Chapter 1255
As Long As It Takes
Cam backed away from the overhead grate above her. It appeared to be loose. It was clear someone pried it open. It was no longer a tight fit. She heard something move away from the outside of it a second ago.
She thought the grate must be visible to the drones. She took a chance to look upward. She couldn't see the stars. There was something above the grill. There was noise again from below her now. It was in back of her. She went back down and looked up the narrow pipe off to the side. She was going to have to crawl on her hands and knees through it.
Cam heard more noise from above and from the narrow pipe. She was about to go up the small pipe when she heard a third noise back from the way she'd come.
Now there was activity on three sides of her and nowhere for her to go. There was still no sign of Cammy.
Things seemed to go from bad to worse in just a few seconds.
It really made her wonder what it was about and what they'd missed there before. Nothing was different down where she was at other than the noise from three directions and the pried off grate at the end, or beginning, of the drainage system. She thought it depended upon how one looked at it.
Cam hoped it wasn't the beginning of her end.
Al and Ed moved through the drainage system. They spoke in a low decibel manner.
"We should have burnt this place to the ground the first time we were here." Al said.
Ed agreed. He knew there was little they could do at this point.
"We should have, but we didn't." Ed said.
Al didn't like the unnecessary risk.
"Now we face an unknown danger for nothing." Al said.
Ed thought the purpose was served for leaving the structure intact. It did produce some results. They'd taken down some of the enemy because of it.
"That's why it wasn't burnt. The purpose was so we could see who else came here." Ed said. "Someone came here. The plan worked. A group of Fanatics was taken down. We wouldn't have known about them as soon as we did if the events hadn't played out the way they did."
Al understood the longer any enemy group operated, the more damage they could do.
"Affirmative…." Al said.
They reached a junction that divided the pipe into two smaller halves.
"This must be the junction Cam spoke of." Al said. "Look there's an arrow drawn in the silt."
Ed was a little apprehensive.
"Let's go." Ed said.
They both drew their Taser and M9.
They hoped it was Cam or Cammy who drew the arrow. As far as they knew, it was a sucker play. They would need to use caution going forward.
Savannah sent Steve and Tom to check out the surface contact next to the building. They protested until she said it would be an 'order' if they didn't leave at once, or she would go there herself and they would remain at the SUV.
"The threat isn't here where I'm at." Savannah said. "The threat's down there next to the building. We can all go."
They left immediately once she said she would go. They knew she would do it. They both thought there was less risk for her to remain with the SUV.
Savannah remained behind to cover the entrance into the drainage system and be the backup for any of the three teams if it was needed. There were drones backing her up. It was the best they could do for right now.
She needed to keep track of what was going on around her. She looked at the images of the unknown surface contact several times. It was impossible to tell what it was, other than the fact there'd been some type of movement. It made her wonder what the actual nature of the threat was. The thought of a Liquid Metal Terminator popped into her head. It wasn't a threat she wanted to face. It wasn't a threat she wanted anyone from the Resistance team to face. She didn't like to send Steve and Tom down alone to investigate. She also needed to keep the back door open for the Terminators inside of the drainage system. She needed to make sure no one else went in behind them.
Steve and Tom neared the area where contact was spotted briefly. It was a heat signature that moved for a second and disappeared. Someone was obviously hiding in the area now. The drone hadn't picked up anyone leaving the area.
Both of them were worried about leaving Savannah behind.
Tom witnessed first hand how Savannah would fight when necessary. It worried him. It was more than just fighting when she need to fight. She would fight when the opportunity presented itself. She would risk herself to take the fight to the enemy.
"We shouldn't have left her alone." Tom said. "I know she will risk everything if there's danger. She won't back down. I've seen her stay and fight when any other humans would have run."
Tom remembered the time she sent him to safety, on a drone, when he was incapacitated. She could have gone herself. She didn't. She got all of the Terminators who were suffering from the electrical field away from the area. There was no way for her to get out. She'd stayed behind to face certain doom. Young Allison, with CamNet's assistance, sent the manned drone to retrieve her at the last second.
