Chapter 108

Bound

Vanna, Allison, and Jesse were terrified. They were trapped inside a building in the desert. There was a biker gang outside. Because they were naked, it made it worse.

The biker gang was one of the local chapters. They ran afoul of another rival biker gang not long ago. The encounter left two of their members dead and several hurt. They killed more of the rival gang members than they lost of their own. The fight started in one of the desert casinos. It picked up later again at an old diner on Route 66.

Violence was no stranger to them. It was the 'rule of the land' they lived and died by. They knew to take as much each day as they could. The gang felt there may be no tomorrow. They liked to live in the 'now'. Robbery, murder, and assaults of every type imaginable were daily occurrences for them and their chosen lifestyle.

Perhaps it's where the first Scavengers originated from in the future. It was surely what they would all end up as. Most of those who chose the Scavenger lifestyle were from some type of gang. A biker gang was just a little bit more mobile than a street gang. It was more wide ranging. The rewards of the violence seemed to feed on itself. Those involved always sought 'more'. It was the violence, and the effects it had on the victims, which became the thrill itself. What was done to the victims, was only icing on the cake.

The bikers circled the building one more time. They liked to make sure there were no 'surprises' waiting for them, or an ambush from the rival bikers they recently dealt with. They traveled in force. They didn't like to travel alone. A lone biker would often disappear. They'd say the 'Boogie Man' got them. It was most likely really another biker gang.

The desert consisted of vast stretches of open space. A body could be dumped, or even buried, a short distance away from a road. It would probably be years, if not decades, before anyone discovered it.

The authorities didn't excite them much either. If they weren't observed in the actual commission of a crime, the 'pigs' kept their distance. There were a few times when a law enforcement officer tried to pull one of them over. It was usually a mistake on the officer's part. Out there in the isolation of the desert, they refused to yield to the 'law'. The rest of the bikers would swarm the police cruiser with their bikes and allow the offender to get away. There was little the officer could do but call for 'backup'. It could be a long time away.

There would need to be a massive task force in place, if an attempt would be made to stop all of them. They had 'eyes' everywhere. If any such task force was ever spotted, they would steer clear of the area and terrorize elsewhere. By the time the sluggish wheels of law enforcement could reposition themselves, they would simply move back into the original area and avoid the authorities again. It was a never ending game where the bikers seemed to come out on top. The authorities needed to play by the rules. The bikers didn't.

The building looked undisturbed from the last time they were there. They parked their bikes in two neat rows. They liked to show a little pride and style when they were out. They weren't like the lowlife scum from the other motorcycle gangs. After the bikes were parked they began to mill about. Their bikes usually contained a few spare items of clothing, as well as weapons they didn't normally carry on them. There was a lot of noise and cursing. Occasionally a knife or a pistol would be banished after a little pushing and shoving.

Individual bikers knew not to let things get carried away. They would need to face the 'justice' of the gang if an incident occurred which resulted in the death of one of them. They lost enough members as it was to the rival gangs. There were also challenges to their territory by intruders from the south of the border. They weren't just limited to one country.

The bikers entered the building. They used the location before. There were bodies buried in the back to prove it. Most of them were females who traveled alone or in pairs. They liked to get a single female with a small child. They could get the female to do anything they wanted, if they 'agreed' not to hurt the child. There were a few of those buried out in the back along with their mothers. The mothers often welcomed death at that point. If they were lucky it was granted. It usually wasn't until everyone had another turn or two or more.

Sometimes they encountered a mouthy Bitch. When they finished up with her, they took them out to a more remote location and staked them out on the hot sand in the blistering sun. Sometimes they would check on them a few weeks later. Usually they only found scattered bleached bones with gnaw marks on them. The coyotes would find them. Sometimes they weren't dead when they did. One time a female was completely dried out like a mummy. She looked like a skeleton with a tight layer of burnt leather stretched over it. They all had a good laugh over her.

The structure they used was far enough off the main highway to remain hidden. It wasn't easy to spot unless one knew where to look. Some group was going to start a mining operation there, but the venture failed. A property management company tried to keep the place up, but it slowly fell into decline. It would most likely burn down at some point like most of the abandoned buildings in the desert did. If someone used the building for shelter during a cold night, sometimes they started a fire to keep warm. It didn't take much for a fire to get out of control in an abandoned building.

The bikers were going to set up a drug lab after some partying. They brought the chemicals out of the truck and placed them near the door. They would set them up later. They'd done the same thing a few times a month to get some extra cash. They would often rob the buyer and then sell to another buyer. They could get double the money when they did. The victims couldn't go to the police. If they made too much of a fuss, they joined the females out in the back. There was plenty of room for more bodies there.

Party time was the first order of business. Party time always came first with the group. Life was about living. Party time made them feel 'alive', even if it left some of them dead. An overdose wasn't uncommon. Some of the members couldn't handle the alcohol or the drugs. They might wipe out on the highway when they left. It was just the way it was. The others took whatever possession they had and they moved on. Nobody really cared. Life was short.

