Chapter 1405
Magenta
Savannah and Cammy waited to see where the target vehicle turned. It seemed as if it was going to turn into where they were at now behind a building.
"What are the chances of the car stopping here?" Savannah asked.
Cammy looked at her phone. The car was stopped.
"Currently, they're one hundred percent." Cammy said.
Savannah glanced over at her for a second. It didn't look like she'd made a joke. She knew sometimes Terminators took things quite literally.
The drone footage showed the passenger get out of the car. He ran across the street from the building they waited behind. He went along the side of the business there. He seemed to know what he was doing. It looked like it was with a purpose. The car drove off.
"That's different." Savannah said.
Cammy watched the Gray move alongside of the building across the street. By his continued movements, she quickly deduced what his intentions were.
"He is going to the building in back of where he's at now." Cammy said. "I'm sure he'll climb the fence and approach the property behind it from the rear."
Cammy's phone stayed on the drone image of the Gray while Savannah's tracked the car.
The car moved to the end of the block. It parked next to the curb and waited.
Cammy hoped for some better information. It seemed as if more should happen. There'd been no word on any type of contact.
"Are you getting any transmissions, John Henry?" Cammy asked. "Is there any communication?
The progress report was of little help.
"There's nothing from either phone traffic or any radio signals." John Henry said.
Savannah figured they must have a prearranged plan.
"I think they're on a time schedule of some kind." Savannah said. "They're trying to play it safe and not use any transmitted communications so they can't be tracked."
Cammy looked at the images on both of their phones.
"They don't know they're already being tracked." Cammy said.
Not only were they being tracked, they were targeted as well.
Young Allison was still concerned about the way things unfolded.
"What's this?" Young Allison asked.
Anna looked at her screens.
"It must be what it appears." Anna said.
Young Allison wanted to play it safe. Based upon what she'd witnessed one man do, she wanted to make sure nothing of the same nature happened around Cammy's team.
"Have 'Coltan Overcast' and 'Cherry Bomb' make sure nothing approaches where Savannah and Cammy are now." Young Allison said. "I mean from the back and the sides too."
Anna knew it meant to look for an ambush or a sucker play.
'Coltan Overcast' and 'Cherry Bomb' didn't spot anything in back of or around Cammy and Savannah." Anna said. "They are prepared to engage any target."
Young Allison briefly considered there could be a vagrant or homeless person in the area. They might crawl out of their hovel and show up as a target. There could also be someone disguised to look like a homeless person as well. It didn't matter. Savannah and Cammy needed to be protected. She decided not to mention it.
From the drone footage they watched the Gray on foot go over the rear fence. He approached the back of the building on the next street and checked the rear door. It seemed secure. He moved along the side of the building down a driveway. The driveway led to the street. It was the street over one block from where they were.
The Gray checked a side door as he moved along the side of the building down the driveway. It seemed secure as well. He moved to the front and checked it too.
Young Allison wanted a closer look at the Gray.
"Zoom in on him." Young Allison said.
They saw the Gray look at his watch.
It was clear to Anna everything was pre-arranged.
"He's on a timetable." Anna said. "The car will move again at a predetermined time interval."
What was next?
Cammy looked at her phone. She wanted to take a little more aggressive action. It was clear the Gray was up to something. She wanted to be there when it happened.
"I think I'm going to follow him." Cammy said.
It sounded like a bad idea to Savannah. She wanted Cammy to rethink it.
"We have a drone over him. He's locked up." Savannah said. "We know where he's at and where he's going. What would following him do, other than tip our hand if he looked back?"
Cammy wanted to take him down silently before the car arrived. She would then terminate the driver and enter the building to see what was inside. She really wanted to keep Savannah out of danger.
"It was just a thought." Cammy said.
It still seemed like a good one to her as well.
Anna noticed some new activity.
"The vehicle is moving." Anna said.
Young Allison checked the screen. She returned to the screen she'd been viewing.
"I see it." Young Allison said. "Where did the Gray go?"
She'd been watching the Gray until she looked at the other terminal.
Anna looked.
"He must be inside the building." Anna said. "He was right by the front door."
Young Allison wanted to see the blueprints of the building.
"I think everyone there needs to see the building's layout." Young Allison said. "They may need to enter it soon."
Anna sent out the request.
"CamNet has sent everyone there the information." Anna said.
Young Allison quickly glanced at them herself. She wanted to see how big the threat could actually be.
"There's no second story or a basement." Young Allison said. "I think it's a good thing."
