Chapter 496

Missile Away

Cam flew the manned drone. She checked that the target was locked and the area was clear. She didn't want collateral damage if possible. She fired the missile.

"The missile's away." Cam said. "Its track is straight and true."

Cammy spotted where Cameron waited. She swung her vehicle sideways and Cameron pulled out to join her. The path forward was now blocked. The vehicles that trailed her didn't have anywhere to go.

The second vehicle exploded in a fireball as the missile hit it. The path to retreat was blocked as well with burning debris for the lead vehicle.

Cammy and Cameron blocked the path of the first vehicle. They were at a specific spot for the ambush to be sprung. Sheila and Ally were pre-positioned on each side of it. They'd calculated where it needed to stop. It did. They were staggered to avoid any crossfire.

"What just happened?" The first Gray asked.

The trailing vehicle started to move to go around the flaming wreckage.

"I don't know. Maybe it was a hit from an RPG." The second Gray said. "Let's get up there."

The Grays saw the interdiction up ahead.

"They're screwed, man." The second Gray said. "Hang a U-turn and run. It's an ambush."

They decided to turn around to run. They didn't want to get caught in the ambush. They abandoned their associates to their fate.

The first Gray was bothered by their actions.

"We should've tried to help them." The first Gray said.

The second Gray didn't think so.

"We'd be caught up too if we did." The second Gray said.

The Resistance crew on the ground made no move to shoot at them. They didn't want to disable their vehicle. They wanted it to lead them back to where it came from. The ambush was a sucker punch. The vehicle allowed to 'escape' was a sucker play.

Cam made sure the lead vehicle was locked up as well, just in case. Once she saw Cammy and Cameron block it, she turned her attention to the third vehicle that decided to run. She locked it up for a missile strike as she tracked it. She also searched for any enemy HK drones that might show up. So far none were spotted. She knew that John Henry and CamNet were all over that search for her and the team.

Cammy and Cameron blocked the path of the lead vehicle as soon as the middle vehicle was hit with the missile.

John and John Henry watched everything unfold from drone footage in the Command Center.

Cammy and Cameron exited on the side closest to the approaching threat. Savannah exited on the far side of the SUV. She was to keep track of anything that might happen in front of them as well as the action behind them.

The lead vehicle slowed. They could see the threat two identical looking armed females in front of them posed. The vehicle behind them was a flaming wreck. The path in front of them was blocked.

Sheila and Ally opened up on the vehicle. They disabled it and hit the personnel inside as well.

The four female Terminators advanced on the vehicle.

Savannah kept guard at the two SUVs. She watched as the four Metal girls went to 'work'. She knew this is what they were designed for. No matter how beautiful they were on the outside, they were Terminators on the inside. Savannah knew Cameron never wanted her to forget. It was easy to do so to be around Cameron out of the 'work' environment. Her beauty masked her true nature.

She watched their programming kick in and the crude efficiency with which they acted. They were very violent and deadly.

Gail and Jesse closed up on the trio of vehicles that attacked Cammy and Savannah. They watched as the attack went down and the last vehicle turned and ran. The rats left their compatriots behind to face their fate alone.

"We see the third vehicle coming towards us." Gail reported.

They ducked down and let the Gray's pass them. Gail took a good look at them.

"There are two Grays inside." Gail said. "No Metal was apparent."

Jesse could see Gail was ready to act. It was a Terminator thing. She wanted the small fish to lead them to the bigger fish.

"Fallback and let Cam track them, love." Jesse said. "We don't want to spook them. We want them to go home. We want to find the nest."

John Henry was able to call in other Resistance teams that were out. Everyone came when they learned Savannah was in danger.

"There are other teams of Metal along the route they're going." John Henry reported. "Cam has them locked up as well."

John redeployed their drones. Two were on recon and two were assigned to teams.

"You have a drone at your disposal, Gail." John said. "Cameron does as well."

John didn't expect things to turn out the way that they did. That was the nature of the operations. Anything could happen at anytime. He needed to make sure his troops were covered.

Sheila and Ally disabled the Gray's vehicle and wounded the Grays inside. They advanced on the targets.

Sheila ripped the door off the driver's side as Ally did the same thing on the passenger's side. It all happened in a second.

They both pulled the occupants out. Ally snapped the neck of the Gray she grabbed, he was already dead. She just wanted to make sure.

The driver on Sheila's side was still alive. He was shot several times but still moving. Sheila drug him out and quickly searched him. Ally searched the dead man on the other side. Cammy moved up and searched the vehicle. Nothing of value was obtained.

Cameron called Savannah forward to their position. She knew Savannah needed to see everything and be ready to kill if necessary. She was going to have Savannah execute him. It was clear he would bleed out soon anyway. She wanted Savannah to have that coldness and hardness to do what needed to be done.

Cammy was angered further when she searched the vehicle. She did find something that bothered her.