Steve agreed. He believed it was because of her extensive involvement with Cameron and the other Terminators.
"She's no longer just a human." Steve said. "She's a human Terminator."
Tom tilted his head slightly. He thought so as well.
"It's Cameron's doing." Tom said. "Savannah's love for Cameron has her writing checks her body can't keep cashing. It's almost cost Savannah her life several times. That's just what I've seen with my own eyes. We only see parts of it."
It made Steve wonder about the power of love. It was an invisible force that was as real as Coltan.
"Love is an unseen force. It doesn't exist in physical matter but exists in reality." Steve said. "At least she has drone support to back her up."
Tom figured CamNet would do more to back Savannah up.
"CamNet will direct more Terminators this way." Tom said. "You can count on it."
Steve held out his hand to slow Tom.
"We need to be quiet now." Steve said. "I can see the target area."
Tom checked all around them.
"Affirmative…." Tom said.
They didn't know what danger lay ahead. Cammy and Cam were down there. Al and Ed were in there as well. They figured Savannah would be too before long. She would either be there or enter the drainage system where the others went in at.
Savannah checked around her and all of the drone images. She decided no drones were necessary over her current position. She wanted them to back up the other teams. She wanted them on recon. She wanted to know what else was going to happen around where they were at. She felt confident with her decision.
Young Allison wasn't pleased with the current situation of Savannah being alone.
"I knew Savannah was going to send all her help away." Young Allison said.
Anna felt it was Savannah's prerogative.
"She's the one on the battlefield." Anna said. "She's asked for control of everything within her vision."
It was Savannah sending the drones away which bothered Young Allison the most.
"She's sent all the drones to back up the others and do recon." Young Allison said. "She's literally all alone."
Anna was updated by CamNet.
"CamNet has another drone on the way." Anna said. "It will be able to free up one of the ones Savannah just sent away."
Young Allison wasn't sure what difference it made.
"Savannah will send it away again anyway." Young Allison said.
Anna believed Young Allison needed to be a little more forceful.
"The drone it will free up is one of the ones you repaired before with Savannah." Anna said. "It awaits your personal directive."
Young Allison wasn't going to have it leave Savannah again.
"I want control of it." Young Allison said. "That's my order to CamNet and John Henry."
Anna received confirmation from CamNet and John Henry.
"CamNet has complied along with John Henry." Anna said.
Young Allison wondered which one of the drones it was.
"Is it 'Pink Butterfly' or 'Cherry Bomb'?" Young Allison asked.
Anna was going to correct Young Allison about the name of 'Pink Butterfly' but decided not to at this time.
"It's 'Cherry Bomb'." Anna said. "The one Savannah named after you."
Young Allison thought it was a play on words and referenced her chastity.
"Maybe for now it's accurate." Young Allison said. "We all know it won't be for much longer."
Anna reminded Young Allison of her standing order. It was unchangeable. It was a 'hard order' unless Savannah and Young Allison both agreed to allow the order to be changed.
"It's my job to make sure it remains accurate until Savannah or John 'alters' things." Anna said.
Young Allison wanted to give Savannah or John the 'gift' of her first experience. She hoped it would be Savannah. It was her desire. She knew her 'duty' as well. The future must be protected along with John. She would do what was necessary to prevent John's assassination by the anti-Metal faction of the Resistance. In reality it was the 'enemy within'.
"I know the rules." Young Allison said. "It was my order."
Anna was to physically prevent any other sexual contact with Young Allison. She was to use the full extent of her Terminator abilities to do so.
"I will not fail." Anna said.
Once Young Allison was able to get total control of the drone, she planned to keep it with Savannah.
"I want 'Cherry Bomb' to stay with Savannah no matter what." Young Allison said.
Anna believed Savannah was still covered, even if it was indirectly. The drones on recon could return quickly.
"It will be there shortly." Anna said. "The drones she has doing recon should give her good protection and prevent anything from approaching her in the first place."
Young Allison wondered where the other special drone was at. She believed both of them were there earlier.
