Chapter 293

Try Again

With the knowledge an HK drone was approaching, and it wasn't theirs, action needed to be taken instantly to protect John and the operation.

Sheila immediately moved John away from the SUV and against a wall. After she looked around she moved him around a corner. If the SUV were targeted, the block wall would help protect him.

Hanna took a M72 LAW out of the SUV before she moved away from it. She moved across the street to provide some flanking capability if necessary. A FIM-92 'Stinger' would've been preferred in this instance, but they hadn't brought one. They weren't expecting this event on a mission of this type. It should have been a simple in and out, especially with four Terminators there.

Bob and Jim moved away from the building rapidly as they split up. The full nature of the enemy incursion was unknown at this time. They didn't know if there was a ground assault of some type to go with it or not.

Jim moved across the street. He was a block away from Hanna.

Bob moved a block away from where Sheila and John were at.

The HK drone suddenly appeared. There was a loud 'boom'. The HK drone wobbled violently as it was hit.

Sheila moved John back further from where they were currently at. There was an alcove where there was a ladder inside a metal cover. She broke the lock off and tucked John inside.

"In you go, love." Sheila said. "The wall and metal cover will help protect you."

John protested.

"I should be out there to help fight." John said.

Sheila closed the steel door with John inside. She didn't want him to be upset about where she put him. He was effectively out of the operation. She would give him something to think about though.

"Stay in there for now, and I'll let you 'cop a feel' when I let you out." Sheila said. "I'll even let you center one of my rings."

John was about to protest again. He needed to think about what Sheila just said. She probably would let him do it. It was something he thought about all night. He loved nipple rings and wished Cameron still wore hers. He was actually surprised Sheila hadn't flashed hers to him already. He realized it was because they were on an operation and they were concerned about his safety. They were all there to do a job. He wouldn't mind a little after action activity.

It seemed to him as if there were two different players on the field besides the Resistance group. It was yet to be determined who exactly was who, and where were they?

John could tell it was a shot from a Barrett Light Fifty. It was soon followed by a second shot. He knew none of his group brought one. He checked over the armament in the SUV before they left with Jim and Bob. He didn't see one with the girls either.

'Cameron.…' John thought to himself.

Now he felt guilty about wanting to cop a feel from Sheila. Based upon his desire, he didn't feel too guilty. He decided if she really would let him, he would. What could a little feel hurt? It was just some synthetic sheath material. He knew how lame his last thought seemed when he thought about it.

John shook his head to clear it. He needed to refocus. There could be a Skynet attack underway. There was no way to know yet if there would be more HK drones, if there was an ambush setup, or more Skynet forces on the way. Whatever it was, it seemed they were in it pretty deep for a simple termination.

As always, he thought Cameron watched over him and protected him. Cameron would berate him again for needlessly being out in the field instead of directing his troops as a true leader should do. Cameron would often remind him of a future without him in it. He was responsible for everything which happened in the 'alternate future'. Every time he saw Jesse and Vanna he was reminded of it. What happened to them was his 'fault' for not being in their future when he was needed the most. Their abuse and scars were almost as if he inflicted them himself. Cameron pointed it out and reminded him many times. It was always very unpleasant.

Now his mind drifted back to copping a feel from Sheila. He really hoped she would let him touch both of them at the same time…. Now he needed to decide if he wanted to be in front of her or in back of her when he did it. He figured it would depend upon if her top was off or not. He didn't think it would hurt anything to suggest it. No. He figured it would be better to face her if she was topless. He could center both of her rings then.

Earlier:

Ally waited alone. She was perched in a four story building down the street from the location of the future Gray. She watched over the operation and John. Cameron insisted she back the team up with an M82A3. She would rather have been down on the ground with John in either Sheila's or Hanna's place. She missed out on going with them earlier because she needed to be in place before the operation started. It seemed to her it would have been much simpler just to terminate the Future Gray herself.

She was aware she was 'kept away' from John much more than Sheila and Hanna were. She figured it was because Cameron was afraid John might desire a little 'more' from her. He might want to compare her to Cameron in the bedroom.

