Chapter 820

That Was Quick

Cameron was about to go in hot. There was a team of Terminators in the front and a team of Terminators in the back. They didn't know what they were about to face. It was the unknown, as usual. She needed to find out why the Resistance fighter was sent back. Something bad must have happened or about to happen. This didn't look like an ambush but it still could be. She needed to act and act now.

She led her four team members forward. She was concerned about Savannah. Savannah was right with them as they ran. It seemed once again she was about to drag Savannah into harm's way. They were in the alley now as they closed in on the target building.

Cameron, Ally and Sheila approached the back of the building at a fast run. Savannah was right behind them. She wanted to make sure that the team in the front was ready to act the same time that they did.

"Cammy, we'll breach in ten seconds." Cameron said as she led the Metal girls forward.

Cameron glanced back and Savannah was still right behind them, she would remain outside to cover their six. They didn't want any surprises to show up and have them trapped between forces on the inside and forces on the outside.

Cammy and her team were ready to go in the front. She knew that Savannah was in the back so she would try to lead her team in a second or two before Cameron's team. That should draw any fire and all the attention to the front and keep it away from the back where Savannah was. She didn't mind to take some heat to protect her human lover. She figured maybe she'd better clue Cameron in.

"We'll do the same." Cammy said. "Maybe we'll enter a second or two earlier earlier."

Cameron was pleased to hear that. She wanted to get into the building soon as possible.

"Don't wait for us." Cameron said. "Enter at once. Every second can count."

Savannah kept up the pace to match the Metal girls. They were almost there. This was a rescue operation now and they were going in fast and hot. She would protect the rear and make sure no one got out or arrived in back of them.

Right before Cameron hit the back door there was a 'crash' sound from the front. That meant Cammy just entered.

The noise hadn't even stopped when Cameron crashed through the back door.

Within one second there were five female Terminators in the building. Anna covered the front from the roof and Savannah covered the back. Holly was back up with two tons of ramming power in a vehicle.

Savannah heard a series of suppressed rounds, cough out death. She kept watch for a breakout from the building or any new arrivals. There was drone support above her and she figured it was focused in her area. She was sure CamNet watched over her.

Moments ago:

The rear door burst open as Cameron hit it at a run. There was no one in the back room. Ally would take any rooms or targets to Cameron's right and Sheila would take the ones to the left. There were no targets - yet. That was bound to change.

Cameron continued into the next room. There was a door off to her right and Ally entered it. Cameron and Sheila moved ahead.

Ally entered her room. Her M4 was up as she searched for a target. The room she was in appeared to be some type of sleeping quarters. She gave it a quick scan. no one was spotted initially. She would do a more detailed search to make sure no one appeared behind them. She would return to the hallway and follow Cameron and Sheila once her room was clear.

There were several suppressed shots fired ahead of them somewhere in the building. It was one or more of Cammy's team firing.

There was a hallway that was outside the door. Cameron took the right side and Sheila took the left side. A few seconds later there was a single suppressed round fired behind her. It was from Sheila.

Sheila entered her room moments ago. She immediately spotted one target. She didn't know if it was a Gray or a Terminator. She would know soon enough. She fired one suppressed round from her M4. The bullet struck the target in the head. Based on the damage done to the individual's head she knew that it wasn't a Terminator. The room she was in was some type of computer room. She did a quick scan around it to see what types of computers were in there. None of them were big enough to be anything close to a Skynet mainframe. She could see that all the monitors were off. John Henry had cut the power as they'd entered the building. If any of the rooms were in total darkness it wouldn't matter to them. They would still be able to see. She would do a quick search of the room and then join Cameron back in the hall. Ally should be behind her again at that point.

Cameron continued on after she left Ally and Sheila behind. The hallway she was in intersected into another hallway. The left side appeared to go towards the front of the building after it made another turn. She could hear Cammy's team in the front. The right side was unknown where it led. There was a scuffle sound so she headed in that direction.

"The front area is clear." Cammy said. "I've linked up with Sheila. We have three hostiles down, one captive still alive. Sheila has one hostile down."

Ally called out what she found in her room.

"I found sleeping quarters for six." Ally said. "There are three bunk beds and all of them are empty. There is nothing else in the room of any value."

Cameron was still after an active target. She could hear them even though she hadn't spotted them yet.

"I have movement in front of me." Cameron said. "I heard a door."

Ally decided to back up Cameron. She was the closest one.

