Chapter 1443
Stop The Train
Cameron was worried almost instantly when she saw what was occurring where Savannah and the rest of the team were at.
"What exactly is going on there?" Cameron asked.
She was about to ask why she hadn't been notified. She remembered she'd left word she didn't want to be disturbed.
John Henry could see Savannah was going to be in danger soon. He issued a warning.
"Savannah, you and Al need to be further away than the last switch." John Henry said. "It's too close to the blast area."
Vanna received a call from Samantha. Precious would need her soon.
"I need to go." Vanna said.
Allison heard the exchange.
"It's duty before booty." Allison said.
They shared one last kiss.
Vanna looked around. She spotted her clothes on the floor.
"I should have brought a bathrobe with me from the ship." Vanna said. "It's easy to put on and take off."
Allison didn't like the look. She thought it was fine on the ship. She figured it would make them look like a suburban housewife if they wore it around the base. She would be surprised later on to find all the girls received bathrobes from the ship, complements of CamNet. It included Vanna and her as well.
"Just throw on some shorts and a top." Allison said.
It was what both girls did.
They headed out as Vanna buttoned one button on her top.
"I like the look." Allison said.
Vanna smiled.
"You're going to like it a lot better in a few minutes." Vanna said.
Moments ago:
The enemy was now inside the compound at the port facility.
One team waited at the rear of the building. They waited for the other team to get around to the front. They were almost there.
They were all a little mystified when sparks and metallic noises began to happen around them. It sounded like 'metal hail'. They saw the men of Team Three begin to fall. They were out in the open and exposed.
The team leader could only think of one thing.
"It's an ambush." The leader shouted. "Breach the building now."
The first four men made it inside. The rest of the group wasn't as fortunate. They were all hit before they could enter.
It was a similar occurrence at the front. Only two men made it inside.
Some projectiles made it through the roof and down to the floor. Some hit the steel beams which held the roof up. One more man in Team One was hit. He was only wounded. The projectile was lodged in his shoulder.
"How come we can't hear anything but bullet strikes and ricochets?" One man asked. "There must be two or three miniguns firing for there to be this much lead flying around. It's like hail but it's not made out of ice, it's made out of metal."
No one ever heard of a silenced minigun.
"Find something made from metal for cover for now. Get under it." The leader said. "It looks like we were set up."
The men all sought cover for now. They would be afraid to venture out later on. The 'metal hail' seemed to stop. It could be a sucker play to lure them away from cover. They expected it to start again. One thing was for sure, they couldn't exit the building. They saw what happened to Team Three.
Savannah was in the locomotive. She continued to push the tank cars. She could see the port facility up ahead. They were one switch away. They would need to traverse a slight curve for the final switch. From there it was a straight shot into the building and a 'dead end'. It should prove true in more ways than one.
At this point, Savannah began to wonder how big the explosion was going to be and if she would have enough time to get away.
John Henry ran some calculations on what would happen with the six tank cars and the locomotive pushing them when they piled up inside and outside of the building. It was the two cars of gasoline which would be the problem. Gasoline vapor was highly explosive.
"Savannah, you and Al need to be further away than the last switch." John Henry said. "It's too close to the blast area."
Savannah frowned to herself. John Henry seemed to confirm the bad news she'd speculated on.
John Henry and Cameron tried to calculate what the explosive blast would be.
"Savannah, stop the train now." Summer said.
Cameron and John Henry both looked back. Summer had arrived.
Neither one of them saw her enter.
Summer had already made her calculations on the way to the Command Center. She heard what was going on through her com.
"Have Al go throw the switch now and come back to where you're stopped." Summer said. "When he's one hundred feet from the locomotives, put it in 'run eight'. Get out of the cab and go down the steps. Al can pick you up, carry you, and run faster with you than you can on your own."
Cameron and John Henry looked at each other.
Summer made some additional plans as well on the way there.
"There will be a SUV on a dirt access road forty five yards to the east. Get in and it will get you to cover." Summer said. "You'll be out of danger before the big blast."
Summer looked at Cameron and smiled.
"Hi, Cameron." Summer said as she gave her a hug.
She greeted John Henry again.
Nobody questioned Summer's decision.
Cameron was very pleased with Summer's decisiveness and preemptive action. She knew it was just the tip of the iceberg.
They returned their attention back to the monitors.
Jesse and Young Jesse finished up.
