Chapter 585
Her Choice
Jim, Bob and Derek left the target location once more of their Terminators arrived. They were to find the trash truck Cammy informed them about. It was still in the area.
"Are we sure we want to do this?" Derek asked.
Bob knew he was in for a messy ride.
"Affirmative…." Bob said.
Jim was OK with his part. He would be the driver.
"I can always switch with either one of you." Jim said. "I have the easy role."
They'd planned it all out already.
John didn't want any last minute changes.
"Let's stick with the plan." John said. "If things look like they need to be different we can make changes."
Jim, Bob and Derek found the trash truck near where Cammy reported seeing it. They were about to do a 'hard stop' to take control of it.
The driver pulled up and stopped alongside of a restaurant. He stopped to eat and probably use the restroom.
Jim, Bob and Derek commandeered the trash truck. When the driver was done and came out of the restaurant, he would be in for a real surprise. Who would steal a grubby trash truck?
Bob was now in the back of the trash truck. Jim would drive it into the compound and lift the large dumpsters at the location with the forks on the front of the truck. Bob would climb into the upside down trash bin after it was empty and hang on as it was turned right side up and cover himself with some cardboard. He would wait for any trouble. Derek would try to slip out of the cab and make his way inside the building.
Derek spotted a painter's truck up ahead.
'Stop next to that truck." Derek said.
Jim did.
Derek hopped out and took an item off the back of the painter's truck and got back in the cab of the garbage truck.
"Let's roll". Derek said.
Jim drove away.
John Henry was a little worried about John allowing Derek to go. Another Terminator could have gone in his place.
"You can still have Derek drive the trash truck." John Henry said. "Bob or Jim can go inside."
John was a little more worried now than he was before.
"Be careful, Derek." John said.
Derek still thought he was the best choice if he was in around Grays.
"You know I will be." Derek said. "I have a baby on the way."
Bob figured he should be able to enter the building in seconds from the dumpster.
"I'll be by his side if he needs me." Bob said.
John really hoped it didn't come down to that. It was always a possibility.
"I know you will." John said.
John began to wonder if he should have let Cameron go in herself. Derek wouldn't be in danger now like he was about to be. Where was Cameron anyway? He hadn't heard from any of the girls for awhile. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. No. It was probably a bad thing.
"John Henry, where's Cameron at?" John asked.
John Henry didn't know. All he could go by was what he'd last witnessed.
"She's tracking the unknown man who left the facility with Savannah and Cammy." John Henry said. "That was my last report before they went silent."
John wondered why they would go silent. Maybe they were after a Terminator.
"Silent?" John asked. "Are they in close to the target?"
John Henry figured he could attempt to contact them. CamNet should pick up on what he was doing and assist either Cameron or him somehow.
"It would seem that way." John Henry said. "Do you want me to contact them? Cameron said she would get back to us soon."
John figured that would cause a problem with Cameron. Derek was his current worry.
"No." John said. "She knows what to do. It's Derek I'm worried about right now."
John Henry showed John the surveillance footage. There were two things to check out.
"Jim's entering the complex as we speak. They waved the trash truck through." John Henry said. "Surveillance shows an eighteen wheeler approaching. It should arrive in a few minutes."
John didn't know if it would go to the same location or not. The way things worked for them it probably would.
"Great." John said. "That is going to cause some extra activity."
John Henry sent out the alert to everyone that a big rig looked like it was about to arrive.
"I have already informed Jim." John Henry said.
He was contacted by Young Allison a few seconds later. He looked over at John and decided to do what Young Allison asked. He didn't need to see John meltdown right now.
Moments ago:
Jim drove up to the gate and they opened it for him. The guard looked up from his cell phone for a second and waved him inside. The guard never even moved from his chair that was leaned back at an angle.
The 'Trojan Horse' entered the compound unopposed.
Jim drove up to the first dumpster and lifted it up. No one appeared to watch him. He dumped it in the back and Bob climbed inside of it. He needed to hold on good since it was upside down at this point.
He lowered it back down into place. He backed the truck up and lifted the second dumpster. After he dumped it he lowered it back into place. Derek slipped out of the cab and in-between the two empty dumpsters.
The big rig entered the complex. The trash truck was in his way. He honked his air horn. There was still one more dumpster to empty.
Someone ran over from the dock to the trash truck.
"Hey, man, we need to load this truck right away." The man said. "Can you come back later?"
Jim didn't want to leave Bob and Derek alone.
"I'm on a schedule." Jim said.
The man reached in his pocket and handed Jim a twenty dollar bill.
Jim knew if he stayed now it would cause a problem.
"Come back in an hour." The man said.
Derek and Bob both assured him they were good for now.
"I'll be back." Jim said and moved out of the way.
The big rig driver waved at him. Jim nodded and drove out. The guard still leaned back in his chair. He hadn't challenged the big rig either.
