Chapter 1232
Inside Out
The team was inside a dilapidated structure. They were all armed. They held two street punks in their custody. Being outsiders and armed in Mexico didn't go over well with the authorities.
Cameron spotted a police car approaching their position. If things escalated, the policeman would need to be terminated. She would need to make it look like the two street punks did it to end any further investigation. It would solve both problems.
John wasn't happy with what the outcome would be. He wasn't about to go back into a Mexican jail. Just the thought of it made him shutter. He'd been in one once by his own foolish and irrational actions.
Young Allison sent out a new plan to use instead. Everyone liked it since the policeman wouldn't need to be terminated unless he turned out to be 'dirty'.
The police cruiser moved slowly down the dirt alley. The policeman was on the lookout for two thieves known to frequent the area and prey on tourists visiting Ensenada. They were just street punks now. If they were left unchecked, they would join up with one of the gangs or cartels soon enough. His mother always told him growing up, 'an idle mind was the devil's workshop'. It seemed to sum up what the two street punks suffered from. They didn't work for a living, they stole from others.
He understood times were always tough for everyone. Some people wanted to take a shortcut. They were willing to use the shortcut to walk over other people who tried to do things the right way. It was something unacceptable to him. There wasn't much he could do about the Cartel but there was something he could do to keep the streets of his city a little safer.
The police chief offered a few extra hours off to the policeman who brought them in with the evidence. They wanted a conviction and to be able to make it stick. The local street punks gave his district a bad name and reputation. It was time the menace was ended. None of them wanted Ensenada to end up like Mazatlan. There were times when the cruise ships would no longer go to Mazatlan because of the crime. It caused a severe dent in the local economy.
There was a report from a German tourist and one visitor from New Zealand earlier in the day of being robbed at knife point in the general vicinity. Money and jewelry were taken. The victims were able to provide photos of what the jewelry looked like. If the tourists were able to identify the street punks out of a line up, it would be even better.
The policeman received a tip from one of his informants about some unusual activity in the area he now cruised in. He'd already checked the streets on either side of the alley before he turned into it.
He approached one of the abandoned shacks in the alley. Much to his surprise, a topless female with dark hair came out of the opening. Before she could complete her escape, a large arm grabbed her and pulled her struggling figure back inside the shed.
He tried to use his radio to call for backup. It didn't work. It seemed to have stopped working only a few minutes ago. He hit the brakes and stopped the car. He got out of his cruiser. He pulled his sidearm and cautiously approached the shed on foot.
He'd noticed some things about the female in the few seconds he saw her. She was beautiful, her skin was of a nice complexion for a local and he was pretty sure she wore a set of nipple rings. He didn't get a good look at her face because of her disheveled hair.
He could hear some struggling sounds. He thought the female was being abused. If it was the street punks, they may have branched out into a new category of crime. He did have to admit what he saw of the female made her very attractive. Maybe the two street punks couldn't resist. It didn't matter. This was his patrol area. The type of behavior, disrespect for females and the law wouldn't be tolerated.
He cautiously approached the shed and stood against the side of it. He brought his sidearm up into a combat stance. He was ready to enter the shed. There was a sensation of movement behind him and his world went black.
Young Allison's plan called for Sheila to appear as if she was being abused so the policeman would approach on foot. Cameron would move around the rear of the shed to come up in back of the policeman and choke him out.
It's what Cameron did. She scooped the policeman up before he could fall to the ground and held him in her arms.
Cameron carried the policeman into the shack.
John saw the policeman was limp right away. He feared the worst.
"You didn't kill him did you?" John asked.
Cameron looked at John and gave him a faint smile.
"Not yet." Cameron said.
Sheila was still topless. She wanted to give John a little refresher course and of things to 'come'. She really wanted Cameron to use her chassis again.
Cameron carefully placed the policeman in the corner of the shed.
Ally handed Cameron the policeman's gun which he'd dropped when he'd blacked out.
Cameron placed his firearm back in his holster and took out his handcuffs. He carried two sets. She tossed them to Dan. Dan secured the two street punks to an exposed stud in the wall. He checked it for strength and security. It didn't budge.