"I found the RPG launcher and two more rockets in the back." Cammy said. "These are the people that tried to hurt Savannah. They tried to hurt us."

Sheila wanted retribution. She was clearly excited.

"Let me 'work' on him." Sheila said. "I can make him talk."

Cameron brought Savannah over to them.

The man proceeded to call the females foul names and cuss at them. He saw Cameron was in charge and leveled his insults at her. When he saw Savannah, he really went wild with the insults.

Everyone wondered what that was all about.

Sheila struck out at the man and broke his jaw. It hung down at a crazy angle.

A shrill scream filled the night air.

Cameron wanted to stop Sheila but it was already too late.

Savannah was a little shocked as well. Everything happened so fast. She didn't realize what Sheila actually held at first.

"Why did you do that?" Savannah asked. "We didn't even question him yet."

Sheila looked a little upset that they questioned her actions. She hadn't even gotten any 'enhanced interrogation' in. That was what usually upset the others. Everyone was so willing to talk as her knife orbited over them.

"I wanted to hurt him." Sheila said. "I didn't like his language. I didn't like what he said about you."

Savannah didn't like it either but the intel was more important. Someone identified them somehow and tried to take them out.

The man lay moaning in his own blood.

Savannah was about to draw her pistol. She didn't want to see the man suffer.

Cammy didn't like Savannah to murder. She stepped forward and crushed his neck with her foot.

Sheila looked at her hand.

"Throw him into the burning vehicle, along with the other one." Cameron said.

Cammy and Ally each picked one up of the Grays and did so.

Sheila hoped Cammy wouldn't have finished the survivor off before he was thrown into the fire. Now she wouldn't get to hear his agonizing screams. When people burnt to death their screams were very intense.

"I'm acted too soon." Sheila said.

Savannah looked over. She didn't know what Sheila referred to.

"You acted too soon about what?" Savannah asked.

Cameron didn't approve of Sheila actions with humans.

Sheila stood and looked at Cameron for a long moment. She didn't think Savannah would understand her motivation. She didn't want Savannah to think 'bad' of her.

Cameron was satisfied the initial threat was over. It was time to do the follow-up and get Savannah back to the base. She'd been exposed to enough danger so far.

"Sheila, you ride with Savannah. Cammy will come with Ally and me." Cameron said. "Take Savannah back. The drone will accompany you. Take my SUV."

Sheila said nothing as she and Savannah got into the SUV and drove off. She knew that Cameron 'punished' her right now. She didn't see beyond the 'now'.

Cammy was a little worried. She didn't think Sheila would hurt Savannah but she didn't like her non-Terminator like behavior.

"Sheila is malfunctioning." Cammy said.

Ally didn't think it was that simple. It was deeper than a mechanical malfunction. It was about the need to seek pleasure from something that wasn't pleasurable. It was about the need to want to inflict pain on others to make herself feel better. It was what Jesse did when she'd joined with the Scavengers for awhile after being abused with by them. She turned her 'pain' into pain on others.

"No, the 'Dark Jesse' in her has become dominant." Ally said. "She's become sexually aggressive as well. She 'hurt' me on purpose. I asked her why she did THAT. She said to hear me 'yelp'."

Cameron knew when the pleasure receptors were on that the pain receptors were on as well. She often sought pain along with pleasure herself. She knew if she could feel pain that she was still 'alive'.

"I will reprogram her." Cameron said and then added. "If I have to, I don't think it's gone that far yet."

Cammy was worried by what Ally revealed. She didn't want any harm to come to Savannah.

"Maybe we should follow them." Cammy said. "Is Savannah safe with her?"

Cameron liked to play the 'long game'. It was the way to make things happen and stay that way. She knew what was needed and how.

"Yes." Cameron said. "I've been working with Jesse to help her. I know what's wrong with Sheila now. I know what to do to fix her."

Ally remembered what Sheila did to her sheath. She wasn't as confidant as Cameron was.

"What about Savannah?" Ally asked.

Cameron felt she knew who could 'reach' Sheila because they'd reached Jesse.

"Sheila is in love with Savannah. She won't hurt her." Cameron said. "I know, because Jesse is as well."

Ally knew Sheila was in love with her too but she still hurt her on purpose. She didn't want to argue with Cameron or make Cammy worry more.

"I hope so." Alley said.

Cammy understood what Cameron was after and how she wanted to achieve it.

"Savannah will talk with Sheila and help her." Cammy said. "That's what you want."

Cameron believed that Savannah could 'reach' anyone. It was in her nature and she had plenty of love to share.

"Yes." Cameron said. "Sheila is fixable, as is Jesse. It will just take time."

Cammy was aware of what Cameron did for Jesse with Vanna and Savannah. It was really two of the same person. Vanna could relate to what Jesse had been through. Savannah could show Jesse a different path.