"Where's 'Pink Butterfly'?" Young Allison asked.
Anna thought it was time to correct Young Allison.
"You know Savannah changed the name of the one you named after her, 'Pink Butterfly', to 'Coltan Overcast'. She said 'Pink Butterfly' was too suggestive of her." Anna said.
Anna knew it was a little too suggestive of herself as well. Since she shared Savannah's DNA and appearance, even if she appeared somewhat younger, the reference was still the same for both of them. It applied to Vanna and Hanna by extension.
Young Allison based the name on personal observation. Hanna knew what she was after and made sure Young Allison saw what she wanted when she was with Claire or Allison.
"It's why I named it that." Young Allison said. "I've seen enough glimpses of Savannah, Vanna and especially Hanna to know. I think it's something beautiful."
Anna looked a little uncomfortable. She looked down at her private area. It wasn't a subject she wanted to get into.
"I know you're talking about me too." Anna said. "It's inappropriate."
Young Allison realized it was as true as it could be. There was a Terminator version of Savannah with her all of the day and all of the night. She didn't see Allison or Cameron as being the same as herself either. Even individuals with the same appearance, were not the same individual. Everyone was different, even if some of them were the same.
"I'm sorry." Young Allison said. "I keep trying to 'jump the gun'."
Anna didn't want Young Allison to lose focus.
"Let's concentrate on what's happening now." Anna said.
Young Allison could do three or more things at once with great ability.
"I am." Young Allison said. "I can tell you every detail."
Anna quickly looked down at herself again.
"I think you just did so about 'something else'." Anna said. "I have no updates from John Henry or CamNet."
Young Allison expected more input from John Henry. She wondered if he was holding back so she would do more on her own.
"I thought John Henry would be more forceful." Young Allison said.
Anna was sure no Terminator would oppose the 'Chosen Ones'.
"He won't argue with Savannah or you." Anna said. "No Terminator will."
Young Allison wanted to hear differing views. If she was going to make a mistake, she wanted to know. She told Anna to tell her before if she was going to 'blow it'. She may not heed their advice, but she wanted to hear it. She knew the battlefield was fluid and situations could change instantly. She wanted to allow herself some flexibility as well.
"They're allowed to express their opinion or make sure we understand an imminent threat." Young Allison said. "We'll listen to everyone, even if we take a different action. We want the added input. Make sure everyone knows. It will make us stronger overall."
Anna liked the idea. She didn't want to be the only one that needed to tell Young Allison something different.
"You're very wise." Anna said.
Young Allison still looked on edge.
"It's not knowing that's irritating." Young Allison said. "We know there's a threat. We're unable to identify it."
Anna felt the force they currently possessed was a very good one.
"There are six Terminators on the ground along with Savannah." Anna said. "They are backed by a force of drones. CamNet and John Henry can assist in many ways."
It left another worry for Young Allison.
"What's the latest on any anti-Metal lead?" Young Allison asked.
Anna received no additional information. She didn't want any speculation.
"There's nothing solid." Anna said.
Young Allison wanted control of the information.
"I want to know first." Young Allison said.
Anna saw a potential conflict. There was already a similar request out there.
"So does Savannah." Anna said. "Do you want to go 'over' her?"
Young Allison didn't want to 'argue' with Savannah or squabble over something like this. Savannah needed to deal with enough where she was at.
"I do but I don't." Young Allison said.
Anna tilted her head slightly.
"That's illogical." Anna said.
Young Allison understood there was a bigger picture.
"Savannah and I need to work together on everything." Young Allison said. "I understand why. Cameron has always stressed it. We must compromise and resolve any issues we have. Cameron said any problems for us must never be carried over into the bedroom."
Anna decided not to comment about the implication. It seemed Young Allison was way ahead of herself in her plans for the future. She changed the direction of the conversation, sort of.
"What about John?" Anna asked.
Cameron stressed they must keep John focused.
"We can argue with him." Young Allison said. "It is our job to keep him on track and focused to help prevent him from making mistakes that cost lives."
Anna wanted to hear how far they would go.