There were twenty six bikers. Five of them were females. The alcohol and drugs flowed freely. The sex started soon afterwards. Two of the women put on a 'show' with each other for the group. The other three were 'busy' as lines formed in front of each of them. Those three females were runaways the gang took under their wing. They promptly hooked them on drugs so they would be compliant to do what they were told to do. A day without a 'fix' and they would do anything to have the crap pumped into their veins. There was plenty of other stuff pumped into their bodies as well. The events which occurred were just short of anarchy. It was pure hedonism on display.

When it was evident the bikers were going to enter the building, Vanna, Allison and Jesse tried to hide. Vanna hid under the tarps. Jesse climbed up to the rafters by the interior roof access ladder. She didn't have time to make it onto the roof. The access hatch was locked. Now she was stuck above everyone. If anyone looked up, they would spot her.

Allison was behind some abandoned and rusted file cabinets. Something scurried away near her foot. She hoped it was a rat and not a snake. It didn't bite or attack her and she was grateful about it. The creature was probably as terrified of her as she was of it. She knew Rattlesnakes lived in the desert. In this case, it was both human and reptile Rattlesnakes.

The party raged on. It became more violent as it progressed. Two of the bikers fought over who got the blonde female biker after the 'show' was over. She was there by choice and liked the lifestyle. Knives, and then guns, were produced. It was decided they would both have her at the same time. It was fine with her. It brought another round of cheering. She didn't have any trouble taking on five at once. It actually thrilled her to be desired by so many men.

One of the bikers who went first finished up for now. He started to set up the chemicals. He went to get the tarps to lay the chemicals on. He looked around the office. It was warmer in there for some reason. He wasn't sure why. As he drug the tarps away, Vanna's nude form became visible.

He stood there and looked at her as she looked back. It all took a few seconds to sink in. He wondered why there was a naked woman there. She wasn't part of the group. He would have remembered her red hair. It didn't make any sense. He wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. There were other places he could look instead.

He was going to get some 'fresh meat'. He spotted the 'mark' she carried and knew she was someone's 'property' at some point. She should know what to expect. It would probably make her a little more compliant than most. It would be somewhat unfortunate. He liked the useless struggle they attempted to put up.

Vanna knew it just went from bad to worse. Fear gripped her. She could see the man was confused when he spotted her. He wasn't really sure if she was there or not. She didn't move.

The man let go of the tarps. They dropped to the floor.

Vanna knew what was about to happen next.

"What do we have here?" He asked as he moved to grab her.

Vanna got up to run. It didn't look like she was going to get far. She didn't plan to go down without a fight.

Some other bikers saw what was happening. They cornered Vanna. Three moved in and grabbed her. They drug her screaming form over to the 'party area'. More bikers stepped in. Four of them pinned her nude form to the floor.

Vanna struggled to get free as she screamed. She knew what was coming next. She'd been through the same thing before. It was done to her before several times by other men. It was the same way she first became a 'woman'. They held her down just like this and took turns. It went on for hours. There weren't as many of them though. She could see it was a large group. Four or five of them was bad enough. It appeared there were over twenty individuals with the group of bikers.

A female figure pushed her way to where Vanna was being held down at. She was anything but shapely. It appeared at one time she may have been. It would have been a long time ago. The open road and the lifestyle were hard on her. The constant exposure to the sun showed its effects. She didn't like any female who she thought was prettier than she was. It was almost all of them. She was the lead female biker and as tough as any of the men. She was responsible for many deaths.

"I get her first." The other female biker from the 'show' said. "I want her while she's still fresh. You can have her after I'm done. She won't be for long. Hold her down for me. Get her into position."

Her statement brought a round of laughter from the bikers.

The female biker groped and touched Vanna with her hands. She liked everything she touched and saw. She also noticed the redhead was someone's property at one point. She didn't recognize the markings. It seemed like a good idea for her to do to other females in the future. She would have one of the guys weld something up next time they were near a muffler shop and had access to an acetylene torch. Some rebar would work. It wouldn't take too big of a fire to get the metal red hot so a 'permanent impression' could be left.

"Damn that's smooth." The female biker said. "Wow! Just look at what's there. I'm going to enjoy this."

Allison witnessed enough. She couldn't watch and do nothing as the woman she loved was about to be 'savaged'. She knew it was what Vanna went through several times before. She knew it would only be a matter of time until she was discovered as well. She wanted to act while they were distracted. If she was going down, she intended to take as many of them with her as possible. She needed to get a weapon from one of the bikers. She would shoot as many as she could. It would most likely speed up her death as well, as other members of the biker gang returned fire. It wouldn't matter too much what they did with her dead body afterwards. Dead was dead.

She ran from her hiding place and knocked one biker down. She managed to get his handgun. She went to aim but was tackled by two others. The gun fired. The shot went wild. Her screaming nude form joined Vanna's on the floor. Four men pinned her down next to Vanna. They would be abused side by side.

Allison knew she was about to suffer the same fate Vanna and Jesse were put through before. Her previous abuse was only by a single armed perpetrator. Now it was going to be the whole biker gang. Vanna told her they all went at least twice when they did it. She could expect to be flipped over onto her front side a few times as well.

