much deeper. All of the other girls shunned Riley because they didn't want to offend Cameron. They didn't want her to glitch out.
"It's everyone else too." Samantha said.
She went on to explain why.
Cameron thought she knew all of this. She respected everyone's decisions. She didn't think it was her doing if the others treated Riley differently.
Samantha tried to explain it better.
Cameron listened. She wasn't sure about a Terminator version of Riley. It made her think about not treating Riley fairly. There were two Terminators she never wanted. One was Mrs. Weaver. Now there was a version of Mrs. Weaver in her vault at her base. Savannah knew about her. The other was Riley. It made Cameron think of some of the other covered over Terminators in her vault….
She was unaware CamNet stuck her hand into the 'cookie jar' and borrowed a few of the female chassis in there. Right now they weren't her Terminators, they were CamNet's Terminators.
Samantha could see Cameron's hesitation.
"Can I have two chip ports then?" Samantha asked.
Cameron didn't want to get ahead of herself. It was also a way for her to gain some indirect hindsight.
"I'll need to think about it." Cameron said.
Samantha decided to throw her hat into the ring.
"My chassis is available for you to use as well." Samantha said. "I want the same deal as everyone else."
Cameron smiled. She was glad she didn't need to ask after the conversation they'd just conducted. She still didn't think she'd ever done anything wrong or negative to Riley. She wanted to give Samantha a timeline to be ready for.
"I think it can be arranged." Cameron said. "I'll come for you later on tonight or early tomorrow morning after midnight."
Samantha smiled. She wanted to get the most out of it ahead of time.
"I want you to do it before and after my updated 'Neural Interface." Samantha said. "I want to know the difference."
Cameron liked the Idea. The original neural interface was conducted while Claire was still with Paul. The updated 'Neural Interface' would be after Claire resumed her true calling.
"I want the feedback as well to see what's different." Cameron said. "I'm not sure when Claire will be available."
Cameron used her phone to send some messages as she talked with Samantha.
Samantha was very pleased at her conversation with Cameron and what was to follow later in the evening.
"Thank you." Samantha said.
Samantha went to leave.
Cameron needed to say one more thing. She thought it was very important.
"Wait." Cameron said. "I appreciate what you did to assist Summer during the operations over the last few days. It may have saved lives."
Samantha was pretty sure she appreciated it even more.
"It was a pleasant experience for me to do so." Samantha said.
Cameron put her phone away. She looked at Samantha. She wanted to see a little more.
"Take off your clothes." Cameron said. "I want to look at you."
Samantha wasn't sure what it was about. She stripped. She was about to remove her underwear.
Cameron heard someone at the door.
"Wait." Cameron said.
Cameron folded Samantha's clothes and handed them to her.
The connecting door from Savannah's room opened and Young Jesse entered. She wore only her underwear and carried her clothes.
Samantha and Young Jesse looked at each other since they were dressed, or undressed, in exactly the same way.
Cameron figured the best way to handle the situation was to allow the two of them to decide what they wanted to do. It seemed pretty obvious to her at this point.
"Camille will cover for you in Riley's quarters. She volunteered to do so. It's so both of you may share if you choose to do so." Cameron said. "You are free to make your own decisions."
Samantha and Young Jesse looked at each other with hunger.
Young Jesse knew what she wanted. She wanted to make it clear.
"I choose to do so." Young Jesse said.
Samantha smiled. She felt a rush of excitement.
"I do as well." Samantha said.
It was as Cameron planned. She wanted to keep everyone happy. She liked it when everyone was happy. Everything went smoother when everyone was happy.
"You can get started as soon as you're 'de-briefed'." Cameron said as she exited out of the room into the hall.
The door closed behind her.
Young Jesse eyes ran over Samantha's nearly nude sheath.
"You look beautiful, Samantha." Young Jesse said.
Samantha took in the perfect figure of Young Jesse.
"I'm not as beautiful as you are." Samantha said.
They set their clothes on the dresser and stood before each other with only their underwear on.
Samantha wondered what needed to be discussed.
"What do we need to be debriefed about?" Samantha asked.