"Are the rules just for humans?" Anna asked.
Young Allison believed all of the Resistance forces should be treated the same.
"No. We'll protect Terminators and all of the machines too. We'll help all of the Resistance forces equally." Young Allison said. "Everyone will be treated the same."
Anna smiled at Young Allison.
"Now you know why you're the 'Chosen Ones'." Anna said.
Young Allison could tell Anna was trying to keep her thinking about other things. It wasn't working very well.
"How much longer are you going to try and distract me?" Young Allison asked.
Anna didn't want Young Allison to dwell on where Savannah was at and what she was doing.
"It will be as long as it takes to keep you from worrying about Savannah." Anna said.
Young Allison frowned.
"It's not working." Young Allison said.
She was very worried about Savannah.
Savannah made the decision to send Steve and Tom down to check the surface contact. She didn't want one of them to go alone. They both protested her decision as did John Henry.
She was behind the wheel of the SUV as she watched everything around her. There weren't any drones currently over her. She'd sent them all to reinforce the other teams and out on recon. Her biggest concern was the associates of the two men who were in the van. They weren't sure if they were Grays or the anti-Metal faction. They were sure one group penetrated the other. They'd encountered the same scenario before.
The strike with the tanker truck took care of what they thought were the Fanatics.
She was sure one of the groups would make an appearance. It's why she wanted the drones that weren't covering the Terminators on recon.
She waited for Steve and Tom to investigate the heat signature they'd picked up on the ground near where Cam and Cammy were supposed to make their next check in, which they'd missed. Al and Ed were already in the drainage system searching for them or any threat which existed within.
A short time later John Henry broke her train of thought.
"Savannah, you now have drone support." John Henry said.
Savannah wanted more coverage around the area.
"I want it to go on recon with the rest of them." Savannah said.
John Henry's words caught her off guard.
"It's not possible at this time." John Henry said.
Savannah wondered if one of the drones was having a problem or about to malfunction.
"Why isn't it possible?" Savannah asked.
John Henry tried a diplomatic approach.
"It has been ordered to stay with you for the duration of the mission and until you return to the base." John Henry said.
Savannah wondered where the confusion came from.
"I didn't order any drones to do that." Savannah said.
John Henry thought it was time to spell it out.
"It's a directive from CamNet. The order was given in the Young bunker." John Henry said. "It's unchangeable."
Savannah understood the nature of the order. She needed to think about the worry she'd caused others. She could see it too when she sent Steve and Tom away.
"Allison…." Savannah said. "The order can stand."
Savannah was aware of Young Allison's concern for her.
"CamNet said it was a 'special delivery'." John Henry said.
Savannah was sure it was one of the two drones they'd repaired.
"Is it 'Coltan Overcast' or 'Cherry Bomb'?" Savannah asked.
John Henry repeated what he was told.
"I was told it was 'Cherry Bomb' because 'Pink Butterfly' was unavailable at this time." John Henry said.
Savannah pressed her legs tighter together.
"'Pink Butterfly' is to be referred to as 'Coltan Overcast' and not by the 'other name'." Savannah said.
John Henry was sure what 'Pink Butterfly' referred to. He'd done extensive 'research' on females. At any given time his server would review thousands of images. There seemed to be a never ending supply. He actually began to wonder how many females hadn't posed for nude or compromising photographs.
"Affirmative…." John Henry said.
Savannah needed to know every development.
"I'll sit tight for now but I'm ready to move in a moment's notice." Savannah said. "I want to be notified as soon as one of the teams makes a report."
She was worried about the delayed check in time by Cam and Cammy. The recent developments with the unidentified movement didn't help matters any either.
The group on the ship was in the main theater as they watched a magic act and various card tricks. They were all in the front row. No one elected to sit in the private boxes tonight.
Jan and Summer enjoyed the entertainment.
Summer wanted to sit next to Cameron. Claire said it was fine with her.
Cameron would lean her head down a little and Summer would whisper to her how the magic act or the card trick was done. It was the same thing all the Terminators were doing as well. Summer was the only one of the humans not to be fooled.