"They're secure." Dan said.
John wanted the area staged properly. He wanted to scram. The more time they were there, the more time there was for things to go wrong. Additional trouble was the last thing they needed at this point.
"Make sure they're out good and the items they stole are back in their pockets." John said. "We need to get out of here."
Cameron received an update on where the van was at.
"Ken and Lou will be here with the van in just under a minute." Cameron said.
Ally wanted to be away before the policeman awoke. She didn't want additional trouble.
"Make sure that cop does not wake back up before then." Ally said. "He might start shooting."
John wondered if she thought they might get shot at.
"Are you afraid he'll shoot us?" John asked.
Ally thought John needed to worry more than she did. A sidearm would only cause her minor cosmetic damage.
"I don't need to worry, you do." Ally said.
Sheila moved close to John.
"Happiness is a warm gun." Sheila whispered in John's ear.
She made mention of the same thing earlier.
John watched as Sheila straightened her nipple rings and put her top back on.
Sheila beamed a broad smile at him as she did it. She then winked at him.
John wondered what he'd gotten himself into at this point.
Frank kept watch of the alley from the shed. He spotted the van making its approach. It was right on time.
"Here they come." Frank said.
Sheila moved close to John again. She made a play of words on Frank's statement.
"It sounds like a good idea. I can hardly wait." Sheila whispered in John's ear.
Sheila took John's arm and led him to the van. Everyone else got in behind them. Cameron made a quick check of everything and got in the van last.
The van drove off and headed for the ship.
"The rest of the team has already successfully boarded the ship." Ken said.
It was one less thing Cameron needed to worry about. It seemed there was always something.
The policeman opened his eyes. He felt a little lightheaded and groggy. He noticed he was inside the shack sitting on the floor and there were two street punks sitting across from him. He quickly sat up as he regained all of his senses. He looked around for his gun. Much to his surprise, he found it in his holster. He got up and pulled his gun. He saw the two punks were handcuffed. They appeared to be unconscious. He quickly looked for the female he'd seen earlier. She was gone. He did a once around the shack and checked his cruiser. Everything seemed in order. The radio was still out. He went back in and un-cuffed the two punks. He secured their hands behind their backs and re-cuffed them so he could move them to his squad car when they awoke.
He could see foreign currency sticking out of their pockets.
He would really like to have been able to check the female out. He wondered where she went.
He wasn't sure what happened there. One thing was for certain. He was going to get those extra paid hours off today….
He made another quick check around the area and no one else was spotted. He was unsure exactly what happened. He wasn't sure if the female was responsible for any of it or not. If she was, he really would like to meet her. They could use a good policewoman at his station.
One of the street punks regained consciousness before the other. He saw the boots and uniform pants first. His eyes travel up the legs of what he now identified as a police officer. His hands were secured behind his back. He looked over at his accomplice. He was handcuffed as well. He started to come around. They weren't sure exactly when the policeman came on the scene. He had quite a tale to tell.
The policemen held up two plastic bags.
The two street punks recognized it as the loot they'd taken from the tourists earlier in the day. They'd been caught 'red handed' thanks to the unknown strangers. They weren't sure it would do any good to tell their story or not. In order to do so, they would need to confess to confronting two more tourists before they encountered the two big men. There was one female who worried them the most.
It seemed their best defense when they faced the local magistrate would be to claim they found the items on the ground and simply picked them up. Maybe the story wouldn't be too believable since both of their knives were in another plastic bag.
The policeman saw both of the handcuffed men were fully conscious.
"Do you two have anything to say?" The policeman asked them.
The two street punks looked at each other.
"I wish to remain silent. " The first street punk said.
The policeman laughed.
"You've been watching too many movies." The policeman said. "You know things work a little differently here."
The two street punks quickly looked at each other. They did know everything was different where they were.
The policeman got them on their feet and took them out to his cruiser. He loaded them in the rear seat and closed the door. He took one more look around the area. He would really like to have seen the female.
"Who was the girl and where did she go?" The policeman asked as he looked over his shoulder.
