Chapter 1254

Some Of It Is Just Better

Cam pulled her Taser when she determined Cammy was missing from the rendezvous point. She'd left Cammy there to prevent anyone from getting in behind them. Now she didn't know which direction Cammy went or why she'd left in the first place. She didn't hear any sounds of a struggle and there was no gunfire. She should have heard the silenced rounds from Cammy's M9 in the quiet of the pipes. There were no empty shell casings. There was no blood visible.

She thought about calling out to her. If there were hostile forces, she would only alert them. Her position would be exposed without knowing where the enemy was at. She could go back out of the system and return with Steve and Tom or go after Cammy into the branch on the other side of the junction and whatever unknown danger there was. She still needed to consider Cammy might have gone in either direction.

Cam made a choice. She would go after Cammy further into the system. She knew Cammy didn't leave her position without a good reason. Something or someone drew her off. She stood perfectly still and listened in all directions. She was met with nothing but silence.

She moved out. She decided to move at half the speed they'd moved at earlier. She wanted to be as soundless as possible. The silt in this section of the pipes was almost non existent. It was probably because of the parking lot over much of the section above her.

There was another junction. She would have to crawl through the new smaller feeder pipe if she took the other branch. She put her head inside of it and listened for anything. There was nothing. She pulled out two strands of her hair and set them across each other in an 'X' a foot into the opening. If anyone came out or went in, they would probably disturb the hair.

She continued along the pipe she was in. There would be another junction ahead soon. They would be the two final choices. Both of them would require her to crawl on her hands and knees to reach the opening at the end. It would also be the spot where she could move right up to the surface for her next communication. She wasn't sure if she should chance it. It would trigger more help being sent in after them if she missed the next rendezvous time.

There was some noise now. It came from above her. It was like a scratching sound against the metal grate. There was someone up there. It wasn't Cammy.

Cam was pretty sure things just went from bad to worse.

Earlier:

Cammy waited at the junction for Cam to return. She thought there was a noise from the other branch line of the system. She listened intently. She heard it again. There was definitely someone in the system with them.

She thought she should go to investigate it. She looked back in the direction where Cam went a few minutes ago. She made the choice to go see what the new noise was. If there was a threat, she wanted to face it head on.

It sounded like there was a noise from two different spots ahead. She couldn't be sure. She moved with her Taser in one hand and her M9 in the other.

She soon reached a junction where she would need to crawl to go in either direction. There was some noise from above her. She thought it was the spot for the second communications rendezvous. There was definitely someone above her there. She wasn't going to try and communicate with an unknown individual so close to her. There was another noise from the branch on her right. She could only check one at a time. She holstered her M9 and moved forward with her Taser in one hand as she crawled forward on her hands and knees.

There was more noise in front of her as she moved. There wasn't much room for her to fight if she needed to. She moved ahead. Whatever was there, was almost right in front of her.

She was glad Savannah wasn't there with her. Savannah needed to fight enough in the storm drain system on her own earlier. Cammy would face this threat head on herself.

Sheila and Ally left the control center behind. They headed for the casino.

Ally was sure it was a bad idea. At this point she didn't see what further 'punishment' Cameron could do to Sheila except deactivate her. She'd already stripped her of her virginity.

Wait.

It sounded like something Cameron would do so she could have unlimited use of Sheila's chassis. It really made her wonder what happened to the other female Terminators they'd captured. Who knows what Cameron did with them? Cameron probably made them all clones of herself so she could 'try them out' and steal their first experience with a male from them before their final Resequencing and activation.

The more she thought about it, the more she believed Cameron did it with her. If it was the case, then there was no point in not doing what Sheila said she should try. For all practical purposes, it had most likely already happened prior to her activation. She could see Cameron was very selfish out in the open. Who knows what she did with nobody watching.

It was a lot for her to think about.

"Are you going to 'wig out' on me?" Sheila asked.

Ally quickly looked around. She wondered what she'd done or missed.

"No." Ally said. "I'm fine."

Sheila didn't like the blank look Ally developed a few seconds ago.

"You looked like you were in dreamland." Sheila said.

Ally frowned at Sheila.

"You know we don't dream." Ally said.

