Chapter 760
Go Now
John watched the camera feed from the drone. It was right in next to Savannah. He saw Savannah with Cameron over her shoulder and then everyone was out of the view of the camera. The drone appeared to bounce along the ground as it struggled to lift off, it could not. Savannah appeared back in the camera view.
"Go NOW." Savannah said. "That's an ORDER."
He heard those words.
John watched the footage from the drone as it departed. Savannah now stood there on the ground alone as it left.
He wasn't sure what just happened. It looked like Savannah was left behind.
"What's happening there?" John asked.
John Henry didn't like what he'd just witnessed. It appeared that Savannah traded her life for Cameron's life.
"The electrical build up has affected the drone." John Henry said. "Savannah got off so it could limp away with Cameron. It looks like a struggle anyway. This needed to happen before the next EMP blast or the drone will be stranded as well."
John was appalled at what he'd just viewed. Savannah was alone and stranded.
"I can't believe it." John said. "Now she's never going to get away from there in time."
John Henry wanted to spell it out to John.
"She made the hard call, John." John Henry said. "Savannah is trading her life for Cameron's life."
They watched as Savannah lifted her hand to wave 'bye' before the drone went around the back of another hill. She disappeared from view.
Savannah was gone.
Anna and Young Allison watched the finial moments at the bunker near Serrano Point. It was a little hard to watch and understand what happened.
"Go NOW." Savannah said. "That's an ORDER."
Young Allison heard it too. She watched the same thing John did. She was as stunned as he was.
Savannah ORDERED the drone to leave with only Cameron on it.
Savannah stayed behind as the drone with Cameron on it limped away.
"NO!" Young Allison said. "This can't be happening. She's not going to make it. She can't get away in time."
Anna explained to Young Allison why as John Henry did with John. The drone could only leave with one of them. Savannah made the hard choice.
They both watched her wave 'bye' as the drone sought cover behind a hill.
"Savannah!" Young Allison said.
Savannah was gone.
Anna could see the distress this caused Young Allison.
"It's not over yet." Anna said. "Savannah is very resourceful."
Young Allison wondered about a time transfer.
"Will the energy build up there hamper an energy bubble?" Young Allison asked.
Anna thought it would. Since the energy anomalies were unknown, it was impossible to predict what would happen.
"I believe so." Anna said. "It could dissipate when it left and cease to exist. It would most likely end up with a temporal error or end up in another timeline."
Young Allison could see the time now was too late for one of those.
She knew CamNet took control of the drones and brought them down into the danger zone to evacuate Cameron's team. She knew John ordered them away. She'd asked CamNet to help Cameron's team.
Young Allison looked at her monitor. She wanted CamNet to do more. The drones were gone. Savannah was left behind. There was no way she could get away from that area in time on foot.
Young Allison felt as if she watched her future evaporate before her very eyes. This wasn't how it was supposed to end.
CamNet could see the stress that Young Allison experienced. She wanted to reassure Young Allison she was still working on a solution. One was already in the works. It just needed more time.
'I'm not done yet.' CamNet flashed across her screen. 'I will not fail.'
Young Allison was taught that it was never over until it was over. It seemed pretty close to over now.
'You have several options.' Young Allison typed. 'Use ALL of them if you need to. Do what you need to do to help them. Do ANYTHING you need to do to help Savannah.'
CamNet didn't want to lose Savannah any more that Young Allison did.
'I will.' CamNet responded. 'I swear it.'
Young Allison knew CamNet was her final hope.
'I KNEW I could count on you.' Young Allison typed.
CamNet wanted to deliver for Young Allison and Savannah.
'Always….' CamNet responded.
Young Allison was worried to death. This didn't look good and most of the options all seemed to be gone.
She hoped her love could prove to be as strong as Savannah's love was. She would gladly trade her life for Savannah's life.
She wondered if the image of Savannah all alone, would forever haunt her. It seemed to do that already.
John lost sight of Savannah once the last drone moved behind the hill. He hoped she wasn't going to die there all alone. She'd saved the three Terminators and gave up any chance of escape for herself so Cameron could be saved.