"I know you have Vanna and Savannah both working with Jesse." Cammy said. "I understand why better now."

Ally wondered how far things progressed with Savannah and Jesse.

"Have Jesse and Savannah become 'active'?" Ally asked.

Cammy didn't want Savannah's sex life discussed when she wasn't around. Savannah had become very active but she always came back to her. She understood Savannah's hunger. It was the same as Vanna's desires were.

"That's unimportant. Savannah is a big girl." Cammy said. "You should not ask that anyway. What happens in the bedroom, stays in the bedroom."

Ally looked at Cameron and decided she better back off. She understood Cammy's warning.

Cameron knew Savannah could help all of them. She knew that Savannah helped her. No one could help her like Savannah could. It was time to seek out the enemy.

"Let's go and see where the target takes us." Cameron said.

Cammy quickly inspected her SUV along with Cameron to make sure it wasn't mechanically damaged. There were just dents in the metal and a few scratches. The SUV shouldn't attract any unnecessary attention.

The three lookalike Terminators climbed into the SUV and departed on a divergent route after the fleeing vehicle.

Cameron didn't know where the target was headed but she believed it would be back the way they were originally headed.

"I think we can intercept them returning this way." Cameron said. "Let's go."

Cam was in the manned drone. She communicated with Gail. Gail would come up on the Grays too quickly at her present speed.

"Drop back, Gail." Cam said. "They're slowing down."

Jesse gripped her M4 tightly. She hoped not to have to use it but looked forward to using it as well. She'd been out of combat operations for awhile. She was ready to get her hands dirty again.

Gail could see Jesse's apprehension. She knew what she wanted. She would try and assist her to get that.

"Relax, Jesse." Gail said. "I'll try to take a live Gray for you."

The prospect of that a few years ago would have aroused Jesse in anticipation of what she would do to the victim. Their attitude determined where she started. She didn't want them to pass out or die before she got 'personal'. She suppressed the sexual rush that 'personal' torture brought her. She was a better person now. She hoped she was anyway.

"I'm not that person anymore." Jesse said. "Cameron has helped me."

Gail was a little worried about Savannah and Jesse.

"I've seen Savannah 'help' you as well." Gail said.

Jesse quickly looked at Gail. She didn't want this to become an issue right now.

"It's not what it looks like." Jesse said. "You're not being replaced."

Gail spied on them when they were alone. She scanned Jesse afterwards. She knew what those scans revealed.

"I have good hearing…." Gail said. "I can see your body 'react' to being around her. I've scanned you."

Jesse didn't see it as a big deal. Everyone could see who they wanted. They all knew where they 'belonged' at the end of the day. That was all that should matter in the end.

"We're just 'friends'." Jesse said.

Gail knew what the scans revealed. Jesse was all about sex. It was different when she was around Savannah.

"You love her." Gail said.

Gail knew everyone loved Savannah, like they did Cameron.

Jesse did love Savannah. No one ever treated her so nice before after they knew of her past and everything she'd done.

"I can love who I want as can you." Jesse said.

They needed to tone their conversation down some. They were given a crude reminder.

"Maybe now isn't a good time for this conversation." John Henry said over their coms.

Jesse didn't like the intrusions into her 'personal life' She was entitled to some happiness and love.

"I don't care." Jesse said. "I'm not ashamed of anything I do anymore."

John Henry wanted to protect Savannah too. He'd segregated Gail and Jesse's conversations from everyone else.

"I don't think Savannah wants to be part of any open discussion." John Henry added. "I previously blocked your communications from everyone else."

Gail could see Jesse was upset. She didn't intend to do that. She figured she could throw John Henry a 'bone'.

"Thanks, John Henry." Gail said. "Jesse will show you her nipple rings when we get back to the base in appreciation."

Jesse smiled at Gail's suggestion. She knew it was an attempt to make amends over a nonissue.

"Damn straight I will." Jesse said. "He can touch them as well."

John Henry would like that very much. He wasn't sure if they were joking or not. He liked to interact with the human girls.

"I now have something to look forward too, however you have targets you are about to engage and you both need to get your head back in the game." John Henry said. "We are all one big happy family anyway."

Gail was aware of everything.

"We're in pursuit." Gail said.

Jesse didn't like to cause anyone to worry.

"I'm sorry, John Henry." Jesse said. "I'm ready to rock."

'Peter Gunn' by 'The Ventures', played on the radio as they closed on the Grays.

Onward

Onward into battle I go
Rejection to the left of me
Doom to the right
Slaughter in front of me

Onward I go
The letter is my weapon of choice
Backed with my two warriors
The Poem and the Song as my voice

I will NEVER surrender
Nothingness in front of me
Onward I go
Less than nothing behind me

You may FORCE me to withdraw
I'll be back
I only regroup
Then resume the attack

It is what I do
It is all that I know
You should know by now
Who don't think so

Nobody