They still needed to keep in mind there were always modifications to most of the buildings over the years. Most of the load supporting walls would remain in the same location. Any other physical layout was subject to change.
Cammy and Savannah received the blueprints.
"Here comes the Gray in the car." Cammy said.
They watched the drone footage from one street over. The Gray in the car now approached the building. He turned into the driveway and went along the side of the building to the rear. The roll up door opened and he drove inside. The roll up door closed.
Savannah hoped for a better vantage point.
"Was anyone able to spot anything inside the building when the roll up door was open?" Savannah asked.
"John Henry and CamNet are going over the images." Cammy said. "The lighting was poor inside."
Savannah looked at the 'blue prints'.
"It's a pretty standard arrangement inside." Savannah said.
Without any useful images, anything could be inside the building. They knew little more than they did before. The only new information they possessed was there were two Grays and a vehicle now inside of the building.
Young Allison was sure there was more to be seen. The trouble was, they couldn't see it.
"What was in the far corner?" Young Allison asked. "I think it's where something is at."
The image was too dark.
"Everything came back as inconclusive from John Henry and CamNet." Anna said.
Young Allison knew what it meant. There weren't a whole lot of options open to the teams on the ground at this point.
"It means they are going to go in on foot." Young Allison said.
Anna nodded.
"Apparently…." Anna said.
Young Allison wanted to give Savannah and Cammy every advantage. She was willing to push things a little. The risk of taking a few chances, far outweighed the danger to the team.
"Bring a drone down to do a scan of the interior." Young Allison said.
Anna looked at the images of the sky.
"It should be darker." Anna said.
Young Allison didn't think Cammy or Savannah would wait much longer at this point. She wanted as much information as possible for them before they acted.
"It's close enough." Young Allison said. "Do it anyway."
The unknown danger of the unknown, was the unknown.
John and the group were almost finished with dessert. They would leave soon.
Cameron looked around and took inventory of the people there.
She liked the good rapport John shared with Young Jesse. It seemed the 'competition' from the girls on the ship helped motivate Young Jesse even more. It was clear Leticia wanted a crack at John. Mary and Laura looked like they were game too. Young Jesse wasn't going to yield. She wanted to get pregnant for Jesse. She wanted a traditional conception this time.
When the group went to leave the main dining room, Cameron hung back.
Holly-Camille saw what Cameron wanted and held Young Jesse back.
There were too many people around for Cameron to speak with Young Jesse about what she wanted to say. They joined the group at the elevator. The door was open and everyone else was already inside. Leticia and Mary talked with John. There were smiles to go around and a lot of laughter.
John checked things out. Everyone was ready to sit in the front row for the 'British Invasion' show in the main theater. Bob already had the front row roped off for them.
They went up the elevator to the Promenade deck. Cameron wanted to see what Mary, Laura and Leticia looked at in the shops along the way. She also wanted to see what Young Jesse looked at. She already knew what Vanna and Allison would look at. They didn't look at anything. They never did. In the future, possessions meant death.
She wanted to know what Young Jesse liked and may want. It was the only time for her to find out. Young Jesse didn't look at many clothes along the way and hardly glanced at the jewelry. She really didn't look at much. There were some outfits for small children. She did stop and look at those. Her action wasn't lost on Mary, Laura and Leticia. Mary and Laura weren't looking to have kids at this time. Leticia was open to the idea if 'Sue' wanted her to do it.
They needed to pass through a couple of lounges and the atrium before they reached the main theater.
Cameron dropped behind the group with Young Jesse.
"I know what you're doing for Jesse and I appreciate it. It will mean a lot to her." Cameron said.
Young Jesse looked a little apprehensive. She didn't want to feel like an interloper. It wasn't her intent.
"You know I love John and you dearly." Young Jesse said. "I want to make sure everyone agrees, especially you. I won't do anything if you don't want me to. I won't go behind your back."
Cameron smiled. She was pleased with Young Jesse's directness and honesty. She expected no less from the girls.
"I do agree." Cameron said. "I know you're not out to steal John away from me and what you're about to do is for conception. I know you didn't do it the last time, even if you wanted to."
Camille always indicated how things should play out for Young Jesse. Since Camille ran Cameron's program, it was what Cameron wanted for Young Jesse. It was what she wanted for John as well.
"I wanted John to have my purity first." Young Jesse said. "It's been stressed and drilled into me it's who and how my 'first time' with a male should be. It's what I want."
It was Cameron's desire as well. She wanted to give Young Jesse a blank check as far as what happened.