John Henry watched Savannah's selfless act. He wondered how many people would have done that. John's team encountered a new threat.
"There's nothing else we can do for Savannah right now." John Henry said. "John, one of the approaching vehicles is slowing."
John needed to refocus on the immediate threat. They might be mixing it up with Grays in a few minutes. There could be a Terminator with them. Maybe there would be more than one hostile Terminator. This in itself could turn into a major battle.
Al made his way to the turnoff and found Steve.
"I've joined with Steve." Al said. "We're ready."
John didn't want anyone to jump the gun and tip their hand too early. With the drones and the troops on the ground, everything was covered.
"Don't do anything yet." John said. "If they turn in here you'll be behind them and the girls are in front of them. They'll be trapped between our forces."
John Henry could do a missile strike at any time or drop down and switch to the gun.
"I still have both vehicles targeted." John Henry said. "They can be terminated at any time."
John still hoped to find the other two trucks. He wanted the Skynet forces to lead them to the other trucks. That seemed like their best hope at this point.
"Not yet. I want to know where they came from and where they go when this is over. It will lead us to more Skynet related activity." John said. "Have they communicated with anyone?"
John Henry was careful not to alert the two vehicles to anything out of the ordinary.
"No, I haven't blocked communications so they could follow the drone decoy." John Henry said.
John wanted that information to track them.
"If they do, come up with a location." John said. "They came from somewhere. What is the status on the other trucks?"
John Henry received negative reports from the other teams out in the field as to any new info on the other two trucks.
"There's still nothing on the other trucks." John Henry said. "There's also been another energy discharge picked up from the bunker."
John was worried about Savannah's health and well being.
"We need to get Savannah out of there." John said. "Will these electrical discharges affect her or kill her?"
John Henry felt the electrical discharges were only a part of it. He was worried about the bigger implications.
"It's possible." John Henry said. "We have to worry about the bunker and what is under it exploding. That's the biggest threat to her. The explosion may bring down the mountainside on top of her."
Al and Steve took a step back further into the bushes.
"One of the vehicles is turning in to where the truck is. It's headed towards you." Al said. "The other has continued on."
John didn't want to lose the one vehicle that continued on.
"Keep tracking that one with the drone, John Henry. Girls, get ready." John said and quickly added. "I mean get ready for combat."
John knew what their reply would be to 'get ready'. He wanted to get some additional help to Savannah.
"What is the closest drone to Savannah?" John asked.
John Henry thought the answer was self evident.
"It would be the three that are already there." John Henry said.
John was worried about how much time was left until things went catastrophic.
"I mean other than those." John said. "How much time do we have until the bunker explodes?"
John Henry didn't think there was much time left.
"It has to be down to minutes at the most." John Henry said. "Maybe it is only seconds away."
Gail tracked the target vehicle.
"The vehicle is almost to the barn." Gail said. "We're ready."
John wanted to wait until the men split up. They wouldn't be able to assist each other.
"Wait." John said. "One of them will have to get out to check the inside of the barn. We'll take them then once they're separated."
John readied his weapons. It looked like it was about to be 'Showtime'.
This wasn't a good moment for him. Cameron was disrupted from proper operation by repeated electrical discharges. Savannah was trapped all alone at a bunker that was about to explode with nowhere to go and there was a hostile force moving in on his location.
Could anything else get worse?
Maybe he shouldn't have asked that.
Savannah watched the drone with Cameron make it to the safety of the backside of the next hill. That should shield Cameron and the drone from any more electrical discharges. It should also protect Cameron from this section of the mountain she was on, when it exploded. She figured that was probably minutes away, if not seconds.
She made her way back into the ditch before the next electrical discharge. She was in the ditch when the latest electrical discharge happened. It was even bigger than the last one.
She hoped Cameron and the others were safe. The drones all stayed close to the ground when they departed. Whoever controlled them, knew they could get knocked down with another electrical discharge. Low to the ground they would sustain less damage to themselves and their 'cargo'.
