Chapter 1280
I Guess We Did
Savannah quickly recovered and resumed her run at a slower pace. She was really unsure what happened earlier. She was worried about 'The Redheaded Witch' and 'The Evil One' references. Was she trying to run away from herself? Maybe she was trying to run away from what she might become.
Cammy covered it up earlier. At least she covered it up for now. Cameron covered it up before. They were both afraid if word got out, it would taint Savannah. Neither Cameron nor Cammy believed it was Savannah who was actually referred to.
Savannah wasn't so sure. She knew there were times when she was ready to 'cross the line'. Then there were 'those eyes'. The eyes of the female Gray she'd strangled. The female Gray tried to strangle her first. They always seemed to haunt her some. She'd won and the female Gray lost. She could still see the life fade out of her eyes as she squeezed on her neck. She watched her die as she killed her with her hands. She could have stopped, but she didn't. It wouldn't have made a difference. One of the Terminators would have killed her anyway. Sheila was there with them. It may have been a more gruesome and painful death for the female Gray if it had been done another way.
She needed to push those thoughts from her mind. It was done. It was over with. She did what she did in order to survive. She didn't know if it was what would happen in the future. She did know one thing for certain. She would do whatever she needed to do to protect Young Allison. It didn't matter what it was. It didn't matter which lines she would need to cross. She would also do whatever she needed to do to protect Cameron and John. Isn't it what her function was really all about?
She needed to refocus. She looked around and where she was. It wasn't a location where she normally went. She was up to the foothills now. She'd gone a long way. It was going to be an even longer way back. She was very tired. Maybe she should have eaten something first. She'd wanted to push herself. She may have pushed a little too hard. She needed to think about Vanna's baby she carried. Her body had been through a lot recently with Vanna's embryo inside her.
She'd been shot in the back. Her vest stopped the bullet. She'd been in the thick smoke from the fire in the drainage system. It seemed there'd been quite a bit which occurred in just the last day. Then there was everything else before it. She needed to clear her mind. It was going to be a long slog to get back. She didn't want to be a problem for anyone.
Steve and Tom were with her. They both seemed very concerned and worried about her. She could see she'd caused them some distress. They were trying to accommodate her wishes, even if they didn't want to. She figured Cammy would have turned her around a long time ago. They weren't accustomed to her normal procedure. They felt compelled to do what she wanted. Maybe it wasn't a good thing. If she wasn't the 'Chosen One', they would have stopped her long ago. It was time to stop.
"I think maybe I better go back." Savannah said.
Steven and Tom thought it should have happened a long time ago.
"I think so too." Tom said. "You've gone a long way."
Steve wanted her to rest for a while. He was afraid she would make herself ill.
"Do you want to rest first?" Steve asked. "I think you need to rest."
Savannah brushed off the discomfort.
"I can hack it." Savannah said.
Tom didn't like to see Savannah so fatigued. There were other considerations besides Savannah herself.
"We know you can, but you don't need to." Tom said. "You must think of what's inside you."
Steve looked at his phone and showed it to Tom. They both look very relieved.
"We've been informed you'll have some transportation." Steve said. "It's on its way right now."
Savannah was as relieved to hear the news as she was a little disappointed. It seemed someone else must have been monitoring her as well. She didn't need a babysitter. She hoped to make considerable progress before the assistants arrived.
"I think we can cover a good amount of territory before they show up." Savannah said. "There's no road here other than the trail."
Steve knew someone else put the plan in motion much earlier.
"I've been informed they're almost here." Steve said.
Savannah was more than a little surprised.
"How long have we been out?" Savannah asked.
Tom was still very worried.
"I would have to say too long at this point." Tom said.
Savannah could hear the sound of a vehicle approaching.
She was relieved to see Cammy. There were three of her.
Savannah really thought she'd overdone it now.
Wait.
Savannah was afraid she was seeing double, no, triple now. She was there too. She briefly wondered if she'd damaged herself earlier. Maybe she'd experienced some kind of stroke or something. Everything was all wrong. Maybe it was some type of hallucination. Everything she looked at with her eyes, didn't make sense.
Wait.
Savannah looked again.
It was Cammy, Cam, Allison and Vanna.
She still needed to do one more double take.
Allison was behind the wheel. It was usually a cause for apprehension by the passengers. It seemed she made her own rules when she drove. There were times when anything could happen. It often did.