The female biker eyed Allison next to Vanna. She thought things were getting better by the minute. She knew beauty when she saw it. The redhead was hot. The newcomer was beautiful. She moved over in front of Allison.

"I want her first, then the redhead." The female biker said as she looked at the two struggling women. "After you guys are done with them, you can bury them in back with the others. After I'm done, I want you to gag them so I don't have to hear their pathetic screams as loud. You know what I do to pretty women…."

She pulled a knife out.

Jesse watched everything unfold with horror. She knew she needed to help her friends. She couldn't think of any way to do so without getting caught herself. She knew the woman biker wouldn't leave there alive, even if it was the last thing she did. She was like the Scavenger Bitch who scarred her body for nothing, other than just to mar it. She reached down and touched her scar. The anger and hate inside her rekindled into a raging inferno. This wasn't how she'd planned to 'go out'. It appeared the plan changed.

She understood when she acted she would probably be captured as well, if she wasn't killed initially. She was sure the savagery done to her body would be extreme. Something needed to be done. She was the only one left right now.

Cameron needed to get closer to the building. She was a dozen miles away when she spotted the bikers. She ran at her full Terminator speed. She was able to cover a lot of ground fast. She still needed to be careful of her steps so she didn't trip on anything. If she fell, it wouldn't damage her mechanically, but it would cost her seconds. She believed everything would come down to seconds in her attempt to save the girls. She heard the single shot. Maybe there wouldn't be enough seconds.

The screams could be heard far and wide.

She ran like she never ran before. She was designed to terminate humans. She was about to show her full potential as a Terminator.

Every second seemed like an hour as she hurried.

Cameron was going to terminate every one of them. She was at full speed. She knew time was running out or worse. It may have already run out for her friends, the women she loved. They were probably being savaged as she ran.

The Resistance base:

Concurrent timeline:

John went to the lab once operations calmed down some. He needed to stay busy so he didn't dwell on Cameron and her plight. It was where his mind always ended up, sooner or later. It was months now since Cameron and the girls left. They never returned. It seemed doubtful they would at this point. He still needed to hope and believe. Sometimes he almost did.

He headed straight to his project. He didn't notice there was anyone else in the lab at first. He was a little surprised when he did and who it was.

Riley was a little surprised to see John enter the lab. She took a quick look around and confirmed no one else was in the lab besides John and her. She moved up next to John.

She gently placed her hand on top of his.

John stopped working.

Riley's hand remained there.

The invitation was clear.

John glanced at her. She looked beautiful to him. He remembered Future Riley and the things they shared. It was the same girl. She was HER, even if she was a little different. Everything on her body would be identical.

He wanted Riley very much right now. He'd been 'taking care of himself' for the last few months. He was ready to give his hand a break. He was really ready for the real thing. He didn't need to remind himself it was the real thing too. He needed to refocus.

John didn't want to be rude. He needed to make his position clear.

"You do remember I'm married, right?" John asked.

Riley smiled.

"I do." Riley said.

John wasn't sure if her answer was a play on words or not. It seemed like it was.

Riley's hand remained where it was.

John didn't want to be abrasive as his hormones called to him.

"So, what is this?" John asked.

Riley smiled at him as she gave his hand a soft and gentle squeeze. It clearly indicated 'more' was available.

"It's my hand resting on top of yours." Riley said.

John slowly moved his hand away from under her hand. It was very difficult to do. It wasn't because Riley held his hand in place either. His body wanted her as much as his mind tried to resist her.

Riley understood how 'disappearances' worked in the future. When someone didn't return, they never did.

"She's not coming back." Riley said. "I know you know it, even if you don't want to admit it."

John felt Riley's words hit home. She just said what he couldn't. It was the way they all felt. Well, except Savannah. He couldn't help but respond to what he believed as well.

"I know." John said.

Riley wanted to offer John some 'comfort'.

"It's been long enough, John." Riley said. "They've been gone for months…."

John still didn't want to admit it. He needed Savannah's strength right now. It was clearly superior to his.

"NO!" John said.

Riley tried to sweeten the deal.

"Derek and I broke up." Riley said. "I'm not tied to anyone."

John was aware they often 'broke up'. The breakup usually didn't last very long.

"I know." John said.

It was clear Riley wanted 'more'. She didn't think any male would resist a 'free ride', especially with a willing participant.

"Well?" Riley asked.

Riley faced him.

John faced her.

Somehow it was history repeating itself, even if it wasn't.

John was with Riley before, a Riley - Future Riley.

Now he had the chance again. She was the same person. They all started from the same female.

John looked around. Maybe it was time. It was time to do something about it.

"Come with me." John said.

Riley saw they were headed for his room.

She was filled with anticipation.….

'Gloria' by 'Them', played on her player….

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Heart Of Ash

Love was thrown away
In their mind it never happened
They told themselves it was nothing
I watched their heart blacken

Others were good enough
Promises were broken
I did not exist
Never a word to me was spoken

Today is now
Yesterday is past
Each new 'next one'
Grows easier than the last

They know my love won't die
They slowly turn my heart to ash
They have to KILL my love
Turning themselves into trash

I see the interlopers come
One after another they arrive
They stack up on the side
Why am I even still alive

Nobody