"I'll follow Cameron." Ally said.

Cameron wanted to make sure that they didn't miss anything and that no one else was hiding. She wanted to know the status of the detainee.

"Double check everything and start a search." Cameron said. "Cammy, check the prisoner and see what you can find out."

Cameron opened the door. She saw someone climb up a ladder and disappear as she tried to line up a shot. It appeared they were going to try to make it out through the roof. She wanted to make sure Anna was warned as well as Savannah.

"Anna, someone is headed for the roof." Cameron said. "Savannah, look up to the roof. Stay alert and watch out."

Savannah moved behind two dumpsters and covered the roof. She was actually between them. There was a two foot gap in the way that they were spaced. That would put metal between her end the building and metal between her in the alley if she needed to fall back. She was glad for the 'heads up'. She didn't want to become a target herself. So far she hadn't spotted anything behind the building, in the alley or on the roof. She knew Anna was up there but she hadn't seen her yet.

Anna heard Cameron's warning and moved toward the roof access. She was actually already headed that way because she could hear some kind 'thump' noise come from the area by the roof access enclosure. A man exited the opening and looked back to see if anyone followed him. He never thought to look to see if someone was already there. He held a pistol in his hand and was going to take a shot at anyone who tried to follow him up. He actually pointed it down the direction he just come up from.

She was able to move around the roof access housing and make a grab for the man. He must have heard something as he turned around with the pistol raised as he searched for a target. He found one with Anna. There was a moment's hesitation as he spotted what looked like a 'girl'. It wasn't an adult female and he was sure she wasn't Metal.

Anna stepped forward and grabbed his gun hand as she twisted it around at him. There was a single loud pistol shot. The gun discharge and the projectile struck him in the head at very close range. The impact blew off about a fifth of the side of his skull. She'd made him actually shoot himself. She may have turned the gun but he was the one who pulled the trigger. Then again, it all happened pretty fast.

She picked the Gray up and moved toward the rear of the building. She was going to toss him over the side. She knew that they would need to dispose of the bodies one way or another. She wasn't sure if Cameron would burn the building or not. The cleanup crew of Terminators from the other location might come by there as well. She didn't know yet what was going to happen.

"There will be one deceased hostile coming over the side." Anna said.

As Savannah watched, a body came over the edge of the roof and landed in front of the door. She expected to see Anna follow it. She thought Anna might jump down but she stayed on the roof. She went back to watch the front for any threats.

Savannah moved up and checked the man. It was clear that he was dead. There was blood that pooled by his head, part of it was missing.

"The building is clear." Cameron reported.

Savannah slung her M4 and drug the man inside by his ankle. A red streak on the pavement followed him in.

Hanna came over to help Savannah. She picked up the dead man like a rag doll and took him away.

Cameron wanted to make sure that the Command Center kept them posted as to anything that they detected or that the drones spotted. They didn't know how this building was tied into this group. The number of personnel inside the building didn't seem to be very many either. They needed to take into account the five men that were dead from the shopping center. There was still the question of whether there was a Terminator involved with this group or not. Most likely there should be.

"John, keep us posted on anything that's happening around us." Cameron said. "We're going through everything to try to gather some intel."

John was most concerned about the prisoner. If there was some message from Future John he needed to know what it was. It was still speculation as to which future that the Resistance fighter was actually from.

"Let me know about the prisoner as soon as you get anything." John said.

Cammy was with the prisoner currently. He'd been severely beaten.

"They're alive but out." Cammy said. "I'm working on him now. I'm not sure if they'll make it or not. The prognosis doesn't look good."

It was clear to Cammy that the Resistance fighter was in bad shape. He was going to die soon. He was unconscious. That was probably what saved him from already being dead. It did little good to beat someone once they were passed out. It defeated the whole purpose of why they were being beat in the first place.

She would try and do what she could for him. If this turned out to be someone from the anti-Metal faction, all her efforts were being wasted trying to keep him alive. She knew that Cameron would kill him for sure. She wasn't sure if she would allow Sheila to finish him off in a gruesome fashion or simply snap his neck herself.

If he really was a Resistance fighter and he was sent back with a message, she needed to know what that message was before he died.

John was a little surprised at how quickly the girls were able to pull that off and with no apparent damage. It seemed to him that Cameron should learn a lesson about having some additional assistance when she went out on an operation. She should be able to see how things worked much smoother with a team. He conferred with John Henry.