Young Jesse was surprised to learn Jesse was 'serious' about Claire. She was even more surprised about what Jesse said next.
"I want you to be with Claire." Jesse said.
Young Jesse didn't want to mess anything up.
"I might feel like an intruder." Young Jesse said. "If you love her…."
Jesse laughed. There was plenty of love, sharing and sex to go around.
"We all share with each other non stop around here." Jesse said. "I'm with everyone a few times a week. It's not a problem for anyone."
Young Jesse saw it was the same way on the ship. It seemed everyone was 'OK' with it too. She was ready to take Jesse up on her offer. Savannah previously told her how exciting and wonderful it was to be with Claire. It was after she'd returned from Cameron's future when she delivered Future Savannah's baby there.
"OK." Young Jesse said. "I'd really like to share with her."
Jesse looked at Young Jesse. She wanted to explain herself. She thought maybe only 'herself' as her 'younger self' could understand. It was very personal to her. She felt very tainted about her past, the future. There was always the underlying feeling of 'not good enough'. Not only was she ashamed of what happened to her, she was ashamed of the things she'd done to others. She wanted Claire to have a better version of her. She wanted Claire to experience the untainted version of her.
"I want her to have the 'good version' of me." Jesse said. "I want her to know how I once was. I want her to have the 'perfect' version of me."
Jesse felt very flawed and damaged, both physically and emotionally.
Young Jesse could see Jesse was serious. She really meant it.
"I will." Young Jesse said. "I think I'll make all the rounds at some point anyway. I did on the ship with our group."
Jesse smiled.
"It's beautiful to share the love." Jesse said. "There's so much love here. It's so different from when I was your age."
Young Jesse could see Jesse thought about her past, the future. At her age, Jesse was being abused on and off and tried to stay away from Scavenger camps. Jesse told her before of many of the things that happened. It was never all of them. Some things she could never speak of again. Jesse told her a lot of extreme things. It really made her wonder what other unspeakable things happened.
"I'll do what you want me to do and I don't mind doing it with you together either." Young Jesse said. "All I see is beauty and love when I see you. I only hope I can be as strong as you one day. I admire you greatly for everything you've survived and triumphed over. You're a winner in my book."
Jesse wished she could see it in herself. She couldn't.
"Let's go find Claire." Jesse said.
Young Jesse worried about something else. It was what she wanted to do most.
"I want to be with Savannah when she gets back." Young Jesse said. "I've really missed her."
She didn't tell Jesse she fell in love with Vanna on the ship. She tried to tell herself it was more than just 'seeing' Savannah in her. They were the same person after all. Vanna treated her extra special too.
"I think she'll be back soon." Jesse said. "I really thought she would come back with you."
Young Jesse looked a little sad.
"I did too." Young Jesse said. "Let's go see Claire while we wait."
Jesse smiled. She wanted to have Young Jesse be with Claire first alone. She would join them at some point. She wanted Claire to have 'two of her' for twice the love. It was a very stimulating thought.
Ally and Sheila were in pursuit of the vehicle which launched a drone over the collapsed anti-Metal bunker. They closed up some on the target vehicle.
"The vehicle is slowing. It looks like it's about to stop." Sheila said.
Ally didn't like the sudden change. She didn't want to get set up. She didn't want to stand out or mimic their behavior either.
"It means we won't stop." Ally said. "I'm going to keep moving but take a side street."
Sheila understood. They didn't want to get caught up in an ambush.
"I want to put holes in them." Sheila said. "I don't want them to put any holes in us."
Ally wanted to make some contingency plans.
"I want to close up and put the grab on the clown we are stalking." Ally said. "I want a 'work around' where we can get in front of him via a side route."
Sheila started checking satellite images and drone footage.
"I'm all for questioning the whacker." Sheila said.
Sheila reached down and touched her knife. She was ready to make whoever it was 'sing'. It was up to them whether they would want to sing as a soprano or not.
Claire and Hanna finished up for now. They'd needed to do some catching up with each other and they'd done so. They both got dressed.
"I need to check on Summer and Jan." Claire said.
There was a knock at the door and Jesse opened it a few inches to look in.
"I see everyone is decent." Jesse said.
Jesse entered the room with Young Jesse behind her.
Jesse, Young Jesse and Hanna could all see it in Claire's face when she looked at Young Jesse. It was clear who she wanted next.
"I'll check on Summer and Jan." Hanna said and left.