Sheila smiled at Ally.

"Now you see my point." Sheila said.

Ally frowned some more as she looked around again. All of the things she'd thought about as they walked bothered her. There was something troubling her and she wanted to say something.

"I think Cameron already used my chassis before I was activated." Ally said.

Sheila didn't think it was something to speculate on.

"You don't know for sure." Sheila said. "Nobody does."

The more Ally thought about it, the more she believed it.

"I'm sure she did." Ally said.

Sheila tried to calm her down some.

"It would still be your first experience with a male when you do it." Sheila said.

Ally knew Sheila felt it would be the same way for herself when she did.

"I guess." Ally said.

They were in the casino now.

"Let's play." Sheila said.

Ally looked around. She remembered a discussion with Savannah not long after they'd returned from Las Vegas.

She looked at the people's faces. None of them looked like they were actually having fun or a good time. It only happened on the few times they 'won'. It only seemed to last a second. Soon afterwards, the people went back to looking like zombies.

"These people are all hollow." Ally said.

Sheila looked at her. She wondered what Ally was talking about.

"What?" Sheila asked.

Ally waved her hand around at the people playing.

"Look at them." Ally said. "They're all empty inside. It's because they all end up losing."

Sheila knew she didn't have the same problem.

"It's because they don't know how to win." Sheila said.

Ally wondered about the definition of 'win' at this point. Sheila thought she'd 'won' by allowing Cameron the use of her chassis. She personally saw that as a 'loss' for Sheila based on what was taken from her.

Ally looked around and Sheila was gone. She wondered where she went. She was just there a second ago.

She spotted Sheila with two hot young women. It looked like she was hitting on them. Cameron previously told them what happened on the ship, stayed on the ship. It appeared Sheila was about to make an attempt to cash in on the new proclamation. She figured she'd better go over and get things straightened out. Sheila didn't need to be with any strangers, she was there for her.

As Ally moved closer, she could hear the conversation was already of a sexual nature. It at least had sexual overtones to it.

"I love your jewelry." The first female said.

Sheila pulled the material of her dress tight against her breasts to make the rings clearly evident.

"Thanks." Sheila said.

Ally thought she was going to flash the females for a second. It wouldn't actually be anything unusual for Sheila. She was known for exposing herself. There was a good chance she would do it on her own. If she were issued a challenge, she would definitely do it.

The second female reached up and indicated her breasts.

"I thought about it before. I wasn't sure how much it would hurt." The second female said.

Sheila knew what both Jesse and her felt when they were pierced. It wasn't very traumatic. It only stung for a second or two. She always left her pain receptors on whenever she pierced herself. She'd done it multiple times in different areas. Whenever she took them out, they healed rapidly. She could then repeat the process and do it all over again. She'd done the same thing multiple times in multiple areas.

"It's just like a sharp sting for a few seconds." Sheila said. "It's no big deal really. The rewards are worth the few seconds of discomfort. It's actually a turn on if you are in the right frame of mind. We all like a little pain with the pleasure. It lets us know we're alive."

The two females quickly looked at each other. They did like to feel a little pain during times of extreme pleasure. They also liked to inflict it. It always excited them a little to see the look of pain on their partner's face during a time of intense pleasure. Somehow it made the 'finish' more vibrant.

The first female looked at the rings on Sheila.

"Have you tried studs or barbells before?" The first female asked.

Sheila liked the rings. She felt they were more noticeable and made a statement. They were very distinctive especially when she was nude or topless.

"No. I like the look of the rings. They're very bold." Sheila said. "Sometimes I'll use a larger diameter or even a thicker gauge if I want to be noticed in a less formal setting."

The second female tried to see better through the material of her dress.

"It's hard to tell." The second female said.

Sheila looked around. It looked like things might go somewhere. The two females were shapely and curvy. She really liked what she saw.

"I can show you." Sheila said. "Let me take one out."

Sheila was about to pop a breast out of her dress in the middle of the casino.

The other two females seemed highly aroused at the prospect of her doing it in a public setting.

Ally moved up quickly to stop her.

"You should do that in the restroom or your cabin." Ally said. "It may cause an issue with some of the 'blue bloods' here. We don't want security to get involved either. You know some of those people have their own issues to deal with."