"It's what you shall have. I'll allow it with no problems." Cameron said. "I want you to be happy and I want John to be happy. I want it to be a shared, loving encounter."
Young Jesse was still a little apprehensive. She still felt a little out of place based upon the current circumstances.
"I know it's your honeymoon." Young Jesse said.
Cameron saw it as much more than just her honeymoon. She wanted Young Jesse to know what the ship's rules were. There weren't any. She did want something in return. It was what she'd asked of the other females as well. She wanted to make it crystal clear. John's safety and survival was paramount to her.
"What happens on the ship, stays on the ship." Cameron said. "When we return, if there's an assassination attempt, or a valid threat against John at some point, I ask you to come and be at his side everyday, all the time. There will be other human females as well. I've asked all of the females for help to protect John from assassination."
Cameron knew John couldn't be seen as a 'Metal Lover' with only a Metal lover.
Young Jesse would do it. She thought the 'function' was Savannah's 'job'. She would need to speak with her about it in private. Maybe something happened she didn't know about. It was possible Savannah already tried it and didn't like it. She was aware Savannah had been literally seconds away, on multiple occasions, from completing the act. It was possible it was something she didn't want to talk about. It was clear Savannah's desires were focused very much in one direction. She wanted Cameron to know how far she was willing to go.
"I'll stand by John and fight at his side until I'm terminated." Young Jesse said. "I promise to do it."
It was what Cameron wanted to hear. She hoped it never came to it. She wanted Young Jesse to know she could live her life as she wanted to live it within the 'framework'.
"If you're together all of the time, you may have additional children." Cameron said. "I want you to have a full life as well."
Young Jesse wasn't looking to be a mother yet herself. She was actually worried she wouldn't be a good mother. It was the same fear Jesse felt until she started to take care of Precious and nurse her. She also wanted to help any of the other timeline versions of herself she could.
"I need to check if any other 'Jesse' needs a child. I can give a baby to you as your own child with John." Young Jesse said. "I've promised you I'll do it as well. I'll honor all of the promises I've made to you."
Cameron thought how beautiful the child would be. She hoped it was a girl. Now she wanted to go back herself and look at the clothes for small children Young Jesse looked at. Maybe it was time to get things started.
"Do you want to try it once tonight?" Cameron asked. "You can plan to spend a few hours or stay all night. Your 'window' will be at its best time tomorrow. It would be best to have your body become accustomed to what's 'new'."
Young Jesse could see Cameron was thrilled at the prospect of having a child of her own. Everyone knew she wanted Young Allison's child. It would be her 'favorite'. It made her wonder exactly what Cameron may have already lined up. She was sure there was always a lot going on behind the scenes with Cameron. She also knew it may not be the version of Cameron she talked to right now. There could be a future version of Cameron return to the past, or the present, at any time to further her own personal agenda. She knew there weren't too many temporal rules for Cameron.
"Have you harvested genetic material from Young Allison yet?" Young Jesse asked.
Cameron wondered where the conversation was going. It was already something she'd planned and got everyone on board for. She hadn't told Young Allison she would take genetic material from her yet. She was sure she would donate what was required. Claire offered the use of her body again. She was in no hurry to see Young Allison in John's bed.
"No." Cameron said. "I'm going to do it if she'll allow me to do so. Claire promised to carry it for me and have it herself."
It left the next question.
"What about Savannah?" Young Jesse asked.
Cameron remembered all the promises she'd made Savannah make to her since she was a girl. She wasn't going to hold her to any of them.
"I'll let Savannah decide on what she wants to do." Cameron said. "She's sacrificed enough. I needed to watch her give two of her children away. It was very painful for her. It hurt her deeply. It still does. It hurt me too. I feel like it was my fault."
Young Jesse reached over and took Cameron's hand. It started to glitch. She wanted to remind Cameron what Savannah was willing to do for her. She felt it was important.
"She did it the first time for you." Young Jesse said. "We popped each other's cherry and impregnated each other. She told me the baby was for you and John. She was very young when she did it for you."
The reminder gave Cameron one more thing to feel 'bad' about. She thought of the chain of events which occurred and the trek into the future. It was a big convoluted mess.
"Things worked out differently than planned." Cameron said. "We all needed to sacrifice for Duplicate Vanna. It was the right thing to do."
Young Jesse saw everyone else was long gone.
"Where is everyone?" Young Jesse asked.
Cameron listened in her com.