Claire seemed not to hear her at first. She was still ogling Young Jesse.
"Thanks, Hanna." Claire called out as the door started to close.
Claire and Young Jesse looked each other over.
Jesse was satisfied with what would happen next.
"I'll come back in a little bit." Jesse said. "I want you two to share alone first."
She left Claire and Young Jesse facing each other as she followed Hanna out.
Claire moved up to Young Jesse.
Young Jesse wanted to be thought of as 'herself'.
"Remember, love, I'm not her, even if I am her." Young Jesse said.
Claire gave Young Jesse a kiss.
Young Jesse instantly wanted more.
They kissed longer, slower and deeper the next time.
"I know." Claire said. "It's what is going to make it even more special."
They kissed longer between each article of clothing they removed.
They both knew this was going to be something special.
Savannah received the instructions from Summer. She instantly complied. She used the train break to stop.
Al hopped off the lead tank car and headed for the switch. He was well away from the short train at this point.
Savannah threw the reverser and started to back up the locomotive and six tank cars. When Al threw the switch and started back, she stopped. She used the locomotive brake this time and bunched up the slack. The couplers were all metal on metal for a smooth start.
Everything was set to go.
Savannah went over the plan with everyone involved one more time. They were all on the same page.
She made sure the rear door was open on the switcher. When Al reached the designated point, she 'firewalled it' and put the throttle in 'run eight'.
The switcher immediately started to make use of its fifteen hundred horsepower and surged ahead. She exited the cab and came down the locomotive steps. The entire train was already moving faster every second. Al was right there and scooped her up off the locomotive steps and continued running.
They headed to the designated area where the SUV would be waiting for them. They watched it arrive as they neared the spot.
Savannah looked back. The locomotive was working hard in its final seconds as it shoved the tank cars ahead of it. The two stubby exhaust stacks blew out a steady stream of dark diesel smoke. Its speed was always increasing.
The rear door opened on the SUV as they approached. She saw Cammy look out and move back inside.
Bob looked out his side window as they approached.
"Come with me if you want to live." Bob said. "I've been waiting for you."
Al set her down in front of the door and she slid over next to Cammy. Al got in and closed the door.
Bob punched it and sent up a rooster tail of dirt.
"Hi, everyone." Savannah said.
Bob and Jim were in the front seats and Steve and Tom were in the third row.
They all looked back except Bob.
They watched as the lead tank car knocked the van and one car off the tracks like toys. They flew in opposite directions as he short train sped towards the 'dead end' in the building.
The first tank car was at the door to the indoor siding. It was loaded with wrecked cars from the first raid. The metal door wrapped around the front of the first tank car as it started inside.
They lost sight of everything as they moved behind two hopper cars filled with gravel.
Savannah was a little concerned with their proximity to the hopper car. She knew it would afford them protection against any shrapnel. There was one other possibility to consider.
"Are we far enough away from them in case the hopper cars get knocked over?" Savannah asked.
Bob looked over at what he thought was his shield. He hoped they would stay on the track.
"We'll see." Bob said. "I think we're good for now."
Everyone watched the images from their drones on their phones. It was quite a show.
Thirty seconds ago:
The team of men in the drainage passageway neared what should be the final location. They should be able to exit right near the building. There would be an open grate. They expected to find some of their group waiting for them. They'd lost contact with them earlier.
"What happened to Johnson and his team?" The second man asked.
The first man was irritated they hadn't made contact yet.
"I don't know. They should be here." The first man said.
The third man looked for an open metal grate above them. He couldn't find it.
"Where's the opening at?" The third man asked. "They said it was right before the pipe got smaller."
The first man noticed something a little further in front of them.
"I see a spot of light ahead." The first man said.
The men noticed how tight the passageway became. They didn't know they'd passed the opening they wanted. It was now covered by a large plate of metal. None of them could have lifted it, even if they'd spotted it.
"Is this right?" The fourth man asked. "We're all on our hands and knees now."
The first man reached the first opening with light showing through it.
"This opening is too small." The first man said. "I think we got some bad info."
The second man wanted more information.
"Can you make contact with anyone yet?" The second man asked.
The first man already attempted to do so on both of his communication devices.
"No." The first man said. "It's like nothing works."
The other men all tried theirs with the same results. They needed to do something.
"How much further does this pipe go?" The fourth man asked.
The first man looked further down the pipe.