The show ended and everyone started to file out. The magician came out after the curtain was closed and the crowd was leaving. He'd noticed Summer talking to Cameron. She'd seemed to know every magic or card trick he'd done.
Holly stood in his path as he approached the group. Gail was next to her.
"Excuse me." He said.
Holly and Gail didn't move.
"What do you need?" Gail asked.
The magician could tell the big young woman wasn't going to let him pass. He noted the size of her breasts. He thought she would make a great addition to his act. She was going to need to smile more though. The other young woman next to her was almost as voluptuous and just as pretty. There was no smile on her face right now either. The two young women looked serious.
Cameron moved around in front of them.
"I'll take care of this." Cameron said. "Everyone else can go. Use the lower exit."
Summer came and stood next to Cameron. She knew why the magician was there. The Metal girls took everyone else away.
Cameron didn't like to be on display. They were always people who would be early for the next show. There were people who stayed over from the first show to watch the second show.
"Let's go backstage." Cameron said.
She followed the magician through a door and up a narrow flight of steps onto the stage behind the curtain.
He wanted to ask Cameron if he could show her daughter some additional card tricks. He thought Cameron looked very young to have a daughter that age. The more he thought about it, the more he realized it actually must be her sister.
He said he'd never seen anyone so young be able to figure everything out. He wanted to encourage her to think of the magic trade as she grew older. What impressed him was she knew what he was going to do, before he actually did it.
Cameron was aware of Summer's great intelligence. She was also aware of her 'special ability'. She didn't want to put Summer under direct scrutiny. She wanted to refocus the magician's attention.
"I'm a fast learner too." Cameron said. "Show me a few simple card tricks."
The magician did.
Cameron repeated all of them with even better execution than the magician did. He was a little stunned to watch her perform. She was better than any professional.
"Have you done this before?" The magician asked.
Cameron tilted her head slightly at the question.
"It was my first time." Cameron said.
He wondered if he was being set up.
"That's impossible." The magician said. "It took me years to learn all that."
Cameron was about to ask him if it was impossible, then how did she just do it.
Summer wanted to ease the building tension. She was sure what Cameron was about to say. It would increase the tension.
"You were right. She's my sister, not my mom." Summer said.
Cameron smiled at her.
The magician didn't think he'd asked the question out loud earlier. Maybe he did.
"She's amazing." The magician said.
Summer spoke what she believed to be true.
"She's the most gifted person there is." Summer said.
Cameron knew the future belonged to the girls.
"You're pretty gifted too." Cameron said. "One day you will be better than me at everything."
Summer doubted it. Cameron was amazing.
The magician did even more complex things and Cameron matched him faster and cleaner.
Summer was able to deduce everything Cameron did.
He wanted to know if Cameron would like to become his assistant. He thought they could develop some really good acts. He thought her beautiful looks would help with the distractions. There was a lot of cleavage showing, it was always a good distraction. It actually distracted him quite a bit now.
She told him she was currently employed elsewhere.
He thanked Cameron and Summer and said they were both gifted. They left to go back and join the others.
Jan and Holly waited with Sarah and Kyle. Claire waited with Hanna. Bob was there now too. John was ushered away by Ally and Sheila. He protested and didn't go far. Sheila wasn't going to do anything to upset him. She hoped he would request the use of her chassis again. Gail and Jesse went with Derek and Riley.
Cameron and Summer exited the stage. Summer said 'hello' to Bob. He answered her back. He wasn't sure why Jim sent him back there. He wondered if Jim thought Cameron was going to terminate the magician. He wanted to know a little more.
"What happened here?" Bob asked. "Jim directed me back here."
Cameron took the whole thing as a challenge.
"I needed to teach the magician a lesson." Cameron said. "He didn't understand how Summer could identify all of his tricks. The simple answer is, she's more intelligent than he is."
John hoped Cameron didn't actually say it to him. He decided not to ask. If she hadn't, it might prompt her to do so.
Everyone formed back up into couples.
"Where are we going now?" John asked.