Sheila looked at Ally. She realized Ally referred to CamNet becoming involved. More than likely, Cameron would then become involved. There was a good chance Jim would send Bob down to intercept them. She turned back to her two new 'friends'.

"This is my friend I told you about." Sheila said.

The two females looked Ally over.

"You weren't kidding when you said she was Hot." The first female said.

Ally looked at the two females. She liked the compliment. It was genuine.

"Thank you." Ally said.

Ally thought they were OK but nothing super Hot. Maybe she was just jealous Sheila was about to pick them up. The more she looked at them, the more she liked their look.

She watched them check her out from head to toe and back again, twice. She wanted to make her position with Sheila clear to them. She didn't like interlopers.

"We're lovers." Ally said.

Ally gave Sheila a small kiss.

She saw the two females look quickly at each other. It appeared they were lovers as well. It seemed to actually excite them further.

Ally wondered if things might go somewhere unexpected. She reevaluated her earlier assessment of them. They were kind of Hot. She thought Hot and willing, were two important qualities to become involved with someone for a hookup.

The two females wanted to act quickly before Sheila changed her mind. They hoped they could do a little more than 'look'.

"There's a restroom right around the corner." The second female said. "I'd really like to see what they look like in person, if you don't mind. I think I still want to do it at some point."

The first female could see her friend wanted to make a move. She thought there was a better place for any activity like it to occur. It would certainly be much more private.

"You could go to our cabin too if you want. It's very near here. We could only afford an 'Ocean View' cabin." The first female said. "A 'Balcony' was too expensive for us."

Sheila looked at Ally. She didn't know how far Ally was willing to go right now. She was ready to go all the way. Cameron already used her chassis. She didn't think it should be a big deal at this point based on Cameron's new proclamation. What happened on the ship, stayed on the ship.

"Let me show you real quick in the restroom. Then maybe we can go to your cabin." Sheila said. "That's if you like what you see."

The two females headed around the corner.

Ally could see Sheila had the girls hooked already. She was jealous.

"You can do better than them." Ally whispered to Sheila.

Sheila sensed a 'kill'. She wanted some 'fresh meat'.

"All dessert is good." Sheila said.

Ally ran her hands down her figure as Sheila looked at her.

"Some of it is just better." Ally said.

Sheila didn't want to offend Ally. It was a rare opportunity for her. She wasn't sure what sexual freedom Cameron would allow once they were off the ship. She wanted to see more of the girls. She wanted to see their goods.

"Let's see what they have." Sheila said.

Ally felt even more upset. She could see Sheila was blinded by lust.

"They have the same thing I do." Ally said. "You know I'm germ and disease free."

Sheila tried to calm Ally down. She tried to downplay what she wanted. She planned to pursue it more anyway when Ally wasn't around. She hadn't even gone 'hunting' yet. She'd already scored two potential 'kills'. It was clear the two girls on the ship we're in a completely different class of females from the ones they normally freed from the sex trade.

"I'll just show them my rings for now." Sheila said. "I like people to see the way I look. You know I do."

Ally knew it was true. Sheila did like to show off her attributes. She thought Cameron was the main beneficiary of it. Then again, maybe it was John who was.

Sheila and Ally followed the two females into the bathroom.

Ally looked around and was satisfied they were alone. She didn't want it reported to security by some stranger coming out of a stall.

Sheila slid her dress down to her waist.

Ally watched the eyes almost pop out of both of the female's heads when they looked at Sheila.

"Wow!" The second female said. "They look totally HOT."

The first female's hand started to reach up. It stopped before it went too far.

"They're beautiful." The first female said. "You're beautiful."

Ally knew what was next. She didn't want Sheila to get carried away. She was afraid Sheila would strip all the way.

"I'll let you touch them." Sheila said.

Ally flashed Sheila a dirty look. She didn't think there would be anyway to stop things now.

The two females looked at each other. It was like a dream come true for them.

"May I?" The first female asked.

Sheila tugged on both of her rings and then released them. There was a slight bounce to everything. It was clear the girls were highly aroused at this point.

"There's one for each of you." Sheila said.