"I can see some more light up ahead." The first man said.
They moved a little further along the narrow pipe.
"There is a lot of liquid here." The first man said. "It's sticky and smells funny."
The second man lifted his hand up. It was sticky.
"I'm in it now too." The second man said.
The third man wanted to know what it was.
"I'm going to use my light." The third man said.
The light went on and the men all saw it at the same time.
"It's blood." The second man said. "There's a lot of it."
The first man could see they were at the end of the line.
"I think we know what happened to Johnson's team." The first man said. "The pipe ends here and this opening is too small as well."
The fourth man was in the blood now as well. He became a little panicked.
"We need to get out of here." The fourth man said.
He tried to back out but began to slip on the blood. It covered the bottom of the pipe. More was still running in.
The men all bunched up as they tried to go back.
They could feel the ground begin to vibrate and shake.
"Earthquake." The third man screamed.
Panic gripped all the men as the shaking and rumbling intensified.
Moments ago:
The men inside the building could hear and feel the ground and the building began to shake.
"Earthquake." One man screamed.
There was a giant crash at the end of the building where all the wrecked cars were. The door over the rail entrance folded into a 'U' shape around something that rapidly entered the building. The men didn't have time to move as everything happened so fast.
The long circular object hit the cement dock after shoving all the cars out of the way and stopped abruptly. It immediately began to buckle and ruptured, fluid poured out of it. The cylindrical object behind it tried to occupy the same space as it. It ruptured too. There was a third one that did as well. There was a massive amount of liquid released where they all cowered in fear of another deadly 'metal hail' attack.
"It's diesel fuel." One man screamed.
The next tank car jackknifed when it hit the wreckage of the other three in front of it. The one behind it slammed directly into the middle of it created a massive hole.
"I smell gasoline." Another man shouted.
The men inside the building knew they needed to get outside as quickly as possible.
"Run!" The leader yelled.
As they tried to run in panic, they slipped and fell as the liquid swirled around their feet. Then they could see it start to happen again as the sparks began to fly in all directions and the fluid ignited.
The lucky ones were the ones hit in the head by the 'metal hail' which punched through the roof. The others were burnt alive as the fuel ignited. Their screams were harsh and shrill. None of them remained alive for the explosion which was sure to follow.
Moments ago:
The four panicked men slipped and slid in the blood that flowed into the drainage system. The shaking and rumbling intensified.
The fourth man was able to back out of the narrow pipe they'd been in. He tripped and fell. The third man fell on top of him. There was a gigantic thud and the ground moved. It was followed by the screeching of metal and a repeated crashing and crunching of metal sound. The earth around them continued to shake.
The first man was still between the two small openings. He couldn't get out of it fast enough. A vast amount of liquid began to pour in both of the openings. He knew he was going to drown in the fluid. It swallowed him up and began to push him out of the pipe as it enveloped him.
He tried to hold his breath but was slammed onto the sides of the pipe with force. He involuntarily took a breath and the fluid filled his lungs almost instantly. It caused him to struggle more and breathe in more of the liquid. He tried to scream but couldn't. The thick liquid was in his eyes, nose, throat and ears. He could feel heat and he began to pass out. It was hotter than anything he'd ever experienced before. His entire body was on fire. His scream of agony was silent.
The other men in the drainage system fared no better. The second man was able to crawl over the third man and fourth man. He tried to make a run for it. The fluid swirled around his feet and ankles. It got no deeper, but it was everywhere around him and now in front of him. He could smell the liquid was diesel fuel and gasoline. His night vision equipment was gone. He'd been able to get his phone out and wiped off the face of it so the light could shine.
There was a 'whoosh' sound behind him. He knew what it was. He saw an opening on his left and turned up it. He saw the fireball coming as he made the turn. He was out of the fuel at this point. There was a pipe which led up. He started up it. He could briefly see like daytime all around him for a second as the fireball searched for oxygen to sustain itself. His path forward was blocked. He looked at a body in front of him. It was Johnson's face. He'd found the missing patrol. As the flames enveloped him he could hear some shrill squealing and screaming sounds over his own screams as the hundreds of rats were incinerated along with him.
Seconds ago:
Young Allison and Anna watched as the tank cars sped towards the dead end.
"Fire." Young Allison said.
It was the attack she'd planned in the first place before she used it on the men themselves. The drones cycled through the ones which already used up their ammunition supply. The new group of drones unloaded from fifty thousand feet.