Both the 'Holly' and 'Allison' in her did want it. They were the programs which made her who she was. She knew if she ever was presented with the opportunity to be with John, she was going to take it. What could it hurt? It wasn't like she could get pregnant or anything. It shouldn't be a big deal. She would actually like to experience the act first hand. The files from Allison were very disturbing. The 'Holly' on her chip quickly firewalled them when she accessed them before.

She was snapped out of her salacious thoughts by the sound of an HK drone approaching. She quickly checked with John Henry. It wasn't one of theirs. Their drones were still on the way.

Cameron anticipated possible HK drone activity. If the HK drone was on an attack mission, she was to bring it down. A .50 BMG AP round fired into each power plant would do it instantly.

If the HK drone was on reconnaissance only, the goal was to damage it and see who came to claim it. They used the same strategy before with less than desirable results.

Before the HK drone was used to draw them out for a confrontation. This might be the same thing again. It might be to see if they took the bait.

Ally hit the HK drone once and then hit it again a short time later. If it didn't leave the area in a few more seconds, she was going to bring it down. The longer she waited, there was a chance it could take a shot at one of the team on the ground, or her.

The HK drone was damaged and having trouble flying. It decided to evade and run.

Ally searched for more targets. There could be ground troops too. She replaced the partially fired magazine with a fresh one. There were eleven rounds at her command now. She would seek out any hostile Terminators first. A .50 BMG AP round fired into their head would bring them down for good. They would also do a number on a human with even more spectacular results.

John left the enclosure. He didn't like being locked away. He was a leader, not a coward. He realized Sheila used the lure of sex, even if it was just to 'cop a feel', to control him. She was good. It was why the female Terminators made such good infiltrators. They could use their 'charms' to get men and women interested, or seduced, in a sexual manner.

Sheila frowned a little when John returned. She wanted him to cop a feel as much as she wanted him better protected. She now protected John with her chassis. She could hear more drones in the area. She wanted to let John know the threat wasn't over yet

"The first HK drone left the area seconds ago." Sheila said. "I can hear there are two more drones in the vicinity."

John felt his fear level rise as his heart thundered away in his chest. He looked back at the enclosure. The metal door was open. It called to him. He looked away from the safety it offered and stayed close to Sheila. Maybe he should start listening to Cameron about taking unnecessary risks. He hadn't actually contributed to the mission, and tied up two Terminators by being there in the first place.

Sheila shielded him with her body. She was pressed firmly into him. She scanned him as his anxiety level rose. If she weren't wearing all her gear, she would've made sure he was able to get a look at her nipple rings. She really wanted him to 'cop a feel'. She'd like to scan his response to it and his sensations. She knew such a scan would be much more pleasurable than the current one. She didn't want him to worry needlessly.

"Relax, love." Sheila said. "The two new drones are ours."

John wondered if she toyed with him or not. It seemed like she was correct.

"Are you sure?" John asked.

Sheila pressed tighter into John.

"Easy, love. You're in my care now." Sheila said. "Nothing bad will happen to you in my company. Cameron wanted to damage the other HK drone so we could follow it to wherever it goes. If it sets down we can see who comes for it."

John thought about what she just indicated. He wondered what Cameron was really up to. It seemed there were more than a few things in play. He wasn't sure he liked the implication of one of them.

"Do you mean we were bait?" John asked.

Sheila turned back and looked into John's face. Where did that idea come from? She wanted to set him straight.

"No. Cameron wouldn't do that to you." Sheila said. "This was a 'just in case scenario'. There was no way to know if an enemy HK drone would appear here or not. Everything was all done as a safety precaution. John, everything she does is for you, or for what you've wanted or asked for to do in the future. You should appreciate how she looks out for you, and not be so quick to ridicule her."

John didn't want to get into a discussion about the topic. None of it seemed to sit well with him.

The damaged HK drone limped away as the two of theirs went high on either side of it to follow it.

John could see the HK drone retreated. He thought they should get ready to go.