"They're all in the theater." Cameron said. "We need to hurry or I can have CamNet delay the opening of the show."
Young Jesse didn't want to delay anyone or disrupt their timetables. Things are already planned out for later on.
"Let's go." Young Jesse said. "We can make it."
They hurried to the main theater. They dropped down to deck six and entered the theater from the lower level.
They spied Bob.
"I've been waiting for you." Bob said.
Young Jesse giggled.
John was seated front dead center and there was an open seat on both sides of him. She placed Young Jesse on one side of him and she sat on the other. She reached over and placed John's hand and Young Jesse's hand together. The lights dimmed and the curtain opened. The show started right away without the cruise director's opening comments or statements. Cameron didn't want to hear them again.
The scantily clad dancers and singers started to perform.
The theme of the musical show was the 'British Invasion'.
'You Really Got Me' by 'The Kinks', blasted out from the stage.
The music instantly captivated the crowd.
Cameron scanned both John and Young Jesse. They were both highly sexually aroused. She was glad she'd slipped John a 'little helper' at the end of dinner service. It should be in full effect by the conclusion of the show.
She could see their entire entourage liked the way the show started. It was going to be a good night.
Cameron looked at John and Young Jesse.
It was going to be a really good night tonight for them.
The smile on Cameron's face grew. If Jesse changed her mind about the baby, it would be for her then. The smile on Cameron's face grew even larger. She could hardly wait for John to 'take' Young Jesse.
She checked her left hand and there was no glitch. She looked at Young Jesse and really hoped it would be a girl. She already knew how beautiful she would be.
Cammy was ready to act. She wanted to know more about what was inside the building.
"I'm going over the back wall." Cammy said.
Savannah checked her gear. She was going with Cammy.
"Let's go." Savannah said.
Cammy wanted to go alone. This seemed like unnecessary danger for Savannah.
"You can stay here with the SUV." Cammy said.
Savannah opened her door and got out. She didn't want Cammy to act recklessly.
"Cut the crap, Cammy." Savannah said. "We're going in together."
Cammy didn't like it but she expected no less from Savannah.
Cammy got out and collected her gear.
"Let's go." Cammy said.
Savannah and Cammy went down the side of the building where their SUV was parked behind.
They crossed the street to go alongside the building in back of the one they wanted to reach.
Savannah caught something out of the corner of her eye. She was instantly on alert.
"We have movement." Savannah said.
Cammy instantly moved in the direction Savannah indicated.
"Magenta." A male voice quickly said.
Savannah looked at Cammy.
"Cheetah." Cammy said.
Tom came out from around the building off to the side. He still carried the LAW rocket along with his M4 with the M203 grenade launcher on it.
"I've been instructed to join you." Tom said.
Savannah looked at the LAW rocket. She was glad to see they had some heavy firepower. It wouldn't make quite as big of a statement as a missile from a drone would. It would do the job though.
"We may need the rocket if we run into an HK Track." Savannah said.
Tom brought up the rear with Cammy in the lead. Savannah was between them.
He informed them Steve was close by with the SUV. He could arrive in the front of the target building in twenty two seconds.
Anna watched Tom approach Cammy and Savannah.
"You should have him signal them." Anna said.
Young Allison wanted to test everyone.
"They know what to do and when to do it." Young Allison said.
They watched Tom link up with Cammy and Savannah after the code words were exchanged. She was pleased Savannah spotted him first.
Anna was glad everything went smoothly.
"Things went a little better than expected." Anna said. "I expected some blow back from Cammy or Savannah about the lack of a 'heads up'."
Young Allison was afraid of more than something so minor. It's why she'd personally told Tom he was to join them and stay with Savannah. She didn't want Cammy to send him away.
"They're off into the unknown." Young Allison said.
Anna thought everything was the unknown.
"It seems like every operation is anymore." Anna said.
Young Allison gritted her teeth a little. Everything was unknown, until it was known.
"I guess it does." Young Allison said.
Cammy stopped at the wall and looked over. They were behind the property they wanted to check out.
Savannah looked at Tom. She wanted to give him some specific instructions.
"Go over to the fence and observe with her." Savannah said. "Look for any cameras or other surveillance devices. If you see something she misses or concerns you, I want to know. You're to tell me personally."
Tom nodded and went up to the wall to join Cammy. They both took in all the details and looked for surveillance cameras.
Savannah kept watch behind them and around them. They were covered by their drones too.
Cammy dropped back to inform Savannah what she'd observed.