The second street punk responded without thinking.
"Which one do you mean?" The second street punk asked. "There were three of them."
The first street punk elbowed the second one.
"We're not going to say anything else." The first street punk said.
The policemen took a look back in his rear view mirror towards the shed as he drove away.
"Save it for the judge." The policeman said. "The evidence will speak for you."
The rest of the team headed for the small port and back towards the ship in the van.
John was a little shook up over the whole incident. He wanted to give praise where it was due.
"I want to thank everyone for the help and assistance they provided me with." John said.
Sheila moved just right and her right breast popped out of her shirt.
"We're here whenever you want us." Sheila said.
John couldn't help but look at what was now right next to him.
Ally elbowed Sheila in the side to get her to shut up. She reached around her and tucked Sheila's breast back inside her shirt for her.
Cameron appeared not to notice.
"Everything worked out fine." Cameron said.
John thought it was efficient, even if it was a little dramatic.
"It was a good team effort." John said.
Jim updated Cameron as to what was happening on the ship.
"The others are on the ship and getting ready for lunch." Cameron said.
Sheila looked at John.
"There's plenty for John to 'eat'." Sheila said.
Ally elbowed Sheila in the side even harder to make her shut up.
The impact caused Sheila's other breast to pop out of her top. She was going to leave it out so John could view it. Earlier when Cameron controlled her chassis, he'd fondled them nonstop most of the time. She knew the more he saw them, the more he would want them. It was an open invitation. When a female willingly showed her breasts to someone, it was a pretty good indication she wanted to go a little further.
Ally quickly reached around and tucked it back inside Sheila's top.
Cameron looked at John. She knew what was going on. She wanted to give John a choice.
"Do you want to go back to the ship and join them?" Cameron asked. "Are there other things you would like to do?"
Sheila offered a suggestion.
"He can always visit the 'blow hole'." Sheila said.
There was a loud dull 'thud' as Ally slugged Sheila in the back.
"Shut up." Ally whispered.
John didn't want Sheila to draw Cameron ire. He understood Sheila's clandestine reference. He also knew exactly what was near Ensenada. He'd looked at the informational brochure on the desk in the suite earlier.
"I'll pass on La Bufadora." John said. "The ship sounds like it's where all the action will be."
Sheila smiled at John and winked.
"I'll say." Sheila said.
There was another loud dull 'thud' sound.
"Shut up, stupid." Ally whispered.
John glanced over at Sheila. He watched her take her top off. He really liked the sight of her firm perky breasts with the nipple rings. It was a really good daylight view in the van right now and earlier in the shack.
Sheila glanced back at Ally. She returned her gaze to John. She wanted to give him a plausible explanation.
"My shirt felt like it was on inside out." Sheila said.
Ally laid one on Sheila. She couldn't resist.
"I bet it isn't the only thing which felt like that today." Ally whispered in her ear.
Cameron turned back and looked at Ally and Sheila. She saw John was still staring at Sheila's topless form as she fooled around with her shirt to delay putting it back on longer.
She smiled to herself and turned back around. It was clear John would take all the action he could get with Sheila's chassis. She planned to make the most of it. She liked the way Sheila's chassis looked too. She could hardly wait to be in control of it again. Just the thought of it almost made her 'finish'.
She'd promised Sheila she would be able to be with John 'one time' as herself. She didn't specify when she'd allow the event to occur. She really didn't think it would be a big deal. She doubted John would last more than two minutes, maybe three at the most. It would be a small price to pay for what she was able to obtain for herself. She planned to do the same thing with all of the Metal girls. She almost experienced a 'finish' again just thinking about it.
Cameron was pleased the vacation had only just begun. They hadn't even been on the ship for twenty four hours yet. She planned to break in a fresh virgin chassis every day of the cruise as herself.
"There's nothing to worry about." Cameron said. "We're all on vacation and we're all going to have the best time ever."
Sheila glanced back at Ally and winked.
"You're next." Sheila whispered.
Ally was about to respond negatively to Sheila when Cameron turned around and looked at her. She decided not to say anything.