Jim stopped at the guard booth to see what weapons were inside of it. He didn't spot any.
"They told me to come back in an hour." Jim said to the guard.
"Yeah, dude, whatever." The guard said. He never looked up from his phone. "I got the message."
Jim drove out. He could see security was lax. He wondered what was so important with the big truck. He hoped to be the one to terminate the guard at the gate when they moved in for the assault.
Derek watched Jim drive away and leave one dumpsters un-emptied. He saw the exchange between the man from inside the building and Jim. Now Derek too wondered what was so important about the big rig.
"Bob, did you catch all that?" Derek asked.
Bob thought he been in better places.
"Affirmative…." Bob said.
Derek dropped an old rolled up tarp in with Bob. They'd 'borrowed' it from a painter's truck. Bob was completely covered now and somewhat protected from any slop that ended up in the dumpster on top of him.
The big rig backed into position at the dock. Derek saw that as a good opportunity to slip inside the building.
Derek came up from in between the two empty dumpsters. He spotted the custodian about to enter the building from the side he was on. There was some kind of a wheeled cart he was about to push. He pulled his Taser and made his move.
He waited until the custodian reached down to pick up something. He zapped him with his Taser. He looked around to make sure it was clear. He dumped the custodian inside the wheeled cart after he took his overalls and cap.
Bob waited in the dumpster. A few minutes later he heard some type of wheeled cart moving closer. It stopped above him.
"Bob, I have the janitor tied up and unconscious for now." Derek said. "I'm dumping him out of his trash collection cart and in with you."
Bob was ready to snap the custodian's neck.
"Do you want him terminated?" Bob asked.
Derek figured that few people paid the janitor any attention. They were usually the low man on the 'totem pole'.
"Not yet." Derek said. "I borrowed his overalls and cap. I'll collect the trash from inside and look around that way."
Bob would put up with him for now.
"Affirmative…." Bob said.
Derek was aware of the communications blocks at some of the facilities associated with this group.
"I may lose my com once I'm inside the building." Derek said. "I know some of the other facilities we hit emitted some kind of damping or jamming field in them. If you hear shooting follow the sound, you'll find me there."
Bob hoped it didn't come to that.
"Affirmative…." Bob said.
There was a loud thud as the man landed next to Bob. He unrolled some more of the tarp and covered the man as well. It seemed like he better stay alert. It the man came around he would render him unconscious again.
Cameron, Savannah and Cammy were now at the other location where there was no reported activity.
Savannah wondered where some of the Metal girls were at.
"Are Sheila and Ally going to back us up?" Savannah asked.
Cameron wanted them to finish up on the operation they came up empty on previously. She decided to keep her answer simple.
"They're working for CamNet right now." Cameron said.
Savannah knew that meant an 'off the books' operation. They needed to focus on what they were about to do where they were at now.
"How do you want to play this?" Savannah asked.
Cameron wanted to see if anything changed.
"Let's see what we have." Cameron said.
Cameron checked the surveillance cameras their group previously set up at the 'inactive site'.
"I've asked CamNet to loop the feeds outside until we get inside." Cameron said. "Then they'll go live again. I don't want any surprises while we're inside. I'll have CamNet jam all communications but ours going in or out of the building and the surrounding area."
Savannah was a little tense right now. They didn't know what was inside.
"What do you think we will find?" Savannah asked.
Cameron usually found trouble. She would lead. Savannah and Cammy should remain together.
"In these situations you never know." Cameron said. "Stay close to Cammy."
The girls armored up before they started their trek into the unknown.
As they moved closer, Cameron pointed at a surveillance camera that watched the vehicle entrance.
"There will be more." Cammy whispered.
Savannah looked around. She spotted another one. It was much lower than the other one.
"I see one over there." Savannah whispered back and pointed.
Cameron reached up and attached something to the camera.
"This will allow CamNet access to their network." Cameron said. "CamNet will loop their feeds and be able to tell us where the others are at."
The three girls all picked up a transmission from CamNet. Young Allison wanted to warn them to watch out for booby traps, trip wires or electronic beams.
Those were all good ideas.
"That's excellent thinking by Young Allison." Cameron said.
Cammy thought it was based on what the Metal girls did with her.
"We've taught her well." Cammy said.
Cameron nodded. Young Allison was years ahead of schedule. She excelled in everything.
"She's ready to move to the next phase." Cameron said.
Savannah didn't think she liked the 'next phase' very much. She was aware that Young Allison was a young woman now. She understood everything that represented to Cameron.
Cammy noticed the concerned look on Savannah's face. She wanted to make her position clear.
"Don't push her." Savannah said. "She's still young, Cameron."
Cameron frowned a little. That was a 'problem' she'd wanted to take care of years ago. She wanted Savannah and Young Allison to be together already. That would keep both of them occupied and happy. She wouldn't need to worry about anything with them.
"For now…." Cameron said.