"There's one security camera." Cammy said. "It covers the back. We'll need a different way in. There may be others on the sides or front as well."
Savannah looked at the drone footage of the buildings on either side of the target location.
"We can go over the fence to the side here and then over the rear fence of the other property." Savannah said. "We can pass along the side of the target building."
Cammy knew it gave them two options. They could do it on either side of the target building. Maybe they should go over one more building on either side.
Tom returned to them from the wall.
"I think we…." Tom started and looked up. "I hear a drone."
Cammy looked up and spotted it.
"I see it." Cammy said. "It's one of ours about to make scans of the building interior and the two properties on either side."
Savannah could neither hear nor see it. Then again, it was the point. It was supposed to be just out of human hearing range.
They checked their phones while Tom kept watch.
"There are only two heat signatures moving inside the building." Cammy said.
Once they had some drone scans, Savannah wanted to know about the other buildings. If they needed to pass through either of those properties they, didn't need any surprises.
"What do you see on the buildings on either side?" Savannah asked. "I don't see much."
Cammy looked at the images. She knew John Henry and CamNet did a detailed analysis of everything.
"I don't see anything. We should get a more conclusive report soon." Cammy said.
Tom looked up. He looked a little concerned.
"I hear drones again." Tom said. "There's more than one coming this time."
Savannah hoped there wasn't about to be a low level drone strike with them right in back of the place.
"What are they doing?" Savannah asked.
Cammy checked her phone. It seemed like it was something to worry about.
"It looks like a more detailed scan of all three buildings." Cammy said. "Something must not be right."
It wasn't what Savannah wanted to hear. It was better they find out now before they walked into the middle of something.
Young Allison wanted better answers.
"What are we looking at in the one building next to the target building?" Young Allison asked.
Anna looked at the images.
"It's inconclusive." Anna said.
The answer wasn't good enough for Young Allison.
"Use more drones and run the scans again. Check from the top and the sides." Young Allison said. "Do the scans lower this time."
Anna was afraid the Grays might be alerted.
"We can't get too low." Anna said.
Young Allison wanted to chance it.
"Do it anyway." Young Allison said.
They received a message from John Henry.
"I've accessed their security cameras at the target location." John Henry said.
They began to look at the images he sent over.
"There are external cameras on all four sides of the building." Anna said.
Young Allison saw it as a good thing. It now gave them control over what the enemy would view.
"John Henry can loop the feeds." Young Allison said. "Our team should be able to walk right up to the building from any side when he does."
She was surprised at how fast John Henry responded.
"I've just done it." John Henry said. "We control the system."
Young Allison wondered what else they could control. Maybe there was more information to be gleaned.
"Are there any internal cameras?" Young Allison asked.
It would be a big break for the team if there were.
"None have been detected." John Henry said.
Anna looked at the scans from the surrounding buildings. They were clear and didn't need to be used now.
"It looks like they're good to go." Anna said.
Cammy received an update.
"It looks like we're good to go." Cammy said.
Cammy went over the wall right away.
Savannah wanted to tell her to wait a few seconds. She went to hurry after her.
"I'll help you." Tom said.
Tom actually looked forward to being able to 'touch' Savannah. He always liked when she touched him. It sent impulses through him to all parts of his sheath. Sometimes when she smiled and touched his face, it created a 'reaction' he couldn't control.
Savannah moved to the wall and Tom picked her up by the waist and lifted her up so it was an easy step over the wall for her. She dropped down on the other side. Tom joined them a few seconds later.
Cammy looked back and made sure they were all ready. She started forward.
"What door are we going to enter from?" Savannah asked.
Savannah was sure if it was the rear door, there would be shooting from the start.
Cammy thought about the way the Gray originally entered.
"I think the same door the Gray used to go in from the front." Cammy said.
It may be the safe bet, but it could have been alarmed or secured better once the Gray entered.
The team moved along the side of the building. They were almost to the front.
They all received an alert message.
Savannah looked at Tom and Cammy as they all checked their phones.
"It can't be good." Savannah said.
Anna received an alert from John Henry.
"The drones orbiting on a wider patrol have identified a possible threat." Anna said.
Young Allison wasn't pleased to hear it. They needed to be prepared to act.
"What is it and how soon until it gets to the target location?" Young Allison asked.
Anna monitored the progress of the contact.
"It's two vehicles moving rapidly." Anna said.
Young Allison knew there were several things it could be.
"Are they street racers?" Young Allison asked.
Anna watched how the vehicles moved.
"It doesn't appear so. They're following in trail." Anna said.