Savannah was glad to see them. She could tell she was much more tired than she'd first thought.
The vehicle hadn't even stopped yet when the front passenger door opened.
Cammy jumped out and ran over to her. She started to scan her.
Savannah didn't want to make a big deal about things. She tried to brush the scan off.
"I'm fine, Cammy." Savannah said.
Cammy released her. She knew Savannah had pushed it too far.
"You can sit in the front with Allison." Cammy said.
Steve held Cammy back when she started to follow Savannah. He filled her in on the earlier events and references.
Cammy became very concerned. She didn't want the information to get out. She needed to ask them to do something they really shouldn't have to.
"You must erase those references." Cammy said. "I must protect Savannah."
Steve and Tom looked at each other.
"Savannah already asked us to do it." Steve said.
Tom wanted to reassure Cammy.
"You know we'll do anything to protect Savannah." Tom said. "I'll do anything to protect her."
Cammy looked at Tom for a moment. She remembered he was stuck in the mine with them before. He was also inside of the tubing with them when they were trapped with no apparent way out. He was just as affected by Savannah's situation as Cameron and her were. She thought his concern might be a little deeper rooted now. She knew all the male Terminators were expanding and their emotional programming, even as rudimentary as it was.
They complied with Savannah's earlier request.
Savannah looked at the open passenger door. She thought Vanna should be the one to sit next to Allison in the front. She wanted to sit with Cammy.
Vanna reluctantly agreed. She always felt Allison's driving left a little to be desired.
"Great. Now I'll be the one killed first when Allison piles up." Vanna said. "My heart is still pounding from the ride over."
Allison felt a little insulted. She thought she was a good driver.
"I didn't hit anything, at least not too hard." Allison said.
Vanna witnessed something different.
"Tell it to the trash can by the corner." Vanna said.
Allison didn't feel responsible for what happened.
"Whoever owned it, should have put it away. It's their fault, not mine." Allison said. "Besides I barely touched it."
Vanna glanced at the dent in the right front corner of the fender.
"Whatever." Vanna said as she threw her arms into the air over her head.
Vanna moved into the front seat.
Savannah noticed Steve and Tom were going to go back on foot. She didn't want them to feel like they didn't matter. She wanted to include them and appreciated them looking out for her. She noticed they'd spoken with Cammy.
She looked at Cam. She turned her attention to Cammy, who was almost back to the SUV.
"I want you two to get in the back." Savannah said. "Steve and Tom are riding with me in the middle seat."
Steve and Tom didn't want to be a bother.
"We can go back on our own." Tom said.
Savannah wanted everyone treated the same. If she was riding back, so were they.
"Right now you won't have to." Savannah said. "I'd like both of you to accompany me. Good escorts are hard to come by."
Cam and Cammy looked at each other and got in the third row.
Steve and Tom sat on each side of Savannah in the middle row seat.
Savannah noticed Allison look back at her. She could see Allison was concerned about her. It made her wonder where everyone was going before they came to pick her up. She was sure if anyone would have been alerted at the base, it would have been Cammy. It was more than likely Cammy would have come alone.
"What were you doing before you came here?" Savannah asked.
Allison smiled.
"We were headed out to go to breakfast." Allison said.
Savannah felt a little weak still. She thought she could use a little nourishment.
"It sounds good. Where are we going?" Savannah asked.
Vanna looked a little irritated.
"The same place she always goes." Vanna said. "It's like a broken record. A little variety would be nice."
Allison wondered if Vanna referred to some 'fresh meat'. In the future, Vanna shared with every female she could. It seemed to be most of them. It was always Vanna's goal to give them a finish. It didn't matter if they were older or not. Some of them were horribly scarred from battle damage or burns. Vanna still took the time to work on them and make them feel good. Some of the females told her they couldn't finish anymore because they'd been in Scavenger camps. Vanna always tried it anyway. On a few of them, she was actually able to deliver. The females always thank her for making them feel like they were human again. They thanked Vanna for making them feel like they actually mattered still. It always bothered her somewhat, but she understood. She was sure Vanna prevented more than a few suicides.
She needed to clear her mind and refocus. She decided to stick with breakfast and not worry about the past, the future. She didn't want to seem overbearing.
"I remember it from when I was a kid." Allison said. "I like it. We can go somewhere different if you want."