"We need to mount up so we can be ready to move. I want to be there when it lands." John said. "I want to see who comes after it. We can bring them down."

Hanna heard what John just said. It was a 'nonstarter'. She returned and looked at Sheila. She knew Cameron's plans. They required John to be back at the base 'uninjured'. They were supposed to make sure it went down as Cameron stipulated.

"It's not happening tonight." Hanna said. "This is a recon only until Cameron and John Henry formulate and clear a new plan. We don't know anything about what's actually going on. We don't need a repeat of the Tehachapi and Keene episode. The enemy shouldn't even know you were here before they put their plan into effect. It's possible they may know now. Use common sense. Think things through."

Hanna wondered if she should make the same offer Sheila did to John. Maybe she should tell him if he went back to the base, she would let him 'cop a feel' as well.

Bob and Jim returned. They saw the location of the sniper after they fired the second time. It took them a second look to actually identify the shooter. It wasn't who they first thought.

"I didn't know Al…." Bob started.

Sheila cut him off. They were under strict rules from Cameron.

"Cameron has everything under control." Sheila said.

Bob and Jim looked at Sheila and said nothing further. It was clear there was more going on than they knew about.

"We will take John back to the base now. You two can follow the HK drone. For John, everything for tonight is finished." Hanna said. "More needs to be learned before the next step is taken. Nobody wants to do anything foolish until more is known."

Hanna and Sheila exchanged glances, almost everything.

They were both aware Cameron was about to make some life altering changes….

It was actually some MORE life altering changes. She didn't seem to have a shortage of them.

Bob and Jim left in a hurry.

Sheila still kept John behind the block wall.

Hanna looked at Sheila for a few seconds and left.

They heard her enter their SUV and start it.

John was going to go around Sheila. She reached out and stopped him. Her arm was like a solid steel girder as it held him from moving.

"Just a second, love." Sheila said.

He watched Sheila for a moment as she fooled around with the front of her vest. She wondered if she was about to pop out a breast with a ring on it for him to straighten. He watched her work something loose which was stuck in the front of her vest. She got it out.

"What's that?" John asked.

Sheila placed it in his hand.

"It's a piece of shrapnel." Sheila said.

John looked at it in the dim light. It was a small piece of metal. He could feel it was sharp. He thought about what it actually meant.

"Did you get hit by this?" John asked.

Sheila didn't see the need to be specific.

"Yes." Sheila said.

John watched as she unhooked her vest and opened it up. She lifted her shirt and exposed her naked breasts with the nipple rings to him. Everything was right there in front of him.

"Be a good bloke and make sure I don't have any sheath damage." Sheila said. "I want to make sure nothing made it through my vest. You can touch everywhere to make sure I'm undamaged."

John reached out but stopped, her breasts were right there. Her rings called to him….

Sheila could see John hesitated. She didn't think it would be a big deal.

"Go on." Sheila said. "It's identical to the way Jesse looks and feels. There's nothing there to bite you. It's down between my legs. I can take my pants off when we're back in the SUV if you want to take a look. You should know by now nudity doesn't bother us. It's just the way we look. Everyone's different. Well, except the people some of us are patterned after. We're all identical. It's something to keep in mind."

John swallowed hard. Until she brought up the fact she was identical to Jesse, he wasn't going to 'check'. Now he needed to. He slipped the piece of shrapnel into his pocket. He wasn't sure examining Sheila was a good idea. He did need to verify the condition of his troops to make sure everyone was uninjured and fully functional.

He looked around and reached out and touched her. He felt everything and moved her rings up and down. He decided he should double check everything, so he did. He made a point to carefully center each ring.

"I didn't find any damage." John said.

Sheila stood there still as he touched her.

"Make sure." Sheila whispered. "Give everything a harder squeeze the next time."

John did exactly what she suggested. He expected her to tell him to stop but she didn't.

Wait!

This was a set up. He quickly let go and pulled her top down.

There a smile beamed on her broad lips as she closed her vest back up.

"Thanks, love." Sheila said. "I'd hate to be with one of the girls later and have a torn breast as we shared a little sex. Of course our heads are usually a little lower for most of it."