Cameron knew there were several options available to them. Based upon their current attire, she thought some venues were more appropriate than others.
"The Rockabilly Trio is playing in the lounge at the rear of the Promenade Deck." Cameron said. "It's live entertainment and good music."
Jan and Summer wanted to see the live music. They'd heard about some of the things from yesterday.
Holly told Claire and Sarah she would bring the girls back and make sure they got to bed on time. She would make sure all hygiene matters were attended to.
Riley wanted to go back to her room but Derek asked if they could watch the music for an hour or so.
Derek and Kyle exchanged glances.
Kyle thought it was a good idea too. He remembered Derek said it took about an hour for the medicine to kick in.
The group went up the elevator one floor and headed towards the back of the ship.
Ally looked around and noticed Sheila wasn't with the group any longer. She wondered if she went to look up the two young ladies they'd interacted with earlier. She never saw Sheila speak with Cameron like she said she would. She thought about going to the girl's cabin and checking things out. She hoped Sheila scanned the two young ladies first. She was afraid John might end up with 'something'. Their sexual history was unknown. Ally slipped away from the group. This was going to call for some further investigation.
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. They could move in now and take her down. They wanted to see what she was going to do first. They were pretty sure she was going to attack the building. It appeared she intended to escape from the area alive, if it was possible, since she wanted to acquire another vehicle.
"The more she does, the less we will need to do." Hank said.
Larry agreed. They could enter the facility at any time. He wanted to go through the phone he found where the van had been parked.
"Depending upon what I can find on the phone, we may have additional targets of our own to deal with." Larry said.
Larry went through the phone.
Hank kept track of what the female was up to as well as what happened at the target location.
Larry was a little alarmed at some of the information he could access.
"I think the man the female Fanatic took down was from the anti-Metal faction." Larry said.
Hank knew it was a problem if he was.
"How do you know?" Hank asked.
Larry was able to view some text messages.
"By some of his comments to another person" Larry said. "I can guarantee he's not a worshiper of SkyMaster."
Larry reported his findings to CamNet.
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.
She'd spotted several vehicles earlier when she was on the street in back of the target location. She didn't think anyone was around the businesses which were located there. There hadn't been any movement when she was there earlier. She approached the location on foot now. One vehicle caught her eye earlier. It was still parked there. It was the one she would take.
The target location was just down the street and over the fence from where she currently was at. She was tempted to go back to where she was before and see if there were any new developments. She knew she could get over the fence where she'd observed the conversation before. She didn't know if she wanted to take a chance.
It was clear what the man's intentions were who said he would assist her earlier. It appeared he had other plans in mind for her. It was OK with her. She had other plans for the rest of their group.
The intel from her previous visit indicated there should be five individuals within the target structure. The thought briefly crossed her mind she might be able to take them down, if she could get the advantage somehow. It would be pretty hard to do with five of them. She might be able to get two or three of them before there was some type of response.
She knew she'd been close to being taken prisoner by the other man earlier. If she hadn't had her pistol out and pointed at him, things could have ended much differently. She figured at this point, he'd be on top of her for the third time already. She was glad he was dead.
The female Fanatic carried the knife she'd taken from the Gray at the hillside complex. She currently carried her pistol and the pistol she'd picked up off of the ground after she killed the man by the side of her van. She hadn't brought any of the long guns with her.
She wanted to know a little bit more about the building. She decided to go back to where she'd been at earlier. She thought about going a different way. She decided to go the same route she'd used before. She hadn't encountered any obstacles she couldn't negotiate.
They're still hadn't been any dogs along her path. She was grateful for their absence. She would kill the dog if she needed to. It wasn't what she wanted to do. She moved back up to the fence with the missing bricks on the top of it. She stacked the ones on the ground up again. She'd unstacked them when she left before. It was done in case anybody checked.
The building looked quiet from the rear. There were several smaller buildings in the rear of the property. She wondered what was in them. She didn't think she would have time to check once she arrived with the bomb in her van. She started to climb over the fence but paused. Maybe there was a better spot for her incursion. She'd been drawn to the other spot because the men were very close to it when they'd spoken with each other earlier. It was very near the main building.