The two females examined Sheila and asked her a few questions. It seemed more like they were fondling her at this point.

Sheila decided to play it up. She knew what the girls wanted. When she went to pull her dress up, it 'slipped' down below her private area.

It was clear to Ally it was something Sheila did on purpose.

The two girls saw a new area they wanted to touch.

"Damn that looks smooth." The second female said.

Sheila waited for them to ask to touch the area too but they didn't ask. They sure did look though.

She was just about to ask them to feel how smooth it was when she spotted the scowl on Ally's face. She really wanted Ally to loosen up some, she needed to lose the 'V' card. She felt it was holding her back too much.

Sheila pulled her dress up and Ally helped her make sure it was all in order. In a few seconds, Sheila was perfect again.

The girls gave Sheila their cabin number. They said if she was free, she could maybe go dancing or have a few drinks with them. They said she could bring her friend too. It actually seemed more like an afterthought.

Ally felt offended. She wanted to remind them she was Sheila's lover, not her 'friend'.

"We don't know what our schedule is for everything we have planned." Ally said. "We might be tied up since we're here together."

Sheila didn't Ally cramping her style. She told the girls she wasn't sure what her schedule would be later on. She mentioned there were still a few more days and nights left on the cruise.

The two females left.

Sheila could sense an easy conquest. In fact, she could almost taste it. It was what she planned to do if the opportunity arose. She was ready to expand her database.

"It's a done deal if I want it." Sheila said.

Ally wondered if Sheila would try and cash in. She was sure she would. She needed to admit the two girls were cute. She understood the new sexual freedom Cameron granted them while they were on the ship.

"I know you want it." Ally said. "I can see it written all over you."

Sheila still knew Cameron wanted them to seek 'comfort' in their group only. She didn't want to pick up any germs or viruses she could pass along to John inadvertently. She wouldn't be infected. She didn't want to act as a 'carrier' or either. She was aware it took germs a certain amount of time to terminate on their own. She really wanted Cameron to use her chassis again. She wasn't going to overstep her bounds when there was a bigger prize at hand. She still wanted her 'one time' with John.

"I need to check with Cameron first." Sheila said.

Ally was sure Sheila was going to make her move on the two girls. She really didn't think there was a whole lot she was going to be able to do to stop her. It was a personal decision and everyone had the right to choose. It wasn't the choice she wanted Sheila to make.

"Whatever…." Ally said.

Ally walked out of the bathroom without looking back. It was clear Sheila wasn't going to let it go.

Cameron led the group out of the main dining room after everyone was done.

They drew the usual looks and stares as they passed by some of the other tables. People weren't used to seeing such beauty, especially so much of it at the same time.

When they reached the elevators, there were two empty ones which opened for them. It was different from the normal procedure. It was probably because of the earlier discussion about the elevator being crowded, even if it wasn't near capacity. Holly, Jan and Summer were with them now.

"Does anyone want to go back to their room or anywhere else other than the main theater?" Cameron asked.

Riley whispered in Derek's ear.

Derek hadn't taken another pill yet. He wanted to see the show first. He knew it needed some time to take effect.

Jan watched a few magic shows on TV. She never thought she could see one in person.

"I'd like to see the magician." Jan said.

Jan looked at both of her parents.

Sarah wasn't a fan of magic. It was just another form of deception. She wanted Jan to have a good time. She really didn't know when the opportunity would present itself again.

"We're going." Sarah said.

Cameron was pleased everyone would attend.

"The main theater it is." Cameron said.

They went up in two elevators. They didn't stop anywhere else along the way. It looked as if Jim or CamNet herself were watching over them.

They moved along the Promenade Deck towards the front. They soon were at the outside of the main theater.

Sarah spotted a restroom off to the side as they approached.

"If anyone needs to use the restroom, now is a good time." Sarah said.

Claire and Jesse followed behind Sarah, Jan, Riley and Summer.

Riley checked her update from Samantha, everything was good with Precious.

The Metal girls waited outside.

Derek looked at Kyle.

"I might as well give it a shot." Derek said.

Kyle moved to follow him in.

They looked at John.

"I'm good." John said.

John looked around. He thought there would be a couple more.