John heard everything they said to each other. He was ready to try Cameron in Ally's chassis. He was ready to try Cameron in all of the Metal girl's chassis.
"Everyone should have a good time on vacation." John said. "I have so far."
Cameron squirmed a little in her seat. John's words drove her over the top.
Earlier:
Cammy raced the SUV along the dirt road between the railroad tracks and the small flood control channel. CamNet informed her where to stop so she could enter the wash and go after the Gray.
She slid the SUV to a halt in a shower of dirt. A large dust cloud followed her.
Cammy was out of the SUV and over the fence in a flash. She landed in the flood control channel with her M9 in her hand. She moved to the opening for the storm drain runoff and peered in. There was nothing to see. The Gray was long gone.
She heard Savannah drive off with the SUV. She knew she would go 'dark' as soon as she started into the storm drain system. She paused and listened once she was inside. There was some scuffing type noise from in front of her. It sounded like the Gray was moving away from her. It sounded like he was able to get a good head start. She was less than thirty seconds behind him. The trouble was, he held the advantage. He could ambush her or set a booby trap. For all she knew the whole drainage system could be a booby trap. The whole thing could be a sucker play.
They'd first encountered him as he came out of the flood control channel near the old newspaper plant. It seemed to indicate he knew what was going on and knew his way around the flood control system and the storm drains. She didn't.
She could see wet footprints with the small trickle of water in the storm drain. It was usually runoff water from sprinklers that over watered a lawn or vegetation for landscaping.
Right now there was a trail for her to follow, so she did. She sent out a report to CamNet and soon lost all communication.
It was cat and mouse right now. She didn't intend to be the mouse.
She hoped her Terminator senses could help her shave some time off to reach him. There was always something else to think about. There was the possibility he was a Terminator as well. She needed to watch for anything the Gray or Fanatic could pull.
Allison watched it all go down from the Command Center. She wondered how Cammy would find the man. There must be some way to assist her.
"How can we help locate the Gray?" Allison asked.
John Henry thought it would only happen when he tried to exit the drainage system.
"I think one of the drones has the greatest chance of doing it." John Henry said. "He'll need to show himself to get out of there."
Allison wanted the teams to better be able to respond to a single street.
"I think the teams there should all pick a street with an unwatched street between them and concentrate on the one street." Allison said. "The drones can concentrate on the other streets."
Allison saw John Henry tilt his head slightly.
She thought he looked at her strangely.
"Is something wrong?" Allison asked.
John Henry heard an almost identical transmission from the Young bunker from Young Allison at the same time Allison spoke to him. It was quite strange really. It was almost like a stereo effect.
It was the same person saying the same thing in reality.
"No. Nothing is wrong. It's a sound idea." John Henry said. "I've asked them to do it."
Allison watched what was now visible from the drone over Ensenada.
"The situation there looks resolved, for now anyway." Allison said.
John Henry hoped nothing else happened in Ensenada.
"Indeed." John Henry said.
Allison switched back to where Savannah, Steve and Tom were. She checked on Cam's ETA.
"I see Cam is still a ways out." Allison said.
John Henry thought things were covered as best as possible.
"Cam will get there soon enough." John Henry said. "She will cover the furthest streets away from where the Gray entered the storm drain system and there are drones patrolling the entire area."
Allison wondered if there were any enemy reinforcements on the way.
"Did the Gray try to contact anyone?" Allison asked.
John Henry placed a jamming field into place.
"Not that I'm aware of." John Henry said. "Everyone but us should be jammed."
Allison wondered what the point was of the Gray taking the route in the first place.
"He must have a plan or a destination." Allison said. "Where was he going to go and how is he supposed to get away?"
John Henry wondered about it as well.
"It remains unknown." John Henry said. "His chances to elude us seem slim."
Allison wasn't 'sold' on the idea. She was aware there was always more than met the eye in unusual circumstances.
"He must have a plan." Allison said. "Maybe there's a way out we don't know about."
Young Allison worried about everything Allison did. She expressed her concerns to Anna.
"He must have a plan." Young Allison said. "Maybe there's a way out we don't know about."