The lead tank car slammed into the door into the building. It wrapped around the front of it. It was followed inside by the second and third tank cars before everything stopped. The other three tank cars bunched like matchsticks and ruptured as the locomotive, running at full speed, crushed and split them open before it came to a halt at a twenty degree angle. The engine still ran at full throttle, even though it could no longer move. There were a few moments where there was a mass of fuel running in all directions. The 'metal hail' soon began to fall. Sparks flew in all directions and everything began to burn.
They checked and saw Bob moved the SUV behind the hopper cars full of gravel.
Then there was the explosion.
The entire rear half of the building disappeared in a giant fireball.
Young Allison was glad all of their teams were out of the area.
There was a second explosion and then a third. It must have been the three tank cars inside the building. There was only about a fifth of the building standing at this point. It was on fire.
Young Allison checked again on Savannah's team. No debris made it to where they were sheltered.
"I wonder how John Henry is going to spin this one." Anna said.
They watched the carnage and there was another explosion.
It was a giant catastrophic event in broad daylight.
"I really don't know." Young Allison said.
Savannah and everyone else in the SUV didn't know what to expect. They watched it unfold on their phones. They now knew what to expect before it arrived. It arrived soon enough.
They could see the brightness of the explosion from the back side of the hopper cars before they heard the sound. It was very loud when it arrived. There was also a noticeable increase in the heat around them.
There were no more explosions after the fourth one. Some of the explosions must have been two tank cars at once.
"I think we're done here." Savannah said.
Cammy really wanted to get Savannah out of the danger zone.
"We can all return back to the base." Cammy said.
Savannah looked at Cammy. There were other parts of the operation which were still ongoing.
"This place is finished. We still have Ally and Sheila out tracking someone who may be associated with the anti-Metal group." Savannah said. "We also have the blue car to deal with or at least its occupant."
Bob drove Cammy and Savannah back to the SUV they'd abandoned earlier.
"Look, there's the train crew." Savannah said. "I think they're in for an unwelcome surprise."
Cammy figured John Henry would spin the incident as a 'runaway train'. It was never going to be reported for what it was.
"They most likely will be terminated from their jobs for having a 'runaway' incident." Cammy said.
Savannah hoped not. She knew an event this big couldn't be covered up. Someone was going to have what happened pinned on them. She didn't want it to be the train crew.
"I want John Henry and CamNet to flood the press with threats from a terrorist group." Savannah said. "I want to pin it on one of those groups."
Cammy liked the idea.
"Do you have a preference?" Cammy asked. "There are a number of different groups."
Savannah didn't think it mattered. Terrorists were a threat to the future. They were just another version of Scavengers, even if they didn't know it.
"No." Savannah said.
Bob spotted the box truck they were using.
"There's Ed." Bob said.
Savannah thought they should all be in pairs at a minimum.
"I think Al should join back up with him." Savannah said.
John Henry agreed with her assessment as well.
Savannah personally thanked Al for his assistance and helping get her to safety. He looked very pleased when he joined Ed.
Cammy and Savannah got out of Bob's SUV and headed towards their SUV.
"Do you want us to assist you?" Tom asked.
Cammy looked back.
"We're good." Cammy said. "Thank you anyway."
Cammy and Savannah got in.
Savannah felt the man in the blue car was covered with enough Terminators. They were two Terminators who were on their own and at a distance away from where they were at.
"We need to go where Sheila and Ally are." Savannah said.
Cammy said nothing and drove away. They weren't done yet.
Neither one of them looked back.
Frank and Dan were in one SUV. They followed Michael and Richard. They tracked the man in the blue car. They received drone images of where he was at.
With the explosions at the port facility, the man in the blue car decided to bolt. He'd lost contact with everyone anyway. He didn't know what happened or which enemy group was at the port facility.
He didn't see any indication he was being followed. He still wanted to get away from there with all the explosions. He would take a 'roundabout' route to get back to his base.
John cleaned up and dressed. He decided to 'go to work'. He was glad the commute was short.
He spotted Vanna and Allison in the hall off to the side. He decided to wait for them. He could see Vanna's top was mostly open. It was even more reason to wait.
He looked forward to being with them again. He would let Cameron make the decision. Then again, if Allison or Vanna asked him to their room, he was going to go. He liked what they offered. It was very exciting. Their responses were much more vibrant.