"Where are Sheila and Ally at?" John asked. "I thought you said they would join us."

Cameron received information they were in the casino. She communicated with Jim to have them join them in the front row or in the private box section.

"They're on their way." Cameron said. "They should arrive before the show starts."

Derek and Kyle noted they were alone in the restroom. They shared some small talk at first.

Kyle wasn't really sure what to say. He felt he needed to say something.

"I don't know about you, but Sarah is really wearing me down." Kyle said. "I hate to admit it, I don't think I can't keep up."

Derek understood where Kyle was coming from, or at least trying to. He was actually a little relieved to hear what Kyle said. Somehow it seemed to justify what he'd done.

"Riley did the same with me." Derek said. "I figured I needed some 'help'."

Kyle didn't think Derek would ask John to 'help' him out with Riley. He needed some clarification. He wanted to make sure exactly what Derek meant.

"What kind of help?" Kyle asked.

Derek looked around to make sure they were still alone.

He told Kyle what he picked up in Ensenada and it worked.

Kyle was a little more than surprised. He'd seen advertisements for the medication on television.

"I thought it was prescription medicine." Kyle said.

Derek spotted an ad in a drug store window in Ensenada. It was actually what made him act. Well, what made him ask Dan to act for him.

"It's sold over the counter in Mexico." Derek said. "I saw an advertisement in English and Spanish. They actually sold at least three different types."

Kyle remembered there seemed to be two or three pharmacies on every block. They were clearly directed at tourists. He hadn't paid attention to the ads.

Derek brought two of the pills with him.

"I need to take one of these now." Derek said. "It takes about an hour to work and lasts about four hours. It works fantastic. It will be like what you wake up with in the morning after a wild dream."

Kyle was very aware he was rock hard sometimes mornings. He's seen some information about how sexual arousal was an occurrence in both males and females as part of REM sleep. He'd heard about the drugs from TV commercials.

He was willing to give it a try. He didn't want to leave Derek, short.

"Do you have any more?" Kyle asked. "I mean any extra."

Derek gave the other pill to Kyle.

"I have a few of them. Remember, it takes about an hour to work." Derek said. "Nothing different happens before then. It doesn't work on its own. It just enhances what you feel and gets the blood flowing to where you want it to be."

Kyle was willing to give it a shot.

"I don't know if I should take it now or wait." Kyle said. "I don't want to take it too soon."

Derek figured there were more pills than he could use in the couple of days they were going to be on the ship.

"I have more." Derek said. "Try it and see if it helps you. I think it will. It simply enhances your natural ability. Don't expect anything more. Everything else happens pretty much the same."

Kyle thought the girls all seemed a little more demanding than usual. He wondered if the sea breeze could have anything to do with it.

"I think the salt air makes the girls want it more." Kyle said.

On the ship, they were away from all the death and destruction. There was none of the worry or gloominess to shadow all of them around.

"I think it's the atmosphere of being away from it all." Derek said. "I think the luxury and opulence of the ship are a contributing factor as well. Look at our suites, we've never experienced such luxury before. It's something we couldn't have even imagined in our future."

Kyle knew Derek was right. It was unimaginable to anyone from the future. Sarah wasn't from the future. The lifestyle she'd needed to lead to protect John, held her back in her life. Skynet changed the entire direction of her life. Whatever she was destined to do before the Terminator showed up in the nightclub, was all changed in an instant.

They finished up and headed out. The girls all came out a little later.

Cameron asked if anyone wanted to use the private boxes. They all wanted to try the front row.

They headed for the entrance of the main theater. It was impressive to look at.

Cameron wondered if maybe they should have entered on deck six. They would need to walk down the long staircase to reach the front of the theater. She thought it added to the overall impact of how large the theater was to walk down the stairs. She wondered how many people would focus on them as they went down to the front row. She didn't think anyone minded the walk down.

Bob was in the front. He was in his fancy uniform. He held the seats for them. The front row was blocked off by a velvet rope at each end.

"I've been waiting for you." Bob said.

John yielded the front row center seat to the girls. Jan and Summer sat center stage. Everyone else filed in around them. The show would start in ten minutes.