Anna tilted her head slightly. It was like John Henry and Allison were having the same conversation Young Allison and her were having. It was very strange to say the least.
"It remains unknown." Anna said. "His chances to escape seem slim."
It still worried Young Allison.
"We've experienced similar tactics before." Young Allison said. "Someone makes an opening into the system for an exit, or in this case an entrance."
Young Allison did another check on the team in Ensenada.
"I think the problem worked itself out in Ensenada." Young Allison said.
The two perpetrators were taken into custody in possession of the stolen goods. It was hoped the drugs found on them would explain their crazy tales of super strong men and women with blank faces and red eyes. They would never mention the Hot sadistic female who wanted to emasculate them.
"It appears so." Anna said.
Young Allison would feel better once John was on the ship.
"I think John should return to the ship." Young Allison said. "I can see the others are getting ready for lunch."
Anna was aware CamNet allowed Young Allison to see what was happening on the ship right now.
"Things need to play out some." Anna said.
Young Allison wasn't done with the big truck yet. Things still needed to be resolved to her satisfaction. They were a long way from it right now.
"I want to keep an eye on the truck too." Young Allison said. "I know Cam wasn't pleased she needed to drop her surveillance."
Anna wanted more backup for Cammy and Savannah. Cam was the next closest choice after Steve and Tom.
"Cammy comes first." Anna said. "You made the right choice."
Young Allison didn't like Savannah alone with an unknown Gray out there.
"I'm still worried about Savannah." Young Allison said.
Anna tried to give some reassurance to Anna. It wasn't like Savannah was out there by herself.
"She has Terminators close by." Anna said. "There's drone support over her."
Savannah wasn't Young Allison's only concern. Cammy was below the surface and out of contact. More than likely the individual Cammy was after was from the future. He would know what a Terminator was. He would know how to stop one.
"Cammy is in the unknown." Young Allison said.
Anna thought it was only a matter of time.
"We have the drainage area map for the inlet." Anna said. "We'll get the Gray, one way or another."
Young Allison wanted a better view of where the drainage tunnels originated from.
"CamNet, let me see an overlay of the specific storm drain system on the satellite map." Young Allison said.
Anna tried to figure out what Young Allison looked for.
"What are you getting at?" Anna asked.
Young Allison wasn't sure. She just felt there was more than what met the eye.
"We don't know what the Gray was doing under the old newspaper plant." Young Allison said.
Anna wanted a team down there to investigate it.
"We haven't been able to check yet." Anna said.
Young Allison thought there may be other ways out of the system as opposed to what they looked at.
"What happens if the Gray has access to one of the buildings the storm drain system runs under?" Young Allison asked. "We know criminals previously have used the storm drain system to break into banks, jewelry stores and other places."
Anna did a quick check. Similar things happened all the time around the world.
"They have." Anna said.
Young Allison watched some construction workers at the park one time. She wanted to learn more about their tools and how they used them.
"It wouldn't take anyone but a couple of days, with a small electric jackhammer and a shovel to go from one of the buildings into the storm drain system. They could create their own escape system."
Anna thought about the Skynet related facility where they'd done a version of the same thing.
"It's true." Anna said. "We encountered something similar one time."
It was a scenario Young Allison feared. The enemy could have additional personal waiting or even doing something.
"I think if the Gray isn't spotted soon, it's what they've done." Young Allison said.
Young Allison wanted more Terminators in the system. Cammy was down there alone.
Anna wanted the same thing.
"We're going to need more Terminators to enter that section of the storm drain system." Anna said. "There's a set amount of pipeline to inspect."
There was a fear Young Allison felt. She was sure it was going to happen at some point.
"I don't want Savannah to go in there." Young Allison said.
Anna could see Savannah would be challenged in the underground system.
"She would be at a major disadvantage." Anna said.
Young Allison was adamant.
"I want to make it clear to everyone." Young Allison said. "I don't want Savannah to go in there."
Anna was sure everyone received the transmission.
"I think you've made your point." Anna said.