Savannah thought her best bet would be to head down the road. They might be able to recover her body if she didn't make it. She was unsure if she would. It didn't matter. She'd gotten the others to safety. She knew there was no future without Cameron. She'd protected the future. Protecting the future protected John. She knew she was doing what she was supposed to do. Now it was her turn to sacrifice for John Connor. Isn't that what everyone needed to do?
There was another electrical discharge. It was even stronger than the last one. It was at a shorter interval than the last one too. They were coming quicker and stronger now. She knew she needed to start moving as soon as the electrical charge dissipated.
She was on her feet and about to run toward the road when she heard it.
There was the screaming sound of a drone rapidly coming down from the sky. Savannah thought it must have been affected by the last electrical discharge and was about to crash. It was above her. It rapidly closed on her position. The power plants were screaming. Savannah looked around for a place to escape, there was no where to go.
She could see it now even in the darkness. The power plants were operating at their maximum output level. It was still coming down right on top of her. She was sure it was going to crush her. Maybe this way it would be quicker when she died.
She'd been worried her body might take on too much energy and catch on fire. She didn't want to go out screaming like that. Being crushed like an ant would be simpler and quicker.
John and his troops waited in concealment.
The vehicle approached the barn and drove around it in a circle. It stopped for a few seconds and they began to move again. It went around the barn much slower this time. It was clear they checked on something. The question was what?' Maybe there was a tracker that they'd missed.
It came back around to the front where the big doors were and stopped. The passenger door opened and a figure started to get out. They could hear a phone ring. From the dome light in the car, they could see one of them get a phone call. They spoke for a few seconds.
John hoped they would leave without a thorough inspection.
"Don't do anything until he comes to the barn." John whispered over their coms.
The Gray got out and proceeded on foot to one of the other buildings, not the barn. Sheila was by the old house. That was where the Gray was at currently. She wanted to wait until he passed and grab him from behind. He didn't hold a pistol but there was one in his belt. She really wanted to get her hands on a 'live one' tonight and start an enhanced interrogation.
He tried the door on the house but it was locked. He didn't force it.
"Damn…." The Gray said.
He went next to the front porch and faced the wall.
Sheila could hear his zipper open. He stood there like that for about thirty seconds. She kept an eye out on the car and to see if the driver got out. So far they hadn't.
He walked past an outbuilding and headed for the barn.
Ally was next to the outbuilding. She could see the Gray but he couldn't see her in the darkness. She moved around the back of the outbuilding as he passed. She wanted to come out behind him and snap his neck. She was actually surprised Sheila hadn't put the grab on him earlier.
Gail watched him move towards the barn. She was scoped in on the driver. She held her M4 ready to fire if there was any warning or alarm raised. He would die instantly.
The driver looked impatient.
He honked the horn.
"What are you doing?" The driver asked.
The Gray looked at the barn and the car.
"I was going to check the barn." The Gray said.
The driver looked angry.
"You know that's not necessary." The driver said. "Get back here now or I'll leave without you."
The Gray was almost to the barn.
Bob was just inside the door that would open first. He watched the Gray approach towards his position. He would grab him when he opened the door.
The horn blared again. This time it was longer.
The Gray stopped. He looked at the barn door and back at the vehicle.
"Screw it." The Gray said. "It's probably full of bats anyway."
He hurried back to the car.
There was some arguing.
The Gray got back in and the car and it sped off in a shower of dust and headed back to the road to catch up to the other vehicle.
John still held his M4 ready. He wasn't sure if the vehicle would return.
"What happened there?" John asked.
Steve and Al watched the vehicle approach and fishtail as it went from the dirt road to the asphalt.
"The vehicle is in pursuit of the one that already passed." Steve said.
John Henry was pleased the plan worked, at least for now. Once the two vehicles caught up with the drone posing as the truck there were going to see there was no truck.
"They got a call that the truck was sending out data down the road." John Henry said. "It looked like the ruse worked."
John hoped they caught a break on any locations.
"Did you get a location on where the call originated?" John asked.
John Henry didn't think anyone was going to like it.
"I did." John Henry said. "It was from a shop in Avila Beach. It was the same one where Ally wanted to terminate the clerk."
John was a little confused. He thought the location was some kind of a set up that they guy didn't know about.