Savannah liked the place too. They actually served a large and diverse menu. She always thought most of the restaurants possessed a very distinctive look. At least the older ones did.
"It works for me. The joint with the blue alpine roof it is." Savannah said. "I hope everyone likes pancakes."
Allison began to turn around on the steep dirt trail she was on. It started to cause quite a bit of alarm for the passengers inside of the vehicle.
Savannah didn't want to say anything about Allison's driving because she knew it upset her. She was about ready to, when Allison completed a five point turn.
It felt like the SUV was going to roll over.
Allison successfully finished the turn.
Vanna felt she needed to say something.
"I don't even feel safe in the middle of nowhere when she's driving." Vanna said. "It felt like she almost rolled it."
Tom calculated the rollover angle. It seemed Allison exhibited precise driving ability.
"The vehicle would have needed to go three more degrees before it rolled over." Tom said.
Vanna knew it was only like another foot. It was further proof of Allison's reckless driving.
"Three more degrees would have been only a few more seconds." Vanna said.
Steve was impressed Allison could cut the maneuver so close.
"You're absolutely correct." Steve said. "It was very skillful driving. I wouldn't have gone further myself."
Allison looked back at everyone and smiled.
Vanna didn't want praise to go where it wasn't deserved. They'd all been in peril.
"We're lucky we're all still alive. I think it was more luck than skill." Vanna said. "She seems more of a KILL-full drive, than a skillful one."
They started down the trail until it turned into a dirt road and then soon it morphed into a paved road. The SUV had clearly been where it shouldn't have been. It more than likely should have been under the control of a Terminator.
Steve and Tom were both surprised as Savannah reached over and took a hand of each of them. It was a very soothing and pleasant experience for them. They understood Savannah silently thanked them. The only trouble was, they couldn't remember what for. Those files were now erased.
Cammy and Cam noticed and looked at each other. Neither of them commented. Cammy reached up and started to scan Savannah again.
Savannah rolled her eyes but allowed Cammy to scan her. She was aware it would cause Cammy even more distress if she didn't.
Samantha urged the girls to go out earlier. She figured Precious should be good for a few hours. If not, Vanna pumped some breast milk for her. She would need to make sure it was at the right temperature if it was needed.
She pushed Precious around the interior of the Resistance base in the carriage. She eventually found herself in the Command Center. John Henry, Precious and her were the only ones left at the Resistance base.
John Henry watched everyone leave earlier. He was surprised to see Samantha headed his way with the baby carriage. He'd watched her push it around the entire base before going in his direction.
Samantha entered the Command Center.
"Hi." Samantha said.
John Henry wasn't sure why she was there.
"Hello, Samantha." John Henry said.
Samantha didn't like the base so empty. She'd actually inspected everything herself. She was prepared to grab Precious and run if necessary. Everything appeared in order.
"This place is like a ghost town." Samantha said.
It gave John Henry less to worry about.
"It is for now." John Henry said. "The others will return soon enough."
Samantha wanted to bring something up. She was a little uneasy about it.
"Are you going to send Savannah out on a combat mission?" Samantha asked.
John Henry never liked to see her go. It was usually Cameron's fault. He didn't want to take the blame for all of Savannah's combat activity.
"I never send her. She goes on her own accord." John Henry said. "She wants to serve with Cameron."
Samantha looked over all the screens.
John Henry knew there was only so much she could view visually.
"Do you want to plug in?" John Henry asked.
Samantha looked over at Precious. She wanted to remain focused on her.
"Not yet." Samantha said. "I need to attend to Precious."
John Henry wasn't so sure what needed to be attended to with Precious. She was in the baby carriage. He noticed Samantha still checked on a few things.
"What are you looking for?" John Henry asked.
Samantha wanted to look for something specific.
"I wanted to see where Savannah's mate was at." Samantha said.
John Henry wasn't sure he liked the reference.
"I don't think you should refer to Cameron or John in such a manner, at least not at this time." John Henry said. "You know they're on the ship."
Samantha smiled. She understood the real situation.
"I meant her true mate." Samantha said.
John Henry didn't know if the reference to Young Allison was any better. He didn't think so.
"Young Allison is out doing her physical training." John Henry said.
Samantha wanted to do more. She felt she could contribute more to the Resistance. Riley was much more capable now. Vanna and Jesse were always there to help out as well.