Young Allison still feared she didn't make it to the right person. Savannah, like Cameron, was very independent. She became more like Cameron when Cameron wasn't around. It was the training both Savannah and her received from Cameron. They were to assume her role and lead the troops. They were trained to do it without thinking about it. It made her wonder when she would be 'tested' in real combat. She felt she was ready. She believed it would be soon.
A short time ago:
Hanna left Riley off at her new suite right outside of the private area. She wanted to make the rules clear.
"You're not to leave the ship unless you have a Terminator escort." Hanna said. "There's one layer less of security with this suite."
Hanna didn't want Riley to go back to the tourist store next to the ship on her own. She especially didn't want her to go look for John and Cameron either.
Riley didn't want to cause any problems.
"I understand." Riley said.
Riley thanked Hanna and Gail for helping her look for a gift for Samantha.
Hanna and Gail started to go into the private area to see Jesse and Claire.
Hanna stopped, Gail went ahead.
"Riley." Hanna said.
Riley poked her head out of the suite door.
"I was just updated." Hanna said. "Precious is doing fine."
Riley was relieved to hear it. She hated to keep asking.
"Thank you." Riley said. "I miss her a lot."
Hanna wanted Riley and Derek to share more.
"It's only for a few days." Hanna said. "Spend some quality time with Derek."
Riley wondered about the time since they'd stayed behind earlier.
"I plan to." Riley said. "How long will it be until everyone is ready for lunch?"
Hanna listened for a second.
"I think they're just about ready now." Hanna said.
Riley hoped to 'knock one off' before they left for lunch. It didn't seem like it was possible if everyone was ready to go.
"I guess I don't have time for a quickie then." Riley said.
Hanna thought it was more up to Derek than Riley to knock off a quickie. She was aware the female usually came out on the short side in those encounters for pleasure. She'd heard plenty of stories from Claire about it. Not one of the males ever lasted long enough to get her 'there'.
"It's up to you and Derek." Hanna said.
Hanna entered the private area.
She could see everyone was leaving their suites.
She headed for Claire and gave her a hug. It was always good to be back 'home'.
Hank and Larry quickly moved down the passageway. There were several rooms along the side.
They both held their silenced M9 in their right hand. Their Taser was close by and ready to grab. They would need to have one hand free to open the doors.
Hank reached for the first door knob and started to turn it.
Larry passed by him and quickly hurried to the next door.
Hank quickly opened the door. There was nothing in the room but boxes. It appeared most of them were empty. He used several different vision spectrums to scan the room for anyone hidden. No one was detected. He exited the room.
Larry opened the door to the room next to the one Hank entered. There wasn't much in it. It appeared someone used it as sleeping quarters at one time. He looked a little further. It may have been used as a holding cell. He did a complete scan of the room and headed out.
Hank bypassed Larry and went to the next room. He still held his silenced M9 ready to shoot. He opened the door and immediately pulled out his Taser.
"Contact…." Hank said in a low decibel level.
Larry just exited his room when he saw Hank pull his Taser and issue the warning.
He ran the short distance to the room. He entered with his Taser and silenced M9 ready.
The female Fanatic wanted to get out of the complex. She didn't know which direction she was going or what she would run into. She didn't want to encounter anyone while she was topless. She certainly didn't want to be taken into custody topless. She put her top on as she ran. She held the knife next to her rather than in front of her. She was ready to stab anyone she encountered before they could react. She didn't want them to see it coming.
She passed a few crates in the passageway. She didn't stop to look at what was inside of them. There wasn't much she could do about it, whatever it was. They weren't the kind of crates weapons were shipped in. There were two more of them coming up as she ran down the passageway. The crates were larger than the other ones she'd passed. She slowed down to take a look. The lid was off on one and loose on the other. She looked inside the crate without the lid. It was empty. The one with the loose lid appeared to be empty as well.
She moved away from the crates and was about ready to start running again.
She heard a noise in front of her.
Great, it most likely meant someone was coming.
She looked around for another door to go into. There weren't any. She turned around and ran back towards the crates she'd just looked into. She wondered if she could hide inside one of them. They seemed big enough. She quickly slid the lid open on the crate that was partially covered.