Cameron hoped they didn't draw too much attention to themselves by having the front row reserved. She figured with an officer from the ship tending to the area, it would raise less questions.

John resisted the urge to look around in back of him. He hadn't heard any snide comments or rude remarks as to the fact they could walk in a few minutes before Showtime and sit in the front row. He noticed once everyone was seated, they were still two people short.

Ally and Sheila arrived right before the show started. There were two seats waiting for them.

Al and Ed entered the drainage system to back up Cam and Cammy.

Savannah waited with Tom and Steve.

Tom thought Savannah looked a little run down.

"You look tired." Tom said.

It was a rough day for Savannah. She didn't want to make a big deal about it. She knew being shot in the back of her vest and having her night vision shot off of her face, were very serious events. She felt the most serious one was the Thermite smoke. She was sure if she couldn't have gotten out of the storm drain, she would have died.

She couldn't help but think it must have been what the female Gray thought as she strangled her. It was 'those eyes' that always bothered her. She'd watched the life fade out of them.

"I am a little bit." Savannah said. "I'm fine."

Steve doubted she'd addressed her nutritional needs.

"Maybe you're hungry." Steve said.

Savannah indicated a water bottle. When they'd switched vehicles with Cam earlier, it was stocked with some supplies.

"I drank a sip of water." Savannah said.

Steve and Tom looked at each other. It wasn't enough.

"You need proper nutrition." Tom said.

Savannah needed to worry about the operation.

"I'll manage." Savannah said. "I'm good."

Steve worried they could be on station for hours.

"We don't know when the operation will end." Steve said.

Savannah was very worried about Cam and Cammy.

"It will end when it's over." Savannah said. "I want everyone to stay alert."

Savannah didn't like waiting in the unknown. She didn't know why anyone would have been underneath the ground around the old newspaper plant. She was sure there was more to the story. They must have missed something.

Young Allison watched the clock. It wasn't what she wanted to see.

"Cam and Cammy are past the next check in time." Young Allison said.

Anna remembered what Cam said about the time.

"Cam said it would take longer." Anna said.

The extra time had passed.

"It's been longer already." Young Allison said.

Anna checked the drone updates.

"The drones haven't detected anything." Anna said.

Young Allison looked at the drone images as well as past satellite images. She was worried there might be a few blind spots.

"I want one drone to make a low pass to check for anything that may be blocked by any of the building overhangs or awnings." Young Allison said. "I want thermal and infrared scans. There are bushes which block some of the view."

Anna wasn't sure it was a good idea. If there were any hostile Terminators in the vicinity, they more than likely would hear the drone. They would know what it was. She knew Young Allison would already have considered the same thing.

CamNet sent one drone in low.

"A drone is moving down low to scan right up against the building and make sure they get under the overhangs." Anna said.

Young Allison spotted something almost immediately.

"We have contact." Young Allison said. "There's a surface target."

Anna saw it too.

"It wasn't detected before." Anna said. "It's gone now."

There was definitely a positive 'hit'.

"What was it?" Young Allison asked. "We both saw something move."

Anna replayed the file multiple times. There was only some movement detected. It was impossible to tell what it was. It was only there for a fraction of a second.

"I don't know." Anna said.

Young Allison made a decision to send down a Terminator to investigate.

"I want Steve or Tom to investigate." Young Allison said. "It was a solid contact."

Anna felt it would leave Savannah under protected.

"What about Savannah?" Anna asked.

The situation seemed sufficient for now to Young Allison. There were no threats detected around Savannah.

"One of them will remain with her." Young Allison said. "They need to make sure the others can get out of the drainage system if there is a problem."

Anna was sure if one of them went Savannah would send both of them. She didn't think Savannah would allow only one of them to go since there was definitely some type of surface contact.

"I think Savannah will send both Tom and Steve to investigate." Anna said.

It seemed likely to Young Allison. She was aware of how Savannah operated.

"I think so." Young Allison said. "Savannah will place herself last for protection."

Anna wanted to remind Young Allison she could take pre-emptive action.

"You can order one of them to stay." Anna said.

Young Allison already considered the idea. It wasn't something she was going to do. She wasn't the one on the battlefield. Well, it wasn't a battlefield yet.