There was a smile on both of their faces as they spotted him.
"Hey, John." Allison said as she approached.
Vanna looked him in the eyes.
"Hello, John." Vanna said.
John wondered what their destination was. He didn't think it was his room. It wouldn't hurt to advertise.
"Hello, ladies." John said. "What's the hurry? Were you on your way to my room?"
Allison and Vanna looked at each other and giggled.
"We're off to see Precious." Allison said.
John thought maybe he should see her too. He didn't realize why they were headed there.
"Maybe I'll tag along." John said.
Vanna looked directly at him.
"You already had your fill." Vanna said.
John realized she was going to nurse Precious. It was something he hadn't really thought about until he'd tried it.
"It was a unique experience." John said.
Jesse came around the corner. She hadn't planned to arrive during the middle of a conversation about nursing. She didn't think it hurt to advertise.
"It doesn't have to be." Jesse said. "I have two ready to go right now."
Jesse motioned for Vanna and Allison to continue on.
John looked at Jesse. He couldn't help but think about Young Jesse and Sheila. His body began to respond. It was a little quicker than he'd anticipated.
"Hi, Jesse." John said.
John looked at Jesse and was 'hungry'.
Cameron already gave him the green light to be with the rest of the girls.
Jesse walked up to him and looked in his eyes. She wanted to experience the same things Young Jesse experienced. It seemed even more beautiful than she'd imagined it could be. She wanted the love, not just the sex, even if the end result was the same. She wanted to make everything perfectly clear.
"I want to be with you, John." Jesse said. "It's been cleared with Cameron."
John wanted it. He knew since he'd been with Cameron earlier, he wasn't going to finish too soon with Jesse. He wondered if it was part of the 'plan'. She'd used the same technique on the ship. She'd even told him it was what she was doing and why. He wanted to make sure Jesse made her own decision.
"Are you sure it's what you want?" John asked. "You know all the rules and restrictions."
Jesse wanted it bad. She thought about the closest room. It was hers.
"Take me to my room and then carry me inside." Jesse said. "It's what I want."
John looked around. He saw Vanna and Allison peeking around the corner down the hall. They quickly disappeared.
John held out his arm.
"Miss Flores, may I accompany you to your room?" John asked.
Jesse hooked her arm in his.
"Yes." Jesse said. "Thank you, sir."
They were both filled with anticipation. It was something they'd both wanted for years.
Cameron and John Henry began to talk with Summer. Cameron asked her a lot of questions and she answered them all.
Summer waited for Cameron to ask about the encryption but she didn't. She wasn't sure why. Maybe she wanted to ask her when they were alone.
She spotted the encounter with Jesse and Young Jesse as they arrived at her mother's room. She saw Hanna leave and Jesse leave soon after.
Both Cameron and John Henry looked at her as they spoke now. She could see the encounter with John, Allison and Vanna. It was followed by Jesse arriving and leaving with John. She wondered why John Henry didn't say anything because he was plugged into his server. She figured CamNet must be 'influencing' events. She'd previously told CamNet she didn't want any 'problems' around the base of a 'personal nature'.
She watched Jesse open her door and John pick her up and carry her inside. She thought it looked very romantic. One day she knew John would do the same thing with her. It was only supposed to be if her sister was unable to fulfill her obligation which was drilled into all of their heads….
Cameron said she wanted to plug in and get caught up on everything. She wanted ALL of the information this time. Even though she'd asked for it before, vast amounts of the details of what happened were kept from her.
Summer didn't think it was a good idea for Cameron to do it on her own. She knew what the girls wanted and why.
"Savannah and Allison – Young Allison, want to be here with you when you review everything." Summer said. "They feel it is very important. It's important to them."
Cameron thought she knew most of what went on already. Now she wondered if there was something else.
"I'll go over the general overview with John Henry for now. I'll save the detailed events for when I can be with Savannah and Young Allison." Cameron said. "I don't know when it will be."
Summer knew Savannah was still involved in the operation. There were two of them. There was the car with the drone and the man in the blue car. They both came from somewhere and they were both headed somewhere. She already knew what their final destination was going to be….
Young Allison and Anna watched the destruction at the port facility. It looked like all of the bodies were incinerated in the flood of fuel. Each of those tank cars held thirty thousand gallons of fuel.
Their teams were all clear of the area and the spin was already out about some terrorist activity near the port.