Hank and Larry were a little surprised at the female Fanatic's actions. They could see she was headed back to the target building.
"Why is she going back there on foot?" Hank asked.
Larry thought she would acquire a new vehicle and move it to where her van was at.
"We don't know what she heard earlier." Larry said. "Maybe there's something else there she wants."
Hank could think of a multitude of things.
"It's possible they may have a prisoner." Hank said. "Maybe she wants to free them first."
Larry didn't think so.
"If she can blow the building up, she will help him reach Ascension." Larry said.
Hank knew she wanted to obtain a new vehicle.
"Based upon what we've seen so far, she's not quite ready to achieve Ascension herself." Hank said. "She may be ready, but she's clearly in no hurry. She would have used the bomb in her van already."
Larry was a little surprised at what she did next.
"She's just gone over the wall." Larry said. "She must be after something."
Hank thought they could do something else while she was busy.
"We should drop by and see what was in the boxes she took from the other building." Hank said. "We can take a look and take anything we want."
Larry wasn't so sure it was a good idea.
"Are we going to deactivate the bomb?" Larry asked.
Hank actually deactivated it earlier.
"We've only assumed she rearmed it." Hank said. "She could have used it right now instead of parking where she did."
Larry wanted to use caution.
"Let's get a little closer and check things out first hand." Larry said.
Hank drove their SUV towards where her van was parked
The female Fanatic wanted to find out more about the target location. She wanted to check out the structures at the rear of the property. One was much bigger than the other two. She watched the door of the building for another thirty seconds. She didn't see any security cameras on the rear of the building. She made up her mind. She pulled herself up to the top of the wall and dropped over to the other side.
She dropped down and paused in a kneeling position where she was at. If she heard any type of alarm raised, she would go back over the wall. The wall was the lowest where she currently was at. It would be the easiest spot for her to go back over.
Nothing happened. No one came out of the building.
She quickly ran along the side of the wall to the first out building. It was the biggest of the three. There was a roll up door on the front of it. There was a regular door next to it. She tried the door, it was locked. She moved back to the roll up door and pulled on it. It was secured as well. She moved around to the side of the building. There were two windows. There was another door towards the rear. She moved up to the first window and carefully looked in. She couldn't see anything. She dropped down below the window and moved to the second window. She moved to the far side of it and peered in. She couldn't see anything. She tried the rear door on the side. It was locked. She thought about breaking a window to see if she could go inside. She didn't want to set an alarm off and get trapped at the rear of the property. The wall along the back was too high for her to climb.
The next two buildings were much smaller. They were nothing more than large sheds. She glanced back towards the main building. There was no movement. She approached the first of the sheds. The door was partly open. There were two doors which slid to the sides to open them. There were a bunch of boxes thrown inside of it. They appeared to be empty. She looked back at the main building and moved towards the other shed. It was locked with a padlock. The padlock was old and rusted. She didn't think it was anything new.
Her next choice was going to be a gamble. She decided to move towards the main building along the opposite wall. She hadn't been able to get a good look at what the other side of the building looked like. There was only a walkway along the eastern side.
She ran in a low crouch towards the building. She was pretty sure she could get over the eastern wall with a little effort. It was the same height as the western wall was. She didn't know what was on the other side. She figured if there was a dog over there, it would have barked by now. Then again, if it was trained, it wouldn't bark at all. It would wait until someone entered its territory and attack them.
There were no doors or windows along the eastern side. Now she needed to make a choice. Should she go back the way she'd come and follow the same route? Should she try to go out the front on the east side? Should she chance it and go across the back of the building?
She moved up to the corner of the east side and the back of the building and peered around. There was a dumpster in the back of the building. It was completely filled to the top. She doubted there was any current trash pickup. If all the trash what's from the anti-Metal group, it appeared they'd been there for a while.
The female Fanatic made a dash across the back of the building. She was almost to the dumpster when she heard the rear door open.