"I look forward to being able to go out soon." Samantha said.
John Henry looked at Samantha and scanned her again.
"Your sheath is nearly Resequenced." John Henry said. "It was beautiful before. It will be just as beautiful again."
Samantha liked to hear others tell her she was pretty.
"The face is the slowest part." Samantha said. "Everything else is Resequenced. I'm almost identical to Claire. A human can't tell the difference below my neck."
John Henry hoped to be with Claire. It would give him a heads up if he could examine Samantha in detail 'everywhere'.
"I would like to see everything." John Henry said.
Samantha looked at John Henry. She thought she'd given him a pretty good look earlier.
It seemed the words slipped out by surprise.
"I'll let you touch mine, if you let me touch yours." Samantha said.
Samantha glanced down at Precious.
"She won't tell anyone." Samantha said.
John Henry glanced at the security cameras and monitors.
Samantha understood John Henry's concern. She knew there were several 'dead spots' around the base. She'd just made the tour earlier.
"There are other places." Samantha said. "Nobody will know."
She noted John Henry looked very uneasy.
Earlier:
Young Allison continued on her run.
Anna didn't want Young Allison to overdo it.
"You'll need to rest soon." Anna said.
Young Allison knew she was pushing it. She brushed it off.
"I'm in my prime." Young Allison said.
Anna wanted her to relax.
"Nevertheless, you will rest soon." Anna said. "I have some water and a snack for you."
Young Allison looked over at her and frowned.
"I know it does little to protest." Young Allison said.
Anna knew the issue ran deeper with Cameron.
"I'll be the one blamed and deactivated if anything happens to you needlessly." Anna said.
Young Allison didn't like the thought.
"I can prevent it." Young Allison said.
Anna wanted her to understand there was more than one way to prevent it.
"Yes you can. You can do it by following the rules and taking a bite to eat and drink." Anna said. "If I'm negligent in my duties, I should be deactivated for the failure. An example must be set for everyone else. Don't make me get punished."
Young Allison didn't want Anna to glitch out. She looked up the trail ahead.
"Chill out." Young Allison said. "We can stop by those rocks."
Anna was relieved.
"See, it wasn't so hard." Anna said.
Young Allison wanted to reach a specific destination.
"Do you know where we're headed?" Young Allison asked.
Anna always knew where they were. So did CamNet and the Detail.
"You're headed to the pool by the back way." Anna said.
Young Allison knew they were early.
"We'll be there a few hours before it opens." Young Allison said.
Anna didn't see it as a problem.
"I have the access codes." Anna said. "We can be in and out before the first workers arrive."
Young Allison quickly looked at Anna.
"I want to swim naked." Young Allison said.
Anna looked back at her.
"You know it's not permitted." Anna said.
Young Allison felt she could permit it. In this situation, she was aware she could change the rules.
"I'm going to permit it." Young Allison said.
Anna wanted some moderation.
"No." Anna said.
Young Allison wanted to be ready for the past. She was aware there were quite a few places where all types of activity could occur in the past. They were part of history.
"You're not going to make me wait for Woodstock are you?" Young Allison asked.
Anna tilted her head slightly.
"We should return from the past before Woodstock happens." Anna said.
Young Allison wanted to make a few stops on the way back to the future, the present, when they returned from the past.
"I want to take a 'time-layover' on our way back to the future." Young Allison said. "The future from the past is actually the present for us now."
Anna didn't like the added risk. There was always the possibility of a temporal error.
"It's highly unadvisable." Anna said.
Young Allison didn't care for the 'negative' attitude.
"What isn't?" Young Allison asked.
Anna believed the answer was self evident.
"Following the rules isn't unadvisable." Anna said. "It's a good idea."
Young Allison finished her energy bar and drank some water.
"Let's go." Young Allison said.
Anna updated with John Henry and CamNet while Young Allison consumed her snack.
"Savannah is out for her run." Anna said.
Young Allison worried Savannah was overdoing things.
"I want her to take it easy." Young Allison said. "She's pushing herself too hard."
Anna knew it was a two way street as far as how the girls thought about each other.
"She thinks the same way about you." Anna said.
Young Allison thought about her brief stop.
"Is that why I needed the snack break?" Young Allison asked.
Anna knew Savannah's concerns were deep rooted
"She cares about you." Anna said. "I know."