"I thought that guy was just a 'Bozo'." John said.
John Henry knew they weren't the only ones who set him up.
"He is." John Henry said. "Ally reported there was new computer gear in there. Someone fixed him up to be a 'Patsy' before we did evidently."
John hoped they could find the original source or location. Maybe they would need to go through a progression of them.
"Was there anything else before the call came from his equipment?" John asked. "Do we know where it originated from?"
John Henry tracked a multitude of things and events. Each one needed to play out.
"I'm searching." John Henry said. "The vehicle that was at your location is closing on the one that stayed on the main road."
The drone that went with the first vehicle slowed to the other one would end up in front of it as well. It soon had both vehicles targeted again.
"Both vehicles are locked up again." John Henry said.
John wanted the captured drones away before Skynet sent more troops or HK drones to obliterate everything.
"Can we get these drones out of here now?" John asked.
John Henry was ready to take control. He didn't want any of their vehicles damaged if there was any trouble on take off.
"Yes I'm initiating the procedure now." John Henry said. "Open the barn doors and move the vehicles away from behind the truck."
Sheila and Ally joined John as Bob and Gail moved the van and SUV out of the barn.
John looked at both of them in the darkness. Their beauty was stunning, even in the moonlight. They were all business right now. He was sure that would change soon enough once the drones were away.
It made him wonder what Savannah's fate was. She was all alone.
The drones that left with Cameron, Cammy and Tom on top of them all departed to a safer area. They were shielded from direct blasts of energy and hopefully the side of the mountain exploding when whatever was inside of it exploded.
Cameron opened her eyes and looked around. She sat up. Cammy and Tom did the same thing.
Right away she knew something was wrong when she looked around.
"Where's Savannah?" Cameron asked as she stood up.
The three Terminators were all aware they were on drones and away from the danger zone.
Cammy frantically looked around. There could only be one explanation.
"We have to go back for Savannah." Cammy said. "She must have put us on these drones."
Tom didn't feel comfortable about what must have occurred.
"Savannah has sacrificed for us again." Tom said. "Savannah is truly the 'Chosen One'."
Cameron was off her drone. She went back to it and tried to make it work.
"Why won't these drones respond?" Cameron asked. "I can't make mine do anything."
Neither could Cammy or Tom. All three of them tried.
Cammy determined her drone was operational. They just couldn't control it. Someone locked them out. It didn't take long to figure it out. It certainly wasn't John Henry.
"CamNet has control of them and is holding us here away from the danger so we won't return to try to get Savannah." Cammy said.
Cameron put it together a little further. The drones responded to a command given by Savannah to keep them safe.
"I can't override the order." Cameron said. "It was given by Savannah to get us to safety and keep us here until the danger was over."
Tom was further troubled by the implications.
"Savannah's trading her life for all of ours." Tom said. "She's still trying to protect us even as she sacrifices."
That answer wasn't good enough for Cameron.
"I sure hope not." Cameron said.
Cameron looked at Cammy. They both felt it. They knew what it meant. It was the 'end' for someone.
"I detect P-Waves." Cammy said.
Cameron knew what that meant.
"There's an earthquake coming." Cameron said.
Then they all felt it.
The ground around them rumbled and shook for a short duration of time.
Cameron checked her time from where they last were to now. There was no time for Savannah to have escaped in the time they were out.
Cameron and Cammy were both off their drones. They rushed into each others arms and cried. They both knew there hadn't been enough time for Savannah to get clear. They feared her death must have been horrible.
Tom watched them as tears streamed down his face. He vowed to make Skynet pay for this grievous event.
Savannah was – gone.
Please Just Go
When all that was crumbles
Leaving only hurtful rubble
Nothing good will come
It will only lead to more trouble
Whatever once was
Will fade from something
Leaving even more pain
As it becomes less than nothing
Today means nothing
It will mean even less tomorrow
Happiness replaced by sadness
Joy eradicated by sorrow
The sun has set
Only darkness will remain
The stab to a heart
Endless emotional pain
There seems to be no point
To even say hello
You best leave now
Please just go
Nobody