Savannah knew Cameron was going to take Young Allison into the past for a few years and return her as a mid-teenager. They would be the same age then, well almost, she lived twenty extra months in two different futures. That made her almost two years older than she'd been. She didn't want to keep getting older than Young Allison. She didn't want Young Allison's life disrupted either.
"It HAS to be her choice…." Savannah said. "And HER mother must agree."
Cameron ignored Savannah. It was going to be HER choice. The decision was made years ago by her. Since none of the girls stepped up that duty would fall to Young Allison now as a young teenager. Young Allison was conditioned at night to want to be with John. Young Allison knew what was required and what her duties would be. Young Allison's internet usage showed she'd checked on everything.
She'd given the girls all plenty of chances. No one listened to her. Savannah almost mated with John but it never happened. She knew if she continued to 'groom' Young Allison for a few more years alone with her in the past that Young Allison wouldn't hesitate to fulfill her wishes. It was the 'Natural Order' and she was going to MAKE it happen. She was going to MAKE this 'Allison' fulfill her destiny. Somebody was going to listen to her and do what she wanted. She wanted John protected. She suppressed a glitch impulse.
"Savannah, I don't want to talk about this now." Cameron said. "If you want her to remain a girl you know what HAS to happen."
Savannah wasn't happy Cameron blew her off about Young Allison. She didn't care much for the 'threat' either. She knew how Cameron operated. She wasn't usually so forward about it.
"Cameron you know I'll do as I've promised." Savannah said. "You KNOW that."
Cammy could see Savannah 'redden' some. That meant she was upset or angry. She'd noticed Cameron suppress a glitch impulse. They all needed to focus.
"This isn't the place for this conversation." Cammy said. "We all need to be alert and not distracted or angry."
Savannah didn't think it would do any good to argue with Cameron about it anyway. She didn't want to have to issue an 'order' either.
"You're right, Cammy." Savannah said.
The three girls made it inside the building.
Cameron stopped and listened. There was a vibration also.
"Do you feel that?" Cameron asked.
Cammy looked where Cameron looked.
"I do." Cammy said. "I hear it too."
It took Savannah a few seconds longer. She could see Cameron and Cammy look for a different spot to move to.
"I feel it now." Savannah said. "I can hear something now. What is it?"
"Trouble…." Cammy and Cameron both said at the same time.
Sheila and Ally went back to the last location where they ran into the sex traffickers. They waited for someone to show up who looked like they were involved.
Sheila watched a fancy sports car pull up.
"That's a nice ride." Sheila said. "Let's talk to the bloke driving it and take it when we leave."
Ally looked it over.
"He may not want us to have it." Ally said.
Sheila smiled.
"I don't think he'll still be alive." Sheila said. "He won't complain."
Ally wanted to use some caution.
"He might have some muscle with him." Ally said.
Sheila considered that he may have gotten ahead of his security team.
"That's too bad for them if he has any." Sheila said. "That's just more dead Scavengers."
Ally noticed that Sheila held her knife now.
"Do you always have to abuse them?" Ally asked. "I know it gets you off."
Sheila smiled.
"It does get me off." Sheila said. "I make it every time I do something."
Ally knew that Sheila usually did to future Scavengers.
"That's because you're insane." Ally said.
Sheila was instantly offended.
"I'm not insane." Sheila said. "You're insane."
Ally frowned.
"I'm not the one who gets off hurting people." Ally said.
Sheila didn't care.
"Justice must be served." Sheila said. "I enjoy my work."
Ally shrugged her shoulders.
"That's because only insane people would do that." Ally said.
Sheila was angry now.
"You don't know what was done to me, to Jesse." Sheila said.
Ally knew enough.
"All the females suffered." Ally said. "Allison had her moments too."
Sheila was very upset.
"It wasn't the same thing that Jesse and Vanna went through and you know it." Sheila said.
They watched the man exit his fancy sports car and head for the building.
Ally did know that.
"Let's go protect some females in the present and the future then." Ally said.
They exited their SUV.
Sheila only carried her knife openly. She tucked her M9 and Taser away.
"You watch out for the muscle." Sheila said. "This bloke is mine."
Ally noted the dull red glow to Sheila's eyes.
Hear
I want to touch your heart
So very hard I have tried
I have felt all your pain
With you I have bled and cried
An infatuation can occur in seconds
That is the physical attraction
But that is nothing lasting
Just an unsustainable distraction
I know that you resist the thought
That real beauty flows deep within
As time erases physical beauty
All that is left is wrinkled withered skin
The love trapped in your heart
Seeks the same returned reaching out
Burnt stung abused used stolen by some
Fills you with trepidation and doubt
Love is there, you know it is
Without direction or reciprocation
It can bleed your soul, stab your mind
Bestowed genuinely leads to emancipation
I am far yet so near but real
To share I am always here
When your mind needs someone to listen
I open my heart and mind and hear
Nobody