Young Jesse giggled. She moved over to Samantha and playfully slid her briefs off.
"You've just been 'de-briefed'." Young Jesse said.
Samantha smiled as she got the joke.
She did the same for Young Jesse.
"I can see everyone has been properly de-briefed." Samantha said.
Young Jesse indicated the room they were in.
"This will be my room when I come to stay here all the time." Young Jesse said. "The bed hasn't been used yet."
Samantha was thrilled by the prospect.
"May I be the first to use it with you?" Samantha asked.
Young Jesse felt a surge of excitement.
"Yes." Young Jesse said. "I'd feel honored."
They moved forward and kissed. They looked at each other and kissed again.
Young Jesse figured they were on a timetable since Cameron had been in the room earlier. She was sure she knew what it was about.
"How long do we have?" Young Jesse asked.
Samantha smiled. She was as anxious as she was apprehensive.
"We have a few hours or so until Cameron calls for me." Samantha said. "She's going to 'break in' my chassis later on."
Young Jesse smiled. John 'broke her in' too.
"John's a lucky man." Young Jesse said. "Even though I question the way it's done, I believe you're in for a very wonderful experience. It was for Camille. It was for me too. All the other Metal girls indicated to me it was as well."
Samantha felt she was lucky to get the opportunity.
"I feel honored Cameron will allow this and do it for me." Samantha said.
Young Jesse didn't really want to comment on the procedure. She led Samantha to the bed. She opened it up. She did want to say something about the results.
"I can guarantee you you'll like what happens, even if you're not in control and Cameron is." Young Jesse said. "I already mentioned Camille told me how much she enjoyed the experience. I did too. I feel it's worth repeating."
Samantha was pleased to hear an independent account. She'd been with all of the Metal girls earlier. They all told her the same thing. She asked them one at a time as they'd shared.
"It's what all the Metal girls told me as well." Samantha said. "I was with all of them at dinnertime."
Young Jesse moved on top of Samantha.
"Right now for the next few hours, it's just us." Young Jesse said.
Samantha and Young Jesse started in on each other. Neither one of them was in a hurry to rush things. A lot could happen in several hours. It didn't need to happen in several minutes.
Cameron listened outside the door.
She smiled and moved back to Savannah's door. She carefully opened it and looked inside. Savannah was sound asleep. Young Jesse made sure Savannah was covered before she left.
Cameron left and hurried back to her room. She needed to get John ready for Cammy's chassis.
John was already in bed waiting for her when she returned.
"I have a surprise for you." Cameron said.
John wanted to ask who but figured he'd better not. Cameron would ask him who he wanted. It was what she always did. She said she would go get them. He really wondered what would happen if he mentioned Riley. No. He wasn't out to cause trouble. He appreciated everything Cameron did immensely. He wanted to remind her about the framework. He thought it was important. He wasn't really sure Cameron was ready for what she'd promised all of the Metal girls.
"As long as it's 'you', I'm good with whatever you do." John said.
Cameron stripped off her clothes except her underwear.
"In that case, I'll have two surprises for you." Cameron said.
John wasn't sure what it actually meant. He was aware Cameron would do whatever she was going to do regardless of anyone else. He might as well give praise where it was due.
"You're the best, Cameron." John said.
Cameron was in a very playful mood with the prospect of breaking in two more virgin chassis. The honeymoon wasn't over yet. She was sure she could still work a few more surprises in before everything was wrapped up.
"I'll tell you who once you've 'de-briefed' me." Cameron said.
John looked at her underwear and laughed.
"It's funny." John said. "I take it there will be a couple more who will need to be 'de-briefed' before morning."
Cameron could hardly wait. She still needed to have everything play out in the proper order for the maximum benefit to her in her borrowed virgin chassis. She wanted the owners to have a good time as well. She wanted to make sure they all wanted to have their 'one time'.
"Yes." Cameron said.
John looked around. He was ready for a little extra 'assistance'. He'd grown used to it on the ship.
"You don't have an espresso for me?" John asked. "It gave me some extra 'oomph'."