Young Allison thought it could be anyone.
"How do we know they're headed to the target location?" Young Allison asked.
The nature of the contact seemed to indicate trouble for the team on the ground.
"John Henry has identified the vehicles on various traffic cameras in this vicinity before at separate times." Anna said. "We may have inadvertently alerted them somehow."
It made Young Allison wonder about the timing.
"They must have been on their way before the cameras were looped. It only happened about three minutes ago." Young Allison said. "Maybe the Gray who entered the building tripped something. It was a little earlier."
Anna wondered if it was just part of the same group and one element of it left before the others. It could also be a rival group which was tracking the vehicle of the Grays and now obtained a location where they'd stopped.
"It may be reinforcements or a 'hit." Anna said.
Young Allison was inclined to think it was a hit. It was the speed the vehicles were traveling and the way they were approaching.
"It's what I'm afraid of." Young Allison said.
Anna reminded her they could take action at any time.
"They're locked up by a drone." Anna said.
Young Alison didn't want them to come in too close.
"How far out are they?" Young Allison asked.
Anna was a little surprised when she checked. They'd been spotted quite early.
"They're still several minutes away." Anna said. "They were identified at six miles out."
Young Allison wanted to take away some of the interlopers options.
"Maybe it's time to cut communications around those two cars and disable them." Young Allison said.
Anna received information from CamNet immediately.
"CamNet has confirmed a missile strike." Anna said. "She's ready to fire."
Young Allison thought they were getting ahead of themselves.
"Belay the fire mission. It's not what I want." Young Allison said. "Not yet anyway. Keep it ready and hot."
Young Allison knew once they made a move, it was going to alert those inside of the building. A missile strike would be the loudest. A minigun attack would be loud too. She made sure other options were available.
Cammy, Savannah and Tom all received the alert.
It was clear the situation could heat up.
Cammy wanted to act now without further delay.
"We need to enter before the reinforcements arrive." Cammy said.
Savannah was aware they could be a hostile strike team as well. They may be on their way to attack the location themselves. She didn't want to fight someone else's battle. It would be better to let the two groups fight it out first.
"We don't know if it's a hit." Savannah said. "I don't want to be in the building if another group is going to attack it."
Cammy checked the ETA of the vehicles. She believed if they acted quickly, they could alleviate one of the threats before the other arrived.
"We still have a few minutes." Cammy said. "We can get inside and terminate this group and get out again before the attack starts."
They didn't know what to expect. It could be reinforcement or an assault. They were dealing with three groups on this overall operation. There were Grays, Fanatics and the anti-Metal faction.
"We need to fall back and wait to see what develops." Savannah said. "If the vehicles continue at their present speed, it might be reinforcements. If they slow or stop a few blocks away, it's probably a hit."
Cammy still wanted to take care of the immediate operation first.
"We should eliminate the threat we know." Cammy said.
Savannah didn't think they possessed enough information.
"We don't know what the threat is." Savannah said. "We don't know what's inside the building for sure. There could be one or more HK Tracks waiting to strike."
Tom could see Savannah offered valid points.
"She's right." Tom said. "Everything is unknown other than there are two Grays in the building."
Cammy frowned.
"Alright, break off." Cammy said.
Anna and Young Allison went over the information. They also listened to the conversation of Cammy and Savannah.
"Savannah's right. This needs to play out some." Young Allison said.
Anna wanted it to play out all the way. If it was going to be two groups about to fight each other. It was exactly what she wanted them to do.
"I think the security cameras should be returned to normal operation then." Anna said. "If they're reinforcements and they arrive unannounced, they'll know they're being watched. If it is an attack, the enemy will take them by surprise."
They heard Savannah say almost the same thing at the same time.
"Make it happen." Young Allison said.
Anna received confirmation from John Henry almost immediately.
"All is as it was." Anna said. "Everything is back on."
Young Allison wanted to make sure the team on the ground was covered.
"Either way this needs to develop a little first." Young Allison said. "I want 'Coltan Overcast' and 'Cherry Bomb' to stay with Savannah and Cammy until this is over."
She wanted them to aggressively engage any threat.
CamNet's Terminators got back into the box truck and drove back down the dirt road. They could see the fire flare up behind them. They needed to collect their SUV. They needed to decide what to do with the box truck.
The drone over them picked up a contact. There'd been several vehicles pass by in each direction on the main road while they were up at the warehouse at the end of the dirt road. None of those vehicles showed any suspicious behavior. The current contact did.