Young Allison thought Anna would know better than anyone. She did the 'Neural Interface' with Savannah on a frequent basis.
"I guess you would." Young Allison said. "Cammy will watch over her."
Anna wanted Young Allison to know things were different today.
"Cammy is with Allison." Anna said.
Young Allison wasn't so sure she liked Allison at the base with Savannah all the time. She didn't want to end up in competition with 'herself'. She wondered how she was supposed to deal with the situation of that nature. She wondered if Savannah was alone.
"Who's with Savannah?" Young Allison asked.
Anna didn't want Young Allison to become overly concerned.
"Steve and Tom are with her." Anna said.
Young Allison took out her phone.
"I'm going to give Savannah a surprise." Young Allison said.
Anna was a little worried at what kind of a surprise Young Allison could come up with.
"Who are you calling?" Anna asked.
Young Allison knew Allison liked to drive, even if everyone else was terrified to ride with her.
"Myself." Young Allison said.
Anna tilted her head slightly.
Holly took the girls up to the buffet. They stopped by one of the pools along the way there. There were two people in one hot tub. There wasn't anyone in either of the pools they'd passed.
Jan wanted to see how cool it was. She touched the water.
"It's warmer than the air which feels very cold up here." Jan said.
Holly didn't think it was the right time for the pool.
"We can come back later." Holly said. "It will be more enjoyable when the sun is high overhead."
Jan wanted a guarantee.
"Do you promise?" Jan asked.
Holly didn't see it as a problem.
"I promise someone will bring you here to swim later on." Holly said.
Jan wanted it to be Holly.
"Where will you be?" Jan asked.
Summer looked at Holly. She wanted to 'cover' for her.
"The girls all need to share the workload." Summer said. "We can have fun with some of the other girls as well. They all want to have fun with us too."
They entered the buffet.
Jan wondered where everyone was at. The last time they were in the buffet, it was totally packed.
"There aren't too many people here." Jan said.
Summer was aware how people operated. She knew things were a little different around the Resistance base.
"It's still early." Summer said. "Many people stay up late. They start out slow in the morning."
Jan didn't think it was a big deal.
"We stayed up late." Jan said.
Summer was going to point out they hadn't consumed any alcoholic beverages either. She was also aware of what was happening in many of the cabins and suites between the occupants. She decided to keep it simple.
"I guess we did stay up late." Summer said.
Holly looked out the window.
"I can see the harbor." Holly said. "It's on the other side for now. When we are in it, it will be on both sides of us."
Jan looked at the rows of food. She was as impressed with the selection as she was with the quantity. She knew the quality would be excellent as well.
"Look at all this stuff." Jan said. "It sure beats what my mom makes for me."
Holly knew Jan's nutritional needs were met.
"You're always given proper nutrition, even if the selection is meek." Holly said.
Jan knew her mother took good care of her.
"You're absolutely right." Jan said. "Both of my parents look out for me."
Holly picked a window table with a good view. The girls headed for the buffet.
Summer was a little upset at Jan's implication. She wanted to teach her to help herself. She could help her parents too. She wanted to teach Jan how to cook.
"I'll teach you how to make all kinds of things." Summer said.
Jan smiled. It seemed Summer was good at everything, without even trying.
"You know how to do everything." Jan said.
Summer didn't think it was anything significant. She saw the way Jan looked at all the food. She wanted Jan to use good judgment.
"Then you'll learn too." Summer said. "Remember to not overdo it on the food. We can always come back and get more. We shouldn't waste any on purpose. It's better if we go back a second time anyway, the food will stay warmer."
Jan was aware of the future.
"Dad told me about how hard food was to find sometimes." Jan said. "It was terrible."
Summer didn't want Jan to think about it.
"Everything about a Skynet future is terrible." Summer said. "Let's have fun now and pick some things."
Jan wanted to try a lot of things.
"We can share." Jan said.
Summer couldn't help but think of the full implications of Jan's statement.
"We can. It will be the way we can find out what we like." Summer said.
The girls took a quick glance at each other.
They picked half a plate each and headed to the table.
Holly ordered some orange juice and a small glass of milk for both of them.
They talked and joked with Holly and each other.
Sarah knocked and checked in the small bedroom. It was empty.
"Jan and the girls must be at breakfast." Sarah said.
Kyle was glad there were a few extra things other than just coffee on their breakfast cart. He was ready for a little more.
