Chapter 601

Pick A Door

Cammy wanted to go back to the second building because she knew Gail and Savannah were under attack. She needed to protect Savannah.

She left the two dead Grays with Cam to finish up and make sure neither of them were a Terminator. She ran back toward the building Savannah was in. She knew Bob would combat the attackers at the large door so she headed to the side door.

Cammy looked for any threats along the way as she ran.

Cameron decided it was time for the cat to pounce.

Bob's team did its 'drive by' and scored hits on all the targets. They continued on their way to backup Savannah and Gail and secure the cargo in the big truck.

Cameron was on the move as soon as Bob's team opened up. She sprang from her place of concealment and advance on the targets. They'd tried to ambush her. Now they were going to die.

Cam arrived seconds later. She was in a flanking position and advanced with Cameron.

The three targets turned to face the new threat of Bob's team as they did the 'drive by'. They all took hits. Cameron and Cam opened up on them also. The three figures were torn to shreds.

Cameron saw the figures were down. She quickly spoke with Cam.

"Stay alert for Metal. Gather any intel from them and rejoin us back at the big truck." Cameron said and took off running to help at that location.

Cameron was worried about Savannah.

She kept her eyes open for any additional threats along the way.

Previously:

There was a battle for control of the building with the big truck inside.

Savannah slid into position next to Gail. She handed Gail her M4 when Gail's pistol went dry. Gail fired both of them now on semi auto. It was to conserve ammo and keep the Grays out.

The Grays were unable to advance into the building. So far the only one that made it was the Terminator that Savannah shot in the legs to stop his forward progress. He was still in the fight.

Savannah took the M79 and fired an HE round at the last place she saw the Terminator that she'd incapacitated. She fired the HE round under the trailer to hit closer to where he was. She loaded the Thumper and fired another HE round at the side door. She cracked the M79 open and loaded another round. She chose a buckshot round this time. She pulled a hundred round magazine from Gail's vest and loaded it in Gail's M4 for her, as Gail continued to fire with her M4.

Savannah hit the bolt release and handed it back to Gail. Gail handed Savannah back her M4 without ever taking her eyes off the target. Savannah loaded a fresh hundred round magazine in it. Gail took it as well. She continued to fire on targets at both doors.

Gail kept both doors under control. She could keep an eye on each one of them. No one other than the Terminator made it inside alive. There were bodies lying inside both of the doors. She'd fired into all of them again to make sure they were dead. They were.

Savannah covered the rear door with the M79. She was worried about the earlier incursion.

Cammy heard the M79 fire from inside the building. As she came around the corner another HE round from the Thumper exploded. She opened up on the two attackers who were still in the fight. They both appeared to have heavy injuries. They fell as her slugs tore into them. She checked in back of her before she moved forward towards the side door.

Bob's Team drove up in the SUV as they fired from both sides of it. They could see a small group outside of the building. The group of attackers was driven back outside the big door from Gail's accurate gunfire. Most of them looked like they were hit already. They looked like they were about to retreat. Bob's team blocked their path and took them down with concentrated firepower.

They exited the SUV and looked around them. All of the Grays were targeted. None of them moved as they were shot again. There was no one else in sight. They advance towards the large door.

Savannah heard gunfire outside the back door. Savannah turned and saw movement at the rear door. She aimed the M79 and fired the buckshot round into the face of an attacker. The face disappeared in a crimson spray.

There was a mass of firing at the large door and at the side door too.

Bob and his team arrived at the large door at the same time as Cammy did at the side door.

"The side is clear." Cammy said.

Cammy moved into the doorway.

"The large door is secure as well." Bob reported.

Bob's team entered the building.

Savannah wasn't sure about the Terminator. She hadn't heard any movement since the last HE round was fired in his direction.

"What about the Terminator between the wall and the truck?" Savannah asked. "He may still be active."

Bob moved to the far side of the big rig.

"He's terminated." Bob said. "Half his head is missing."

Gail was worried about the two incursions from the back door.

"Let me check the rear." Gail said.

Savannah took her M4 and followed her.

Seconds ago:

Cameron approached the back door of the building Savannah and Gail were in.

She saw one man enter. He led two others. She opened fire on them. She dropped the last two where they stood as they readied themselves to enter.

Cameron heard the Thumper fire. She figured it must have been an acid or buckshot round since there was no explosion. The man that entered fell back out the rear door. His head was shredded. It was a buckshot round.

"Savannah, Gail." Cameron said. "I'm approaching the back door."

Cameron looked at the dead men outside. She made sure they were all dead and then entered the rear door. Gail and Savannah were there with raise weapons. They were glad to see each other.

Savannah was relieved to see Cameron return. Now they were all here and accounted for.

Cam said she was on her way back. She would make once sweep on foot around the entire area before she returned.

Savannah took stock of the devastation. There were a lot of dead Grays but only one Terminator. That seemed light to her for Terminators. She wasn't sold that was all there was.

"I've only spotted one Terminator." Savannah said. "Has anyone else encountered any?"

No one else saw any. They all knew that didn't mean there weren't any.