There was a white van which drove around to the rear of the gas station. It didn't pull into the parking lot. It seemed as if it verified the SUV was still there. It made a U-turn on the side street and turned back onto the main road. It was still seven miles out.
CamNet directed them to turn the box truck around and not continue on to their SUV. They were to drive past the turn off for the warehouse at the end of the dirt road for approximately a quarter of a mile. There was a spot off the road where the box truck could be hidden. They were to proceed on foot back to the location of the burnt out warehouse to see what they could find out. If the opportunity presented itself, they could conduct a 'personal interview' with the personnel in the white van.
Lena would have liked to have collected a little more firepower from their SUV. It didn't appear it was going to be the case.
"I'll let you off first so you can get a head start up the road. You can position yourself on the west side. I'll position myself in the dry gulch and move up on them from the rear once they park."
It sounded like a workable plan to Tina. She got out when Lena slowed as they reached the turn off for the dirt road. She started up the paved road at a run. She passed by the SUV on its side in the dry gulch. She continued up the road once it turned to dirt and made good time. She soon passed the unmanned checkpoint. The fire they'd started earlier had mostly burnt itself out. There was really very little left of the building at this point. The east side of it was still quite a hot spot. She looked for a place of concealment.
Lena continued down the highway after she let Tina off. She spotted the location CamNet indicated she should turn off. She pulled into it and parked the box truck. She took the keys with her.
She started out at a fast run. She wanted to get to the dry gulch before the van made its turn. The van was still one mile out as she reached the turn off. She decided to wait in the area where the female Fanatic originally parked the vehicle. From the earlier drone footage, she knew she'd stashed some weapons near one of the trees. She went over to the location and looked around. She soon found them. There were two long guns and a pistol. She collected all three of them.
Lena watched the drone footage as the van approached. It passed by their SUV without slowing. It was well-concealed. It reached the turnoff for the road up to the warehouse. It sat there for a moment. She wondered what the delay was for. She quickly realized it was possible there was a tracker on the box truck they may have missed.
The white van made the turn on the turn off. It proceeded up the paved part of the road and stopped almost directly in front of her. The driver turned off the engine and the lights.
"I show it should be right here." The first man said.
Lena quickly realized they were talking about the second SUV in the dry gulch.
"Maybe the tracker fell off." The second man said.
The first man scoffed.
"Did it look like it fell off the other SUV?" The first man asked.
"We just saw it was parked there." The second man said.
"It was clearly a setup." The first man said. "It would probably blow up when we approached it."
"Maybe this is a setup as well." The second man said. "What's the difference?"
"The difference is we can't see the SUV." The first man said. "You look on the side with the trees. I'll look on the other side over here."
Lena quickly backed away as the man approached where the female Fanatic parked the vehicle earlier. He carried a powerful flashlight. She moved behind a tree just as the beam of light danced around where she'd been. The man moved closer to where she was at.
She currently held the two long guns she'd collected earlier. She wanted to free her hands up. She carefully laid the two long guns on the ground. She originally was going to lean them up against the tree. She thought the chance of one of them slipping and falling over was too great. If the man got close enough, she would put the grab on him. If not, she would use her silenced M9 and terminate him.
"Hey, I found it." The first man said.
The second man didn't respond right away. He was still very near her. He looked around a little bit more and then turned back in the direction the first man called from.
"I hope it's more than I found." The second man said.
The second man hurried away.
Lena followed behind him. As soon as he passed the van, she moved up to the side of it. She listened to see if anyone else was inside of it. She couldn't detect them if they were.
"It's down here." The first man said.
"Do you think they had an accident?" The second man asked.
"No more than I think the other SUV was parked behind the abandoned gas station because it seemed like a good spot for someone to take a rest." The first man said.
Lena looked around the front of the van as both of them shined a powerful flashlight into the dry gulch.
"Here's one body." The second man said. "There's another one right by it."
The first man looked at everything for a few moments.
"They stopped here to check on something or someone lured them out of the SUV." The first man said. "It's hard to say what happened."
She watched as the second man flashed his light up the road.
"The road turns to dirt just up ahead." The second man said.
"Let's check it out." The first man said.
"Are we going to walk or drive up in the van?" The second man asked.
"I think we can drive up." The first man said.
Lena quickly backed away from the van and moved to the spot where the female Fanatic's vehicle was parked earlier.
The two men got back into the van. They started it and proceeded up the hill at a very slow speed. The driver didn't turn on the lights.