Damn, there was something inside of it at the end which was still covered.
She noticed the lid was completely loose. She got into the empty crate and pulled the lid from the other crate over the top of it. She crouched down and waited. She was ready to spring up like a 'jack in the box' if someone moved the lid. Her knife was ready.
Hank entered the room and immediately spotted three bodies on the floor. He held his Taser and silenced M9 ready.
Larry entered the room a few seconds later with both of his weapons at the ready.
They both scanned the room for any threats. No active ones were detected.
"It looks like the female Fanatic was here." Larry said.
Hank looked over the three fallen men.
"It seems like she knows how to use a knife." Hank said.
Larry noted the bunk with the rope in the four corners.
"I think she had a little extra motivation in this room." Larry said.
Hank nodded as he looked at the 'comfort bunk'.
"It seems like a very invasive procedure for the female." Hank said.
There was nothing else useful in the room.
"Let's go." Larry said.
Hank opened the door with his silenced M9 ready.
He quickly stepped back inside and closed the door.
"Someone's coming." Hank said. "I can hear at least two of them. It sounds like they're coming here specifically."
Larry looked at the bodies on the floor.
"Let's move these stiffs and throw a blanket on the floor where the blood is." Larry said. "It will be better if we get them inside the room before we terminate them."
The female Fanatic hid inside of the empty crate with her knife ready. She didn't plan to go down without a fight and she wasn't going to be captured alive. Her poison tooth was loose and ready to be activated. The moment she bit down on it and swallowed would be the end. Ascension awaited her.
Her heart pounded wildly. She could hear every beat inside of her head. It seemed loud enough for anyone else to hear as well.
She did hear voices talking. It took her a moment to understand what was being said. It seemed like an argument.
"I don't know where they're at." The first voice said.
"You should know." The second voice said. "They're on your team."
"Maybe they got called out for patrol duty." The first voice said.
"If they did, you should know that as well." The second voice said.
"Well, I don't know." The first voice said. "Do you want me to start looking in rooms?"
"I want you to find them and then report to me." The second voice said. "I want to know where they were at and what they were doing."
"This place is only so big." The first voice said. "What's next? Are we going to start looking in crates too?"
The female Fanatic cringed in fear at the suggestion. She might only be seconds away from being discovered. She was ready to spring into action. Her knife was ready. Her heart pounded even louder. She was sure they would be able to hear it in the passageway.
"Look, don't get smart with me." The second voice said.
"Let's check the sleeping quarters." The first voice said. "You know they like to knock one off every now and then."
"I could have done without the reminder." The second voice said. "This isn't the future."
"You're right, it's not the future." The first voice said. "There's plenty of 'stank' available out there. We just need a little of it in here."
The female Fanatic felt the bile rise in her throat as the adrenaline surged through her veins. She remembered the bunk with the rope on the corners. She didn't want to end up there.
"You clowns went through two sluts in less than a week." The second voice said. "It should have been enough 'quiff' to last you for a month."
"Broads are a dime a dozen in the past." The first voice said. "Let me go out on recon and I'll bring some back. You know no one misses any of the homeless trash."
"The last time you went out. You brought back some skank with a baby." The second voice said. "What kind of a moron brings back a Bitch with a kid?"
The female Fanatic could hear the voices get fainter.
"It was the whole point." The first voice said. "The Whore would do whatever we told her to do to protect the kid. We all got a lot of good service out of her."
The voices could no longer be heard
The men moved on.
She was still pumped full of adrenaline and filled with rage. She moved the lid a little bit so she could check to see where the men were at. They were headed for the room she'd just left. She figured all hell was about to break loose.
Inside Out
The path to move forward
Isn't always straight
It's easy to get lost
Things will stagnate
What's down is up
What's up is down
Much the same way
A smile becomes a frown
Many of those around one
Put their own interests first
Time will show most those
Turn out to be the worst
One needs to be guided
By honor and trust
Not caught up in the moment
Blinded by greed and lust
When one forgets
What it's all about
They can be filled with doubt
As their world turns inside out
Nobody