"That was quick." John said.

John Henry was aware that they had the element of surprise. All of the targets were soft targets. They were all human. If the enemy would have known they were about to arrive or there was a Terminator with them, things would have been a little different. There wasn't, so there was no need to dwell on that.

"They're very efficient." John Henry said. "That's what they were constructed for."

John didn't know the condition of the detainee. All he knew is that they were unconscious.

"I hope the Resistance fighter doesn't die." John said. "At least until we get something out of him."

Based on Cammy's preliminary report he doubted they would survive. The condition of the Resistance fighter reminded him a lot of the last time a Resistance fighter crashed through the door of the last house they stayed in. That was after he'd left a message in blood on the wall.

"It didn't sound like he was in good shape." John Henry said.

John Henry looked at his monitors and the other data in his server. The two drones were both focused on the building. One covered the front the other one covered the rear. This didn't allow John Henry to receive as wide a field of vision as he would like. As soon as he started to widen the shot, he spotted what looked like trouble on the way. He immediately set it up for a missile shot as he sent out a warning.

"We have a vehicle approaching the target area." John Henry said. "It will enter the alley in thirty seconds. Both drones have it locked up."

John was worried about collateral damage if a missile was used. He knew that the drones were at a high altitude.

"I don't want to use a missile if we don't have to." John said. "It would take awhile longer from that altitude as well."

John Henry was a little worried because Savannah was in the back and would need to engage the new arrivals first.

"It's available if we need it." John Henry said. "There isn't a long window of opportunity to take the shot before they'll be too close to the target location."

Savannah heard the call and moved to the rear door. She quickly closed it. The door frame was splintered but the door looked shut. At least at first glance it did.

Anna moved from her position located in the front of the building back to by where the roof access enclosure was. She was able to spot the vehicle as it approached. She didn't like what she saw in the vehicle.

"I'm still on the roof." Anna said. "I see the vehicle, it's a black SUV. There are two occupants. One of them may be a Terminator."

Savannah drew her Taser and readied it. She made sure that it was hot and ready to fire.

Cameron arrived next to Savannah. She looked at the trail of blood on the ground. There was a pool where the man landed. There was a chunk of his brain still there. It must have popped out when he landed. Things like that often happened when the cranial cavity was ruptured. It was really the only armored part on the human body and it didn't seem to offer that much protection.

"The blood will be a problem." Cameron said as she indicated the blood and tissue. "If one of them is a Terminator, they will see something is wrong right away."

Anna could tell for sure that the vehicle was headed towards them.

"They just made the turn into the alley." Anna said.

Savannah got a crazy idea. She decided to head back out to the dumpster. There was a good concealed firing position there. It was the position that she'd used initially when she arrived. She wanted Cameron to back her up.

"Cameron, follow me." Savannah said.

Savannah headed out the door into the back.

Cameron was caught off guard a little but quickly followed. She was unsure what Savannah planned to do but backed her play. She trusted Savannah's judgment. The time was running out fast.

Ally moved up and took up a position by the rear door. She saw Cameron and Savannah head outside. She closed the door and waited.

Cammy was aware of the other events that occurred around her. She directed Sheila to back up Ally and for Hanna to watch the front as she worked on the Resistance fighter.

Holly was still along the far side of the building with the vehicles. She was ready to drive up to either the front or back side with the captured Gray vehicle. She would use it as a 'battering ram' if they needed it. She could also block the escape of a vehicle trying to exit out of the alley if any of the enemy attempted to make a run for it. They wouldn't get very far.

Savannah led Cameron to the two dumpsters where she'd sought concealment before.

"This is a good firing position with excellent initial concealment." Savannah said. "It won't offer much cover if they're using rifles. Pistol rounds will be stopped by the dumpsters. They would need to penetrate at least two layers of metal if not three since the lids are open and down across the back."

Cameron was still worried that if there was a Terminator with them that they may spot trouble with either the blood trail on the ground or the splintered door frame. If that was spotted before they stopped they may try to drive away. She wanted to prevent that from happening.

"The alley isn't very wide." Cameron said. "Holly, I want you to be ready to wedge the captured Gary vehicle in the far opening and get out of it. They may try and ram it."

Savannah wasn't sure exactly what Cameron wanted to do. She thought it would be better to wait for them to get out of the vehicle before they made their move. That was if they stopped in the first place.