John swallowed hard. He couldn't believe how easily he was distracted, especially since they were in a potential combat zone. He wondered who was really behind it. Now he was worried about the repercussions going forward. If he was observed doing what he did, how was he going to explain it?

"Since there was no damage, I don't think it needs to be reported to anyone." John said.

Sheila leaned forward.

John thought she was going to kiss him. Her lips ended up next to his ear.

"I'll be our secret…." Sheila whispered.

John went to go around her. He saw her start to unhook her pants.

"What are you doing?" John asked as he looked around.

The beautiful broad smile was still on her face.

"I may have taken some damage to my inner thigh." Sheila said. "It's pretty high up. It's almost where my leg joins my body…."

John lightly moistened his lips. It sounded like something he should check out. He might need to check everything to make sure there was no damage.

Wait!

John wondered how she was able to have such control over him.

She never touched him. It was he who ended up touching her!

She was good.

"Hanna will need to check it for you." John said. "Thank you anyway."

John moved around her and headed for the SUV. He adjusted himself in his pants along the way. He was at 'full attention' right now in the middle of a combat operation!

Sheila smiled to herself. She was surprised she got John to follow her directives so easily. There were plenty of times when she tried before and didn't make any traction. This time she got him to examine the entire front of her sheath several times. Maybe she should go out on more combat operations with him. She would probably need to be inspected for damage a lot at the end of the operation. She didn't feel she did anything wrong since she never touched him at all. She could only imagine what would have happened if she did. Cameron programmed all of the Metal girls to respond to John in whatever way he indicated if he asked them to. Before they could go further, he needed to ask.

John was glad to be back at the base. He was very aware things could have gone a whole lot worse. Sheila protected him with her chassis. Hanna, Bob, and Jim all would have as well. It wasn't lost on him he would have responded to each of the Terminators differently. He thought about what he did again. He started to feel a little 'reaction'. He was glad to be out of the view of anyone in case they noticed.

He entered his room. He heard the shower running. Cameron must be in it cleaning up. He quickly realized he might need to do some explaining.

He was pleased Cameron was already there. He would have figured she would track the HK drone. He was glad she didn't. There were others to do the 'dirty work'. He could see now it would have been a waste of his time to be part of the observation. It would most likely turn into some type of drawn out surveillance operation. He would rather be where he was right now than sitting in an SUV somewhere else.

The water turned off.

Cameron's nude form walked out of the bathroom. She started to dry herself off. A giant smile blossomed on her face.

"Hi, John." Cameron said.

John felt it was appropriate to show his appreciation for Cameron watching over him instead of chewing him out.

"Thanks for tonight, Cam." John said. "I mean, Cameron."

John wasn't sure why he called her 'Cam'. He usually used her full name.

Cameron reflected on how if John only knew the choice of his words as he referred to her as 'Cam'….

John did a double take as she dried. He noticed something new he wanted for a long time. It was something she did infrequently. He was never sure why.

Cameron took her time drying to make sure John noticed. He did.

John looked at her. He was excited with her new 'smooth' look.

"I haven't seen that look for a while." John said.

Cameron handed John the towel. He dried her back. She took the towel from him when he finished and she faced him.

"I would only do it when Allison did. I only did it so we would always be the same." Cameron said. "Vanna used to do it for her."

John was further excited to hear it. It all made sense to him now. He could picture Vanna doing it for Allison. He tried to downplay it some. There was one thing he did want to know.

"That's information I could have done without." John said. "What about when you wore the nipple rings?"

John was worried about the last part of his statement. His earlier interaction with Sheila must have made him think of it, or was he still thinking of Sheila? Why didn't he inspect her inner thigh like she suggested on the way back? Hanna drove and he was in the back seat with Sheila.

Cameron threw her towel in the corner and cupped her breasts in front of John.

"I did it just for you." Cameron said. "I have another pair…."

She didn't tell John she did it because of some of his searches on the internet. She saw specifically what he looked at and it was what she did to please him.