Hank and Larry were on foot. They approached the van. They continued to monitor the drone footage around their location as well as the target location. They kept track of what the female Fanatic was up to. They watched her journey around the rear of the property. They spoke in a decibel level so low, only another Terminator could hear them.
"She's on the east side now." Hank said.
Larry looked at the drone image.
"She won't find much over there." Larry said. "There's no roof access either from the rear."
Hank watched her make a dash across the back. They were able to see the door on the rear of the building open and one man walk out. The female Fanatic paused next to the dumpster. She quickly moved back against the wall. She put the dumpster between her and the man.
"She may be terminated sooner than we think." Hank said.
Larry didn't really think it mattered.
"She will be terminated soon enough." Larry said.
They reach the van.
Hank was able to open the front passenger door again.
"Let me take a look first and then I'll open the side door." Hank said.
Hank moved into the rear of the cargo section of the van as he'd done the first time. There was only one terminated individual in there this time. The last time there were two of them. He noted the bomb had been reactivated. He quickly deactivated it again.
He opened the side door and Larry looked in. He handed Larry one of the two boxes of items the female Fanatic removed from the last building she'd been inside of.
"Let's see what we can find." Hank said.
Hank and Larry continue to monitor the drone footage around them, as well as where the female Fanatic was at. They began to look through the boxes.
The female Fanatic made a dash along the back of the building. She was about to pass along the back of the dumpster when the rear door of the building opened. She quickly moved back against the far side of the dumpster and the wall. She pulled her pistol out. It wasn't the spot where she wanted to be for a gunfight. More than likely, other individuals would come out the rear of the building before she could make it to the fence. She would be at least a table to kill the closest man. It would still leave four others based upon what she'd heard with the earlier conversation.
She tried to look along the back side of the dumpster against the wall. She couldn't see anything. She didn't hear anyone talking. There didn't seem to be an alarm raised. She pulled out her other pistol and held one in each hand 'Wild West' style. She decided to shoot the man and run back along the east side of the building and go out the front.
"Why do I always have to take the trash out?" The man muttered. "I didn't sign on to be the trash man."
She held both pistols up ready to fire. She could hear a thud next to her. Her fingers tensed on the triggers. She could hear the footsteps of the man walking away. She carefully peered around the front of the dumpster. She saw him walk back towards the door in the building.
A second head appeared at the door.
"Is there any sign of Jackson?" The first man asked.
"I don't think he's been gone for very long." The second man said.
"He should be back soon." The first man said.
"He may have stopped to knock one off." The second man said. "You know Jackson."
"If we're lucky, he'll bring one back." The first man said.
"He might, but not before he 'does' her a couple of times first." The second man said.
"I guess things aren't too different in the past as they were in the future then." The first man said.
"Maybe we should open up the big door so he can drive in the building." The second man said. "We don't want to make it look like a hostage situation."
"I told him to find a 'working girl' if he brings anybody back." The first man said.
"I still think we should open the big door." The second man said.
"No. I don't want to leave it open." The first man said. "He knows the signal for us to open the door."
"So he'll honk twice, pause and then honk once more." The second man said.
"Since you know the drill, you get to open the door." The first man said.
"Why do I have to do everything?" The second man asked.
"I'll let you have your turn after mine." The first man said. "How does it sound now?"
"It sounds good." The second man said. "Normally I have to go last. As soon as I hear the horn honk three times, the door is going to open."
The female Fanatic heard the rear door to the building close. She peered around the dumpster with her pistol in front of her. There was no one there. Both men went back inside. She continued her journey across the back of the building.
As Long As It Takes
How long is too long
Some say it's forever
When forever is too long
Forever becomes never
Everyone is tested in some way
Most will bend, a few will break
Maybe to hang on forever
Is what becomes the mistake
How far is too far
Some say it's not far enough
Is there a reason to hang on
When the road gets rough
Maybe it's about love
The true depth of its feeling
It takes a broken soul
It helps with its healing
Some are more devoted
They brush aside the mistakes
They will hang on forever
As long as it takes
Nobody