"Do we take them in the SUV or wait until they get out?" Savannah asked. "I might get a Taser shot if they get out."

Cameron felt it would be a waiting game. It was up in the air what they would actually do.

"We'll see." Cameron said. "They may try and rabbit."

The Gray's SUV drew closer to their position.

"It should stop in five seconds." Cameron said.

Savannah held her Taser ready.

Cameron was ready as well.

John watched the drone footage from the Command Center. He could see how quickly things could fall apart or at least change in just a few moments time.

"Just like always, things start happening fast." John said.

John Henry heard all the plans from the Metal girls and Savannah. It appeared to him that all eventualities were already covered.

"The girls will handle it." John Henry said.

John watched the drone footage with great apprehension.

"I hope so." John said. "I'm worried about them."

John Henry knew John was more worried about Cameron and Savannah. It was clear they would make initial contact with the Skynet Metal.

The SUV pulled up and stopped.

The doors opened and the two occupants got out. The doors slammed closed behind them.

"None of these guys is packed up yet. I can't believe how lazy they are." One said. "We need to clear out."

The other figure said nothing.

Cameron peeked between the two dumpsters.

She saw the Terminator hold out his hand and stop the other man. He'd spotted the blood trail and damaged door.

Cameron looked at Savannah and motioned for her to be ready. Cameron held her Taser, as well as her suppressed M4.

The Terminator drew a pistol and the other man did as well.

Cameron knew she was going to take some damage if she acted now. They were stopped and hadn't moved up far enough yet for a clean shot.

Ally saw the pair stop and draw their weapons. She could see they weren't far enough forward for Cameron and Savannah to have a good enough firing angle. She quickly thought of a plan to use herself as bait. She was aware that both Allison and Savannah used themselves as bait earlier in the day at the mall. If they could do it, she could do it.

"I'm going to open the door and let them see me and then run back inside." Ally whispered to Sheila. "If they follow me in, blast them."

She'd noticed they both held firearms in their hands. They were ready to shoot. She wasn't sure how many rounds she might take but she figured it would be a few. She hoped most of them impacted into her vest.

Cameron was ready to move and motioned for Savannah to be ready to fire.

The door to the back of the building opened. Ally stood there for a second and then she ran back inside. The Terminator fired a few shots as he started after her.

Cameron immediately recognized it for the ploy that it was to get the Terminator and the Gray to advance towards the building. It worked perfectly to do just that.

Savannah and Cameron came out from both sides of the dumpsters and fired their Tasers. Both of the figures were struck from behind and went down.

Cameron moved forward and removed the Terminator's chip. Savannah disarmed the Gray. Sheila came out and quickly tied him up and drug him inside.

Ally emerged and saw Sheila take the man inside.

"It looks like Sheila has a new 'play thing'." Ally said.

Savannah was right behind Sheila as she carried in the Gray. She noticed right away that Ally was damaged.

"You're hit, Ally." Savannah said. "Let me see the damage."

Savannah came over and checked Ally as Cameron searched the SUV.

Ally looked at the damage. She could see it wasn't a big deal.

"It's just a scratch." Ally said. "The vest stopped everything else."

Holly drove up with the first captured Gray vehicle and parked it between the other two.

Savannah was worried about the gunfire that was directed at Ally. None of it was suppressed or silenced. There'd only been one unsuppressed round fired before when the man Anna accosted shot himself in the head during the scuffle. One shot could be mistaken for a backfire. Half a dozen fired one after another was more likely to be identified as gunfire.

"That gunfire might bring trouble." Savannah said.

John Henry was on top of everything as usual. He controlled the narrative as to what happened from the combat site. No messages went in or out unless they went through him first.

"I have everything blocked." John Henry said. "No one has called 911 yet. Everything is covered."

From the drone images and the satellite photos he could see that the neighborhood appeared to be rather low class to begin with. More than likely loud noises which may or may not be gunfire to anyone who heard them weren't in an infrequent occurrence. Anyone who heard them was smart enough to ignore them.

You Have To Understand

I know you love me
I know what's there
We weren't someone extra
We weren't someone spare

Our hearts as one
Our burdens to share
Our struggles together
Our souls we did bare

We found each other
In shades of despair
Our hearts intertwined
Together we did dare

We heeded the other's call
We answered the other's prayer
Like no other before
How much we so did care

There's nothing to scare
Our love we can repair
You have to understand
Of me you need not beware

Nobody