"It sounds good right now." Kyle said.
Sarah was going to suggest something else. She reached down and touched herself. She was still a little sore. She felt she'd really overdone things last night. She'd been like a teenager on spring break.
"I think it does." Sarah said. "The gym can wait. We're on vacation."
Kyle was relieved to hear they weren't going to the gym after all.
They quickly dressed and headed up.
Riley was on her third cup of hot chocolate.
Derek was on his second cup of coffee. He glanced out the balcony window.
"We'll be in port soon." Derek said.
Riley looked at her phone and put it down.
"How's Precious?" Derek asked.
Riley smiled faintly.
"Precious is doing fine." Riley said.
Derek could see Riley missed Precious. She wasn't the only one. He wanted to remind her there were several options available to them once they docked.
"I miss her too." Derek said. "We can always go back if you want. We can be back in about two hours once we dock and are cleared."
Riley touched her breasts.
"How much did I produce?" Riley asked.
Derek didn't want to make Riley feel bad about herself. He didn't want to be too explicit. There'd been almost nothing.
"It wasn't very much." Derek said. "You know I worked on them a lot."
Riley knew Precious was in good hands. She also enjoyed her 'alone time' with Derek. If she was the only one available to nurse Precious, she wouldn't have gone in the first place. There were others who were more capable to assist Precious. She wanted to spend some more time with Derek. She felt, quite literally, Derek's efforts were very valiant and determined.
"Yes you did." Riley said. "As long as Precious is fine, we can give it one more night."
Riley liked being on the ship, it was a nice break from the normal 'four walls' she experienced daily. She wondered with all the sexual activity, if she could end up pregnant again. Maybe it was too soon. She decided not to say anything. Since one of the Metal girls scanned her a few times a day, they would tell her. She wondered what Samantha would look like when they got back. Her sheath was already visibly well along with the Resequencing process when they'd left.
Riley heard some laughter in the hall. She peeked out the door.
"Sarah and Kyle are headed out." Riley said.
Derek figured they were headed for the buffet.
"I bet they are going for some food." Derek said. "I just made plenty of room awhile ago."
Riley could have done without the revelation. It reminded her of what she'd heard.
"Gross." Riley said.
Riley looked at Derek. She still felt a little sore.
"Let's get dressed and join them." Riley said.
Derek was glad he could give his 'little friend' a rest.
"It sounds good to me." Derek said.
Jesse decided to add some 'cream' to her coffee.
"Hold my coffee cup." Jesse said.
Jesse handed Ally her coffee cup.
Ally saw what Jesse was about to do.
"Are you really going to do it?" Ally asked.
Jesse didn't see why not. It was good enough for Precious and the other girls.
"Yes." Jesse said.
Ally handed Jesse the cup back.
"Let me do it for you." Ally said. "You hold the cup."
Jesse was a little excited at the prospect.
"It will be just like milking a cow, sort of." Jesse said.
Ally was excited to do it. She briefly pictured Jesse with four breasts like a cow.
"We'll see." Ally said. "It sure looks hot anyway."
Now Ally pictured Sheila doing something extreme of a similar nature. She would mention it to Sheila if they got their hands on another damaged female Terminator. What could it hurt to do a little experimentation?
Gail looked over at Claire.
"Thank you." Gail said.
Claire didn't think any thanks was necessary.
"Don't thank me." Claire said. "We all share."
Gail wanted Claire to have a few options.
"Would you like room service for food or to go to the buffet for breakfast?" Gail asked.
Claire was happy with what already happened. She needed to check on Summer and Jan.
"I think we just shared some real room service." Claire said. "Do you think the girls are out?"
Gail heard them leave earlier.
"They went out a while ago." Gail said.
Claire was ready for a little more adventure outside of the bedroom.
"Maybe we can join them." Claire said.
Claire looked over at the main part of the Master Suite.
"Jesse is having coffee now." Gail said. "Ally is putting milk in her cup for her."
Claire didn't know what Jesse and Ally were actually doing.
"Oh." Claire said. "Maybe we should ask if they want to go too."
Gail figured Jesse would be back at it again as soon as her coffee was ready.
"Now is a good time before they start again." Gail said.