Cameron already planned on it once she'd added Samantha to the line up. She wanted to make sure the experience was good for everyone. A happy customer was a repeat customer.
"I'll make you one before round two." Cameron said.
John wanted to make sure everything was part of the events which preceded it.
"I see this as a continuation of our honeymoon." John said.
Cameron knew she needed to not get carried away.
"Tomorrow Savannah and Young Allison will need to be debriefed." Cameron said.
She could see John became visually even more excited.
John tried to play it cool but didn't think he quite pulled it off. He let his imagination run wild.
"Did you say Young Allison too?" John asked.
Cameron looked at him for a second. She could see he was serious. A week ago she would have jumped at the chance to fulfill his fantasy. Right now it wasn't her goal. She wanted the girls to make their own choice. She wanted to clear everything up.
"I said debriefed not 'de-briefed'." Cameron said. "I'll let you watch the movie again instead. It will have to do for now."
Debriefed and 'de-briefed', sounded exactly the same to John. He hoped Cameron would send Young Allison on her temporal mission soon at this point. He wasn't even sure it was still necessary. The last time he saw her, she looked almost identical to Allison. Wait, it wasn't Allison; it was Cameron who she looked almost identical to. He knew it was best to leave the ball in her court. He wasn't looking to make any waves. There'd been a bounty of booty as it was.
"You know what's best for all of us." John said.
Cameron smiled. She was pleased John finally understood what was best for everyone. It was her decisions.
"Thank you." Cameron said. "I'll try and get Jesse and Claire in here for you too. It was something we should have taken care of on the ship. It was my fault for the delay."
John was thrilled at the thought of being with Claire. Wait, did Cameron say Jesse and Claire were an oversight on her part? He got a funny feeling. It wasn't a good feeling either. He wanted to verify the information before he said the wrong thing.
"You didn't tell them what was going to happen yet?" John asked. "You didn't ask them?"
Cameron felt there were a few reasons behind it. She wanted the best experience for the girls as well as John. She thought it needed a little management.
"No. I didn't make it crystal clear to them." Cameron said. "I indicated to them what would happen, but I haven't set it up. I should have done it on the trip. I wasn't ready yet. I wanted you to be with Young Jesse first before Jesse. I know Jesse will be wild and crazy in bed. I didn't want Young Jesse to seem lacking. Everyone is different."
Now John wondered about what he did with Jesse. It wasn't what Cameron thought at all. It sounded like Jesse acted on what Cameron indicated in the past and maybe on the ship. He wondered if it was going to be a problem. He decided not to say anything. It was clear Jesse jumped the gun. It meant he did as well. Their union wasn't officially 'sanctioned' by Cameron.
He hoped to establish some type of cover. He didn't know if it was possible. He wanted to throw a few possibilities out there to make the landing a little softer when it happened.
"I'm surprised they haven't shown up on their own." John said.
Cameron was aware both of them previously did show up at John's room. Claire was the most recent. She'd stood there for a while before she walked away. She'd reviewed the security footage multiple times. She didn't know why Claire walked away. She thought it was because of her. She still hoped they would act on their own. She was sure it would make it better for everyone if they did. It would also involve less finger pointing at her.
"I really hope they do." Cameron said. "You heard the anti-Metal people. You heard what they believe and what they said. I asked John Henry to play it for everyone. They'll kill you. You heard them. They will kill you. I can't let it happen. I want the girls to help me. I want all of them to help me protect you."
John wasn't sure if he was more disturbed by what he actually heard or by what Cameron tried to tell him for years.
"I did." John said. "It was very ugly and unjust."
Cameron could picture herself 'chained down' or reprogrammed as a 'Metal Whore'. It wasn't a pleasant thought. She didn't want to be the one responsible for hurting or terminating John herself. It was what they said they'd done before to 'Metal Lovers'.
"You know what they'll do to me." Cameron said. "I would rather be terminated before it happens."
John found it all very disturbing.
"I heard." John said.
John wanted to redirect Cameron's thoughts away from what may or may not happen. He wanted to redirect them to right now and what would happen. He wanted to get started. He reached for Cameron's underwear.
"You're going to be 'de-briefed' now." John said.