Cameron thought about what Savannah indicated.

"Savannah's right." Cameron said. "There should be more. Everyone stay on alert. Cam, watch yourself."

Bob's team set up security while the Metal Girls went through the dead for intel.

Cam entered the building thirty seconds later.

"I didn't see anything else." Cam said.

The Metal girls needed to search the fallen Grays for any intel.

Savannah started to go through the dead for information.

Cameron didn't like Savannah to have to do the 'dirty work'.

"You don't need to do this, Savannah." Cameron said.

Savannah wanted to be useful. The Grays needed to be checked by someone. She figured it might as well be her too.

"We'll share the burden, equally." Savannah said.

Savannah resumed the bloody search of the dead.

The Terminators that were there all watched Savannah in battle. They noted she seemed to be always one step ahead of the Grays. She possessed very good combat instincts. They all knew it was Savannah who engaged the Terminator, disabled him and terminated him. That was her second Terminator for the day along with an HK Track. Those accomplishments weren't lost on any of them.

The battle ended two minutes ago. The box truck arrived and was directed where to go. It backed in up against the rear of the big truck. The big rig was now a shot up wreck leaking fuel and fluids. It was hit dozens of times and from shrapnel from the HE rounds of the M79.

Several Terminators entered the back of the big rig and began to push the crates into the back of the box truck. They wanted to get this version of Skynet transferred and out of there. The box truck sat slightly lower than the big rig. They were able to get the crates moved in no time.

Cam looked up.

"I hear drones." Cam said.

John Henry was able to give them a positive report in this case.

"They're our drones." John Henry said over their coms. "They detected no movement other than our team. All of our members are accounted for."

In the Command Center they followed the battle as it unfolded. Everything happened on the ground. The drones arrived after the battle was over. If they'd arrived ten minutes earlier, they would have dominated the battlefield. The building never would have come under attack. They would have engaged all the targets before they reached it.

John noted the effort that the Grays went to get back what was taken from them.

"It looks like we've gotten a hold of something that someone wants back really bad." John said. "Maybe this is really Skynet, 'a Skynet', in the making."

Vanna was pleased with the outcome. She was sure that some of their Terminators were damaged. Things didn't always get reported without some prompting. She wondered how Cam fared but didn't ask.

"That was a heck of a battle." Vanna said. "Nobody is reporting any damage but I know there has to be some. Come on, Jesse, let's get set up."

Jesse was keyed up herself just from watching the battle. It was intense. She wanted to know how Gail was but didn't ask specifically.

"Sure, love." Jesse said. "I hope the worst is over."

Vanna and Jesse left.

Kyle and Sarah were both still in the Command Center.

"That did sound like a few close ones." Kyle said.

Sarah didn't like that Savannah was in the middle of a major battle, again.

"Cameron having to face danger like this is one thing and bad enough but you run Savannah through this too, John?" Sarah asked.

John felt he didn't have any control of Cameron. The operation began much differently. He didn't see it as his fault.

"What can I say?" John asked. "This all started out as recon earlier today."

John Henry didn't want John to get blamed by Sarah for Cameron's actions. He knew how she operated.

"Things happen when Cameron is involved." John Henry said.

Sarah waited until Vanna left. She made sure the others muted their coms. She wasn't happy about what she'd just witnessed. She wanted to make her position very clear to John.

"I hope you all realize it's only a matter of time until Savannah is shot or killed." Sarah said. "No one can be lucky forever."

John Henry saw it differently.

"Savannah is the 'Chosen One'." John Henry said.

That statement made Sarah think of all the injuries she'd suffered over the years. It was more than a few. She pointed out the raw reality of it all.

"Tell that to a bullet." Sarah said.

She then headed off to check on Jan and Riley before going to the lab to assist Vanna and Jesse.

John saw Kyle look at him. He figure the dressing down wasn't over yet. He was ready for some more.

"Say it…." John said. "You're going to anyway."

Kyle didn't have much to say. Sarah already covered all of the bases.

"Sarah is right, you know." Kyle said. "You both know it."

John didn't have a defense. There was no defense to fact.

"I do know it." John said. "We ALL know it."

John Henry felt they'd covered Cameron's move pretty well. There was little time for any preparation.

"It wasn't planned this way." John Henry said.

John shook his head. It was just the way Cameron operated.

"It wasn't planned at all." John said. "It seldom is."

John did think the planned take down of the first building went off without a hitch. He didn't need any credit for that. Then again, Cameron laid out most of the groundwork for that.

The tension was high in the Young bunker as the battle unfolded.

Young Allison watched and listened to the whole battle. There was nothing they could do. There was nothing she could do but watch and listen. It was over. Wait. It was over for now. It may be far from over.

"There were some close calls…." Young Allison said.

Anna thought some of the encounters were touch and go.

"Yes." Anna said. "Our teams were very fortunate today."

It angered Young Allison that Savannah needed to face all of the danger. She wanted to do her part.

"I need more involvement." Young Allison said. "I NEED to help out more."