The prospect further excited John. He could play with the rings and her breasts for hours. He always hoped she would put a second set in….

"Really? Let me get cleaned up." John said.

Cameron turned the water back on in the shower. She wanted to make sure it was the right temperature for John.

"In that case, let me wash your back." Cameron said.

John looked at her naked body as she did everything.

"And…?" John asked.

Cameron gave John a kiss and placed one of his hands on her tight breast and the other hand a little lower. She hoped he approved of her work.

"You're going to get a workout soon." Cameron said. "I'd say 'Little Willie' is in for a good time."

John hungrily touched her all over. He was highly aroused and motivated from his earlier encounter with Sheila.

"I can hardly wait." John said.

Cameron could see some things were already taking shape. They were well on the way already.

'Neither can I.' Cameron thought.

Cameron noted John was at a much higher state of sexual arousal than normal. She wondered if it was her new handiwork, or the talk of her rings. Either way, it should be a good night for both of them….

Vanna was asleep. She stirred as she heard the door close.

"I thought you were gone for the night." Vanna said.

Vanna was pleased to see who it was.

"I needed to get something…."

Vanna saw she held a syringe.

"This is fresh from a few minutes ago."

Vanna drew in her breath.

"Do you mean you were…?" Vanna asked cautiously. "…With John…?"

She flashed her beautiful smile at Vanna.

"This is for you if you want to try again. I'll be here for you if you do. I'll do it myself this time. You're ready now…."

Vanna felt 'goose bumps' all over her body.

"I want it. I want you to do it for me." Vanna said. "Will you please?"

The beautiful smile was followed by a tender kiss. She went to work.

A few minutes later….

"It's done."

Vanna swallowed hard. A lot of things happened in a very short time.

"Now we wait and pray." Vanna said.

A soft hand gently touched Vanna's cheek.

"Yes."

Vanna could feel her heart pounding.

"Will you hold me?" Vanna asked.

The reassuring arms pulled Vanna in close as they held each other.

"Yes, I intend to."

Three hours later.

"Vanna…."

Vanna realized there were a million thoughts in her mind.

"Yes?" Vanna asked.

Vanna could see tears in her eyes as she held her.

"Vanna, I'll never leave your side."

Vanna sucked in her breath.

"Do you mean…?" Vanna asked.

The gentle arms gave her a reassuring hug.

"Yes, it just happened. Did you decide on a name for me yet?"

Vanna already gave it some thought.

"Hold me and kiss me." Vanna said. "I'm going to call you Cam. Thank you, Cam. I'm saving 'Cammy' for Savannah…."

The combined program wouldn't take effect until tonight.

"I won't be Cam until tomorrow…."

Vanna knew exactly what it meant.

"Thank you even more, 'Cameron'." Vanna said.

'Cam' was technically Cameron II, a one hundred percent clone of Cameron currently. Vanna possessed something of hers she would need to update.

"I'll need my drive back tomorrow from Isabel-Cameron. I have some files to add to it."

Cameron listened from outside the room. She was so happy. In fact, it may be the happiest day in her existence, her life. She would have those files for herself soon…. 'Cameron II' would become 'Cam' right afterwards. She would see if John was ready again…. She snuck out earlier to give Cameron II, who was waiting outside, the 'genetic material' she harvested from John.

Cameron II would become Cam tomorrow.

Cameron was happy. Right now at this moment there were two of her.

A 'Cameron' fulfilled her desires and obligations…. She felt she paid her debt and both of their desires as best as she possibly could.

'Rebel Rebel' by 'David Bowie' was the song that drifted from Vanna's room.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Try Again

Often the first steps are shaky
When a new endeavor is started
It may be the attempt is only half hearted
For it is something new and uncharted

The true goal may not be clear
It leaves the resolution elusive
As is the maze of daily life
Few things are conclusive

The easy path forward
Is seldom the correct one
One may only be starting
While the other has already won

Does every single step forward
Really equal two steps back
How does one move ahead
When everything's under attack

Some may be lucky
Every now and then
But for everyone else
We need to try again

Nobody