"Savannah is the one on the ground. I'll let her make the decision." Young Allison said. "Cam and Cammy face an unknown threat."

It looked like all the Terminators would be tied up soon. It was going to leave Savannah as the 'backup' for all of them. It wouldn't be the first time and undoubtedly it wouldn't be the last time either.

Hank and Larry followed the van from approximately a quarter of a mile behind it. They let the drones do the actual surveillance work. They were a little surprised when they watched the van pull up next to the sedan. Both vehicles turned the corner at the next street and parked. The sedan pulled up behind it. They were only a few miles away from the target location.

The female Fanatic turned at the corner where the man indicated. She pulled over to the curb and watched him pull up behind her. Things were going to be a lot easier than she'd thought. She knew what kind of vehicle they wanted. She planned to deliver it herself. It would come with a bit of a surprise.

She'd stripped her top off as soon as she went around the corner. She turned it inside out. She'd taken it from a Gray earlier. She didn't want the man to be able to identify it as anything Skynet related. She decided to leave it unbuttoned all the way down between her breasts. She wanted the man's attention focused elsewhere when she made her move.

The man watched the female get out of the van. He liked what he saw earlier when she'd leaned out her window. He liked what he saw even better now. He may be gone a little longer than he'd anticipated. He already decided he was going to 'take' her as many times as he could over a two or three hour time period.

He got out of the damaged sedan. He didn't want her to walk back and look at it.

The female Fanatic smiled at the man. She knew he was from the anti-Metal faction of the Resistance. He was the worst type of enemy as far as SkyMaster and its followers were concerned.

"Thanks a lot for helping me." She said.

She flashed him a big smile. She moved her left arm so her shirt hung open even more. Her left breast was nearly exposed. Now was one of the times she would have liked for her breasts to have been larger.

The man's eyes were transfixed on the area of her breasts.

"I'll always help a damsel in distress." He said. "Which tire picked up the nail?"

She wanted to draw him in. She figured it would be best if she killed him as soon as possible before he attempted anything on his own. She didn't like the way he looked at her. It was what she wanted to distract him. It worked, even if it bothered her immensely.

She wanted to get him to the right side of the van. No one would be able to see what happened once they were alongside of it. She took a look around. She didn't see anyone. She noticed the man took a look around as well. It only confirmed her suspicions. She was sure he wanted a little more.

"It's on the right side." She said.

She moved to the right side of the van.

The man decided he was going to make his move as soon as possible. He thought about actually changing the tire first. He didn't think he could wait that long. He liked what he saw and he wanted a little more now. He took another look around as he moved to the right side of the van. He thought it was going to be almost too easy. He still planned to strangle her to death on his last finish.

"Let me take a look." He said.

He didn't hear any hiss of air as he bent down. He was aware sometimes when there was a nail in a tire, if the hole in the tire was directly on the ground where it made contact, the amount of air which could escape was very hard to detect.

His hand touched his pistol as he stooped. He would turn around and stand. He would catch her by surprise. He would let her see the gun as he jammed it under her chin.

The female Fanatic had two options available to her. She could use the knife or her gun. She originally was going to use the knife to keep things silent. She was worried the man was going to jump her. She decided to use her pistol instead. As the man stooped down she took three steps back away from him and pulled the pistol out. She pointed it at him. She put her finger on the trigger. She started to squeeze.

The man pulled out his pistol. He heard some movement behind him. He decided it was time to act. He still expected to encounter a soft target. He abruptly stood as he turned to face her. His pistol was in his hand. He hadn't raised it to point at her. He wanted her to get a good look at it first before he jammed it under her chin.

He was more than a little surprised as his body turned to face her. There was a gun pointed at him.

The female Fanatic had her finger on the trigger and was in the process of pulling it when the man abruptly stood. He attempted to turn to face her. She saw there was a gun in his hand already. She continued her pull of the trigger and fired once. She fired two more times to make sure. The man dropped down on the ground next to the rear of sliding door of the van. She quickly moved forward and picked his gun up off the ground where he'd dropped it. She kicked him hard in the side of the head. He didn't make any sound.