Claire listened from the background. She wanted to tell Her Allison she should be hanging out with friends and doing girl things, not want more training and to be in a fight for her life.

She knew what she was going to do to keep Allison from rejoining this 'madness'. It was a done deal in her mind already. She would talk with Savannah and see if she was going to do the same for Vanna, this Vanna. She knew it would keep Savannah safe for a year, even if it was only five minutes of time here in the present.

Claire looked at Anna, who looked back at her, neither of them said anything. There was nothing to say. Everything that was going to happen already was determined by Skynet in the future and Cameron in the present. There didn't seem to be a way to change anything. It all just kept happening.

They all needed to do what the future determined they needed to do.

To Cameron the 'Natural Order' was written in stone but everything else was fluid.

Cameron and Cammy both personally checked Savannah for any wounds.

Savannah was a little irritated by it. She told them she was fine but they both pawed over her. She suggested they cop a feel while they were at it. Cammy did to lighten the mood.

"I just have a few scrapes and bruises." Savannah said. "I can see everyone else here has bullet wounds."

Savannah started to check them over, she approached Gail. She could see a couple of bullet wounds.

"I see you're damaged some." Savannah said.

Gail seemed a little self-conscious. She'd received more damage and faced more threats in the last few weeks than she'd faced in years. She didn't like Jesse to see her damaged.

"Yes. I've taken a few hits." Gail said. "I know Jesse's going to be upset at me."

Savannah felt the Terminators all suffered damage because of her. They all rallied around her to protect her. They may have fought the battle a different way. They would have taken the fight to the enemy. She believed they would have suffered more damage that way. She thought they all showed a little moderation when she was around.

"I'm not upset at any of you." Savannah said. "We just did our jobs. I want to personally thank you for coming out to watch over me today and every day. You didn't have to be here. Thank You. You helped protect me. I couldn't have done what you did by myself."

Gail knew she normally wouldn't have been there at all. She'd gone out on her own to watch over Savannah. Since she'd started to do that, Savannah was already in several major battles and close to death in all of them. She was deeply in love with Savannah.

"I just needed to come." Gail said. "I know you understand."

Savannah intended to tend to Gail personally when they returned to the base.

"I do." Savannah said. "I'll personally help you with your repairs when we get back."

Gail smiled at Savannah. She wondered if this was the only way she could ever get Savannah to 'touch' her. She decided she would start going out on more operations…. She could act bolder and more like Cameron too.

She was bothered by Savannah being out on all these operations. It was clear Cameron endangered Savannah, not protect her. She felt compelled to protect Savannah.

Sheila and Ally collected everything from the Grays. They made sure everything was shut down this time. They didn't need any more surprise visits. They were lucky the Grays went to the wrong building. The homeless female was the one that caused that to happen. They'd set her free. Sheila carried the Gray out the back. Ally opened the rear up. Their SUV was parked in the back.

Sheila wondered if the female would return.

"Are you sure that sheila is gone?" Sheila asked.

Ally watched her run off with a wad of cash in her hand.

"Yes. I saw her go." Ally said. "She didn't look back. I think she knew how close to a violent abuse she was and then death. It wouldn't have been a swift one at the hands of that one Gray."

Sheila wanted to 'work' on the Gray.

"I'm disappointed I couldn't have a discussion with him." Sheila said.

Ally went to open the door on their SUV.

Sheila thought of something.

"Wait." Sheila said.

Sheila dropped the Gray to the ground. His head hit the pavement first.

Ally wondered what that was all about.

"Wait for what?" Ally asked.

Sheila looked at their SUV.

"We better make sure that no one tagged our SUV or put a bomb in it." Sheila said.

Ally thought that sounded reasonable.

"I hope we got all of them." Ally said.

They carefully searched the SUV. They each did it separate from the other. That way if one of them missed something, the other might find it.

They were aware of the big battle that occurred.

"Maybe we should just terminate this loser and head over that way." Ally said.

Sheila didn't think so.

"We're a day late and a dollar short." Sheila said. "The main battle is over."

Ally didn't like what Sheila said about her earlier.

"The homeless female said I was pretty." Ally said.

Sheila looked at Ally.

"I think she meant pretty stuck up." Sheila said.

Ally wasn't deterred.

"We both know that wasn't the case." Ally said.

Sheila moved away from the SUV.

"Whatever." Sheila said. "I didn't find anything."

Ally finished her sweep.

"I didn't either."

Ally opened the SUV up.

Sheila put the Gray in the back seat. She sat next to him.

Ally got in the driver's seat and started the SUV.

"Let's go find a new location and get some answers." Ally said.

Sheila was all for that.

"These Grays all came from somewhere." Sheila said. "I intend to find out where."

Right Choice

We face the paper
With what we want to say
We can let our emotions
Guide us each day

The paper is white
Ready for our ink
Now it's our turn
To say what we think

Reach down deep inside
Who knows what you will find
Some may find meaning
And treat you kind

Others are quick to judge
Hard feelings create a grudge
Our belief remains strong
Our position won't budge

You have a right
To share your voice
Give it a try
It's the right choice

Nobody