Cameron really hoped to find someone waiting in their bed when they'd returned. It would be ideal if Sheila and Hanna were both there with a three way tether connection. She would put her chassis in the middle and switch back and forth between the three chassis for John. She felt it would excite him greatly. It would also give her the opportunity to see which one he enjoyed the most. It seemed he actually enjoyed certain parts of each sheath.
When she came around the corner all she saw was the mirror on the far wall. Nobody was there.
John was behind her.
"It's just us." John said.
Cameron didn't know if it was going to be good enough. She knew how much he liked her in Sheila's chassis and Hanna's chassis.
"I can look for another chassis." Cameron said. "I want you to have a good time."
John wanted Cameron to know she was fine.
"You're perfect how you are already." John said. "I want to be with YOU right now."
John gave Cameron a tender kiss. She didn't think she had a whole lot of choice. John seemed sincere. What else did she need to hear?
"I want it too." Cameron said.
Cameron really wanted to offer John more. She felt she'd been able to do so with the chassis swaps.
"I love you, John, and you love me." Cameron said.
"I love you, Cameron, and you love me." John said.
John guided Cameron on to the bed….
Cameron would see if John closed his eyes. If he did, he was probably thinking she was someone else. She wondered who it would be. She would see what parts of her sheath he concentrated on. It might give her a few clues.
Sheila and Hanna were in the Control Center with Jim.
"I guess we can start to make up the rooms." Hanna said. "I see everyone is leaving for breakfast."
Sheila was ready to get to work.
"The beds all got a workout last night." Sheila said.
Jim wanted to do his part.
"I'll assist you." Jim said.
Hanna looked very disappointed.
"I really wanted to have Cameron use my chassis this morning." Hanna said.
Sheila hoped for it too.
"So did I, love." Sheila said. "So did I."
Jim was pleased he wasn't selected. He was very satisfied with the way things worked out.
"We all received the same order." Jim said.
Sheila saw how tense Jim was until it was clear he was 'off the hook'.
"You sure looked relieved." Sheila said.
Jim would do his duty, but only if there were no other choices.
"I was." Jim said. "I'll allow Cameron to use my chassis but it's not my preference."
Sheila was pleased with what she'd experienced.
"Don't knock it until you try it." Sheila said.
From personal experience, Hanna believed the statement was true.
"I agree with her." Hanna said.
Jim was in no hurry to find out.
"I'm just glad we got the order to withdraw." Jim said.
Sheila was a little disappointed at the intervention.
"I didn't think she would get involved in this." Sheila said.
Hanna was surprised at the directness.
"I didn't either." Hanna said.
Jim said what they all knew, even if they all knew more.
"When CamNet speaks, everyone listens." Jim said.
None of them believed it was actually CamNet who'd made the 'suggestion'.
They all would have been a little surprised to find out who was actually behind it.
The Gray headed for his base. He checked around him to make sure he wasn't being followed. There was no one in close proximity to him. There was one suspicious looking van. It started to catch up to him as he'd slowed down when he neared the base. It turned off several blocks before he arrived there. He drove around the block several times to make sure he didn't see any other vehicles. There weren't any.
The female Fanatic followed behind the Gray. She left him plenty of space. She kept track of the two suspect locations she had information on. One of them was soon ruled out. It only left one choice. She was sure it was where he was headed. She noted when they were about a half a mile away, he slowed down dramatically. She started to catch up to him. She knew if she stayed with him any longer, she would be made. She was certain what his destination was going to be. She turned off to move to a parallel street.
She decided she was going to use her fuel bomb as soon as she could. There was no point in waiting. The others would probably attempt to pull out as soon as the Gray she'd followed returned. They'd lost a number of their personnel. He would have to figure their location had been compromised. She actually wondered which of any of their locations hadn't been compromised. Somehow everyone seemed to have dirt on everyone else.
She stopped two blocks out and looked at the satellite images of the suspect location. It was pretty much the same standard design as all of the other business locations. She wasn't going to try and go in on foot. It was broad daylight now. She figured they would be on high alert as soon as the Gray returned.
The female Fanatic studied the satellite images a little further. She also went over the street view of the images. She saw a few things which caught her interest. She might just need to take a closer look after all. If things were as she thought it would speed the delivery of her bomb into their building.
Earlier:
Hank and Larry continued to follow the female Fanatic and the Gray on a parallel Street.
"The Gray is slowing." Hank said.
Larry watched the drone image.
"She's going to catch up with him." Larry said.