Cameron quickly refocused on where they were at and what they were about to do. She was as thrilled about it as what would follow later on. No, she was more thrilled about what would follow later on. There were two virgin chassis waiting for her to experience.
"I can hardly wait." Cameron said. "It's going to be a good night to be 'de-briefed' all around."
John looked forward to it. He really thought Cameron was the greatest. He was still a little worried about 'jumping the gun' with Jesse. He quickly pushed those thoughts from his mind as Cameron got down to business.
The Gray decided to use the restroom after he started the pump. He would pick up some food before he left. He used the restroom and took care of business. He tried to clean himself up as best as possible with the water from the sink and some paper towels. He went back out to the car. The tank was full. He returned the nozzle back to the pump. He put the gas cap back on and went back inside the mini market of the gas station. He selected some food and drink items. He watched as a pickup truck pulled up at the pumps on the other side. He paid for everything and went back out to his car.
He casually took a look around the entire area. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary. He looked at the diner across the street in the shabby motel next to it. He'd really like to get a room there so he could use the shower and clean himself up. It was time to move on.
He didn't think he had a tail. He hadn't noticed anything specific. He'd spotted a car in his rear view mirror a couple of times. He wasn't even sure what color it was. He checked around himself one more time and got back in the vehicle. He pulled out and paused at the main road. He looked up at the sky. He could see it would be dark soon.
He wanted to go to the installation to the north of where he was at. He would need to turn back onto the main road and then turn right at the junction. He wanted to make sure he wasn't being followed. He turned back onto the main road. He decided to turn left at the junction instead of right. He would drive in the other direction for a while and then double back. It would let him know if he had a tail or not.
The Gray made his turn and kept a watch out behind him. So far no one was there.
The female Fanatic and Jill waited for the Gray to make his move. They saw him spend some time in the bathroom. He returned to his car and then went back inside of the building. A pickup truck arrived while he was inside. He exited a short time later and got back in his car. He pulled away from the pumps. He paused at the driveway back onto the main highway.
Jill noticed his indecision.
"What's he waiting for?" Jill asked.
The female Fanatic could only think of one thing.
"He's checking for a tail." The female Fanatic said.
Jill was a little worried.
"Do you think he saw us earlier?" Jill asked.
The female Fanatic was sure he spotted them a few times and the distance behind him. She was never close enough for him to make out any details.
"I'm sure he did." The female Fanatic said. "I don't think he saw us as a threat."
Jill looked at the pickup truck now in the gas station.
"Those guys look like a rough lot." Jill said.
The female Fanatic looked away from the Gray's vehicle. She looked at the pickup truck. She could see there were three men. Even from where they were at, she could hear all the noise they made.
"We better wait a few minutes until we pull into the gas station." The female Fanatic said. "I don't want any trouble."
Jill cringed a little at the thought. She didn't want any trouble either, especially the kind of trouble it looked like the men would engage in. She watched the man they were following finally pull out of the gas station and then turn left at the crossroads.
"It seems like he's not sure which way to go." Jill said.
The female Fanatic watched him.
"I'm not sure he's actually headed the direction he's about to go." The female Fanatic said. "Let's tank up and get some food. Let's give him a few minutes."
They waited until the pickup truck with the rowdy men pulled away. They pulled up to the same pump the Gray used. It was the one they'd used before as well. It was the closest one to the restroom.
Jill wanted to show her commitment to Jackie.
"You can use the restroom first." Jill said. "I'll go give the attendant some money and start pumping the gas."
The female Fanatic was pleased at Jill's willingness to assist. She headed for the restroom while Jill headed into the convenience store. She looked around and opened the door to the men's restroom. She went over to the sink and the trash can and looked around. She noticed there were paper towels with blood on them. It was clear the Gray was wounded. There wasn't a lot of fresh blood. Evidently he just tried to clean himself up some. She pulled out some more paper towels and threw them on top of the ones with blood on them. She didn't want anyone asking questions.
She headed into the female's restroom and took care of business. She tried to clean herself up a little better.