Lena quickly informed Tina of everything she knew. It wasn't much.
Tina was currently by the two vehicles which were blown over and burnt. They'd been parked near the dock. She couldn't see the van yet.
Lena moved off of the road, but didn't go into the dry gulch. She tried to stay in the driver's blind spot on the right side of the vehicle. She didn't get too close.
The van approached the front of the building.
Lena thought about moving into the dry gulch. It was much shallower near the building. She decided to use the van as her cover once they got out of it. It was the same thing she'd done when they inspected the SUV on its side in the dry gulch near the paved road.
The two men exited the van.
"It looks like the intel was correct." The first man said.
"We were able to locate both SUVs and the building." The second man said.
"Someone, or some group, beat us to all of them." The first man said.
"The way this place looks, it was probably those nut jobs." The second man said. "Look at this place."
"I don't think we're going to find much here." The first man said.
"So far we haven't found much anywhere." The second man said.
Tina could hear the men. It didn't sound like they were Fanatics. They could either be from the anti-Metal faction or from another group of Grays. They didn't appear to be from the current group based upon their conversation.
CamNet's Terminators decided to see what else they could hear before they moved in. More than likely, the two men wouldn't be leaving the location alive.
Jill continued her trek into the unknown. She glanced down at the Beretta on the seat next to her. She touched it with her right hand. She didn't know where she was headed or what she was going to do when she got there.
She stayed as far behind the trucks as possible. Her eyes were adjusted to the darkness. She thought about trying to drive without the headlights on. It seemed like a bad idea. Her biggest fear was an animal in the more rural area where they were now. Animals didn't tend to do well with vehicles under normal circumstances. More than likely one without their lights on would be no exception.
She checked the fuel gauge. She knew she was good for a couple more hours anyway. She wasn't sure if they would come across any more filling stations or not. Now she began to wonder what would happen if she ran out of fuel in the middle of nowhere. She glanced down and touched the Beretta on the seat next to her. She didn't think too much would happen to her this time.
Jill continued her trek into the unknown. She wanted some payback for what was done to her. She really wondered what happened to the 'secret agent'.
The female Fanatic eyes shot open. She realized she was holding her Beretta. It wasn't pointed at her head. It was just in her hand. Her breathing was heavy. She could still feel the truck bounce and vibrate as it moved along. Her destination was still unknown.
They'd been traveling for hours. She'd checked in several of the other crates as the hours went by. They all contained similar type sub-assemblies. She couldn't place what any of them were for. She knew it was some type of HK equipment. She needed to be careful with her knife. She didn't want to break the blade. She was pretty sure it was the only way she was going to be able to get out of the back of the truck if it was parked somewhere. She still didn't know if it would actually work or not. If there was a lock or a seal on the latch, it was never going to open.
She started on her way back over the crates. She was going to take up her spot between the first HK Track and the crates behind it. She didn't know what was going to happen next. She heard some noise from the closest HK Track as she approached it. She became a little worried. It seemed to be about to power up. She certainly didn't want it to turn on while she was in the back of the truck.
She could picture it moving back and forth as it slammed into the other HK Track as well as the crates in an attempt to get to her. If she was close to it, it couldn't use its weapons. If it was able to activate the other one, they might try to figure out a way to get to her. She could picture it pushing the crates out of the back of the truck to give itself room to maneuver. It reminded her of a Cuckoo bird. She heard about how its egg would be laid in another birds nest. It would push out the other hatchlings from the actual mother bird, so it would be the only one there.
She was pretty sure if one or more crates were pushed out through the rear door, the truck driver would stop to see what was going on. He would more than likely signal the other trucks as to some type of incident. All three trucks would probably stop. She didn't have a clue where they were at right now. As far as she knew all of the trucks were together at this point.
The female Fanatic focused her attention on the closest HK Track. She rushed over to it to try to see if she could prevent it from completing its power up cycle. She wasn't sure what actually triggered it. Maybe it was because she'd been on top of the crates opening them.
Aggressively Engage Any Threat
Most seem to think
Things are better as a duet
Past events don't always matter
At times they're easy to forget
It appears previous decisions
Are easy to upset and cause regret
Nobody wants to be controlled
Like a mindless marionette
Some will try to reconsider
They attempt to reset
They find out soon enough
It's to life they owe a debt
Is to watch a sunrise
Really different from a sunset
It all comes down to
What one is willing to bet
It's a universal concept
When it comes to a valuable asset
It's time to stand firm and
Aggressively engage any threat
Nobody