Hank was sure the Gray was near his base of operations.
"I think he's almost home and wants to make sure no one else is following him." Hank said.
Larry watched as the female Fanatic turned off from behind the Gray and moved towards their street.
"She's coming our way." Larry said.
Hank immediately took evasive maneuvers.
"We'll move back down past where she came from." Hank said.
Hank and Larry avoided the female Fanatic. There was no visual contact on her part with their vehicle.
Larry watched the drone image of where the Gray turned into after he circled the block twice and where the female Fanatic parked at.
"She knew where he was going." Larry said.
Hank could see she stopped short without making a visual confirmation.
"She clearly has intel, we don't." Hank said.
Larry thought there was still some presumption on her part.
"Until she drives by the location and makes a visual confirmation, she doesn't know for sure where he's at." Larry said. "It is still guesswork on her part."
Hank knew they didn't know everything the Fanatics were involved in.
"It's possible she already knows of the location from her previous time in the past." Hank said. "I really need to get her alone so I can question her thoroughly."
Larry could see the female Fanatic was on the move again.
"It looks like you're going to have to wait." Larry said.
The Gray pulled up alongside of the building the rest of his group was in. The gate along the side of the building opened up. He figured they must have been watching for him. He'd try to call them earlier. His phone wouldn't work. The three phones he'd taken off of his fallen comrades didn't work either. He wasn't sure why not. Everything on them indicated they were fully functional. For some reason none of the calls would go through.
He drove around to the back of the building. The roll up door opened as he approached. He drove inside of the building. He could see there were several firearms pointed at him when he stopped.
The Gray in the vehicle raised his hands. He could understand their caution.
"Everyone needs to chill out." The first Gray said as he opened the door of the car.
The guns were still pointed in his direction, even if they weren't pointed directly at him.
"Why didn't you call?" The second Gray asked.
"My phone wouldn't work." The first Gray said.
"Where is everyone else at?" The third Gray asked.
The first Gray looked over his vehicle. He didn't see any obvious bullet holes.
"They didn't make it." The first Gray said.
"What about the Strike Team?" The second Gray asked.
"None of them made it either." The first Gray said. "I found all their bodies."
"What about the target?" The third Gray asked.
"It's been neutralized." The first Gray said. "I blew it up myself."
"You should have called so we could have set up an ambush to make sure you weren't followed." The second Gray said.
"I told you, my phone didn't work. None of them did." The first Gray said. "I wasn't followed by anyone."
"We have to assume this location is compromised." The fourth Gray said.
"I have to agree. We need to pull out." The first Gray said.
"I don't think the Man is going to like it." The fourth Gray said.
"The Man isn't here right now." The first Gray said. "I still hold rank."
"What about all of this stuff?" The second Gray asked as he indicated the equipment around the area.
"The Man will just have to acquire more." The first Gray said. "It's not like he has to pay for it or anything. Let's get moving. We're going to location Tango with whatever we can take in fifteen minutes."
There was a flurry of activity as the Grays prepared to pull out.
The female Fanatic didn't think she'd have long to make her move.
She could feel the effects of sleep deprivation creeped up on her. She took some more tablets of the anti drowsy medication. She almost used the entire package. She briefly looked at the instructions on the back of it now that it was daylight. It said not to take more than four in a twelve hour period. She'd already taken twice as many in half the time.
The female Fanatic started the van and headed for the new target location.
Hank and Larry knew the location of where the Gray went. The drones needed to retreat to a higher altitude as the sun came up. They could still provide them with visual images as well as provide missile support if it was necessary. They wouldn't be able to do any scans of the structure.
"The female Fanatic is on the move." Hank said.
Larry could see she was headed towards the new target location.
"I think she plans to hit them as soon as possible." Larry said.
Hank and Larry both thought it was a sound tactical move. She was going to hit the enemy before they had a chance to flee. They decided to move closer so they could make sure there were no survivors once the attack commenced.
I Guess We Did
To reach the sky
Is often the goal
Everyone seems to think
It will make them whole
The sky is too high
Nobody can reach that far
They often get picked up
On someone else's radar
When there's competition
One will win and one will lose
Who is the one
That will actually choose
When they think it's the one
They shoot for the stars
Perhaps it's just a dream
As the beauty it mars
We reached for it all
Nothing was concealed or hid
You said we made it
I guess we did
Nobody