Jill gave the attendant some money for the gas pump. It was a different attended from the one who was on duty the last time she was there. She went back out to the car and started pumping gas. She headed for the restroom. She decided to remain outside for now. She wanted to keep an eye on the crossroads. Jackie indicated the man might try to double back. She didn't want to miss him if he did.
She could see the truck with the rowdy men was now across the street at the diner. They were just as noisy over there as they entered the building. She saw Jackie come out of the restroom a few minutes later. She actually looked quite presentable.
"I haven't seen any other traffic." Jill said. "The men who were here earlier are across the street. They're very noisy."
The female Fanatic looked across the street. She knew trouble when she saw it.
"Go take care of business. I'll buy us some things and some drinks." The female Fanatic said. "Is there anything specific you want?"
Jill didn't really care.
"Pick out something good for both of us." Jill said. "I'll share anything with you."
The two females exchanged a long look. Jill headed for the restroom and the female Fanatic headed for the mini mart. She kept an eye on the crossroads junction and the pickup across the street.
Tina and Lena followed the operation at the remote location. They still didn't know where the other trucks were at. They only knew three of them were trapped inside of the collapsed mine. They didn't think the men had any more usefulness where they were at.
The drone over the female Fanatic and her new female accomplice showed they were still on the tail of a Gray. They'd all stopped at a gas station and convenience store. They'd waited until the Gray left before they pulled up to get gas.
CamNet's Terminators needed to turn their attention back to what the two men on the other trail were about to do. Things begin to play out a little differently than they'd expected.
The two men didn't know how many individuals they were about to face. They wanted to have a peaceful meeting. They desperately wanted some answers about what was going on.
In less than a minute, two male hikers came around the corner in front of them. The two groups exchanged pleasantries. The two hikers wanted to know how the trail was up ahead. They told him it was good. The two men wanted to get down to business.
"Are you able to get cell phone reception up here?" The first man asked.
The two hikers both took out their phones. They both fooled with them for a short time. It didn't look like it.
"I don't have anything here." The first hiker said.
The second hiker fooled with his phone a little more.
"I haven't been able to get anything since we came up the mountain." The second hiker said.
The first hiker thought about what he'd seen earlier.
"I think reception's out in the area." The first hiker said. "I noticed more than a few people trying to connect. None of them were successful."
The two men parted ways with the two hikers. The two hikers continued up the hill and the two men continued down it.
"It looks like we're going to be in the dark for a while longer." The first man said.
He looked up at the sky. He figured it was going to be dark in more ways than one. He really didn't want to be out on the mountain when it got dark.
The second man was worried about they're previous conversation about the phones.
"Do you think it's just us?" The second man asked.
The first man was sure it was being done by a supercomputer.
"I think it's us and everything around us." The first man said.
The second man looked nervously around them.
"I don't think anyone is watching us." The second man said.
The first man was sure they were being watched but it wasn't by an individual.
"It could be anything from a drone to a satellite." The first man said. "There's really no way for us to know."
The second man gave it some more thought.
"What if it's just the proximity of our phones?" The second man asked. "Maybe the signal they generate is what's being used to create the jamming effect around us."
The first man thought about it a little bit. Maybe it wasn't very elaborate. It could actually be quite simple.
"We should shut our phones down." The first man said. "I know where we can get two new ones."
He looked back up the trail where the two hikers had just gone.
The second man quickly caught his drift.
"What are we waiting for?" The second man asked. "We can dump the bodies off the trail somewhere."
The second man was even more disappointed the hikers hadn't been females. They could have gotten a little more than their phones from them before they killed them.
The two men turned around and started back up the trail. They both pulled out their pistols.
Jumped The Gun
Things can take off fast
When they're laced with fun
There's warmth and brightness
When things happen in the sun
There will be trying times
They can grow and feel like a ton
It's the time to try harder
Do not let the other shun
Avoid the rude snide comments
Don't make a cheesy pun
Dig in and try harder
Things have only just begun
It's very difficult to fix
When things become undone
Try a new honest approach
To forestall another bad rerun
Always show restraint and respect
Don't go off like a megaton
Things will crumble faster
If someone jumped the gun
Nobody