She quickly moved to the rear right side of the van. She looked back the way they'd come. There was no one around. No one paid any attention to the gunshots. She turned back and glanced at the man. He was still in the same spot he'd fallen. Now was going to be the hard part. She wanted to load him inside of the van. She figured his body should perish along with his compatriots when the bomb in the van exploded alongside of their building.

Hank and Larry watched everything go down with the drone footage. They'd closed up to within two blocks of where the van and the sedan were parked.

They watched as each of the two individuals went to pull a firearm on the other one. The female Fanatic was quicker and already had her pistol aimed at the man. She shot him once and then twice more. She collected his gun and looked around to see if she'd been spotted.

She moved to the side door of the van and opened it. She took one more look around. She moved the man to a sitting position against the open door frame. She bent down and leaned his body forward so it was over her shoulder part way. She squatted up a little bit with his weight. His rear end made it into the side door of the van. Something fell into the gutter. She didn't notice. She paused for another moment and looked around. She climbed inside of the van. His feet soon disappeared inside. She came back out of the side door and closed it.

Hank could see the female Fanatic was a killer.

"She didn't hesitate to take him out." Hank said.

Larry thought it was a pretty good ruse whatever she'd used.

"It looks like she tricked him into looking at her tire." Larry said.

Hank noticed the way the man looked around several times before he joined her along the side of the van.

"I have a feeling he wanted a little more than the van." Hank said.

Larry noticed the same thing.

"She's from the future, a future, she knows what happens to females." Larry said. "I'm sure she's no stranger to such events. She knew she was dealing with someone from the future."

Hank wondered which group it actually was.

"We don't know who any of them are." Hank said..

Larry thought they could narrow it down some.

"We can assume he wasn't a Fanatic." Larry said.

The female Fanatic was a little tired. It was a lot harder to load a dead body inside of the van than it was to pull one out of it. She'd pulled two of them out of it earlier.

She was only about two miles away from her target. She thought about leaving the two boxes she'd taken from the Gray's location earlier into the trunk of the man's sedan. She could come back later for them.

She took one look back at the sedan. She was sure it was going to draw too much attention with the cracked windshield. She decided to move back closer towards the target location. She would see about acquiring another vehicle. She wanted it so it would be ready for her after she used the van as a bomb. She still needed to worry about the police. Why did they approach her in the first place? She was sure there was more to the story than she knew.

It was time to move on. She glanced in the back of the van. The dead man was there along with her bomb. She took one more look around and drove off. She decided to go back to the street she'd been on before. There were several vehicles parked there. If they were still there, she would take one of those.

The female Fanatic didn't drive past the target location. She turned off several streets before it and took a few of the smaller back streets. She parked two blocks away. She went in search of another vehicle.

Hank and Larry were able to track the female Fanatic's movements.

"Do you want to follow her or inspect the damaged vehicle?" Hank asked.

Larry knew where she was going.

"I think we know what she's up to." Larry said. "Let's give the car a once over."

Hank put their SUV into motion. He arrived in back of the sedan a minute later.

"I'll check the vehicle." Hank said. "Check where the female Fanatic took the man down. She had some difficulty loading him into the van."

Larry didn't think he would find anything. It never hurt to look.

"I'll check it out." Larry said.

Hank briefly inspected the interior of the vehicle and popped open the trunk. There was nothing of any value.

Larry looked over the area where the van had been parked and the man was shot. He spotted something in the gutter. He picked it up. It was a phone. He wasn't sure who it belonged to. The glass on the front of it was cracked.

"Let's go." Larry said. "I'll see if I can determine anything from the phone. I'm not sure which one of them it belonged to. I don't think it was the female."

Hank and Larry returned to their SUV and drove away. They wanted to move back closer to where the female Fanatic was at. They watched as she looked over another parked vehicle.

Some Of It Is Just Better

What is 'good enough'
Is there such a thing
Everyone to the table
Has something different to bring

What was once good
Often can fall short
Maybe it's in one's mind
Reality they actually contort

At the top of their game
One doesn't last for long
It's really about their ability
It's not about being strong

As people continue to grow
It's seldom in the same direction
Quicker than they think
It can lead to rejection

One may overextend
They end up as a debtor
There's a good reason
Some of it is just better

Nobody