"I don't think we can suppress any more of the emergency response to this." Anna said. "The fireball was seen for miles as was the black smoke pouring out of the flames. It is still billowing up. It's going to burn with black smoke for hours."
They noted some fires started along the route of the drainage system. The burning fuel started some fires at some of the curbside openings.
It didn't appear any of the burning fuel made it into the channel at the port or into the ocean anywhere. It was a good thing.
"Have John Henry direct the fire trucks to where the smaller fires are burning specifically." Young Allison said. "I want the big fire to burn a little more."
Anna sent the message.
All the arriving fire units would think the main fire was already covered and they were to deal with the small fires only. There were several burning cars now as well. They were parked next to a few of the curbside openings.
"Let's deal with the man in the blue car and the man with the small drone for now." Young Allison said. "I want to wrap things up soon. I want Savannah home."
Anna noticed Young Allison looked at some security footage at the Resistance base.
"Are you sure about it?" Anna asked.
The first man made it to the next cavern. He ducked into it. He peered around the corner just as the other HK Track exited. He hoped it would go the other direction since it had come from the direction he was headed. He wanted it to go further into the mine.
He watched as it went across the passageway back into the cavern where the forklift went. He wasn't sure why. He hoped it thought the man who it killed with the missile was him and the man who had driven the forklift was still inside the other cavern. He understood why it had gone into the cavern where the HK Track fell down the shaft.
He decided to head for the front again.
The HK Track left its mate behind in the bottom of the shaft. There was no way for it to assist it. It wanted to look for the operator of the forklift who'd rammed it earlier. It was unaware it already had terminated him.
The HK Track entered the cavern and searched for a target. The only thing in there was the forklift and the crates. It would exit the cavern and resume its search for human targets.
The female Fanatic climbed up on top of the disabled HK Track. She was able to touch part of the wood hanging down. She needed a little boost to get a better hold on it. There was some movement behind her. Jill was now next to her.
"I can't quite reach the section of wood. I might be able to climb up it if I can." The female Fanatic said.
Jill shined her light up the shaft.
"It doesn't look like it's attached to anything." Jill said.
The female Fanatic wanted to give it a try. They needed to get out of the lower level.
"You have the other phones." The female Fanatic said. "If it collapses, or if I fall, you'll need to look for another way up. If I'm hurt, you need to leave me."
Jill didn't like any of the things she just heard. She thought there were other dangers as well.
"What about the men?" Jill asked. "What about the other machines?"
The female Fanatic hope to kill them if possible
"I'm here to kill as many of them as I can." The female Fanatic said. "I don't know what's going to happen. I need to try."
Jill could tell the HK Track they stood on was solid.
"Let me try to boost you up." Jill said. "You can stand on my back. It will only be for a few seconds."
The female Fanatic didn't plan to leave her. She didn't want her to get hurt either.
"I'll use your back like a step." The female Fanatic said. "You need to get off the HK Track right away and move away from it in case the rest of the wood rips loose and falls down. I'll most likely be among the debris. Remember, if I'm hurt, you need to leave me."
Jill got down on her knees. The female Fanatic stepped up on her back. First it was one foot and then the other.
"If you make it, try to get me out." Jill said. "I don't want to be left here."
The female Fanatic reached up and grabbed a section of the wood. She could feel it sway. She pulled herself up off of Jill's back.
"I'll get you out." The female Fanatic said. "You need to move away now in case all of this falls. It feels very unstable."
The female Fanatic started on her way up. It was almost like climbing some type of ladder with wide rungs. Bits of debris and small rock fell out of the boards. Everything swayed wildly and creaked incessantly.
Jill quickly climbed off of the HK Track and moved back a ways from it. She didn't want to get hit with any debris. She already had enough scrapes and bruises as it was.
The female Fanatic was soon near the top. She could see the dim light from the main passageway. She also heard something she didn't want to hear. It was an HK Track.
She could feel the wood start to drop down. She could hear a splintering noise. She needed to move and she needed to move now. She quickly climbed over the top. As she did, the hanging wood broke off and fell down into the shaft. It made a very loud noise. She knew it was going to attract the attention of the HK Track she could hear.
She wanted to tell Jill she made it but couldn't risk it. She needed to get moving. She scrambled to her feet.
Jill could hear a lot of noise from the shaft. She backed up further from where she was at as bits of wood began to fall down. She had her light shining on the HK Track. She hoped she wouldn't see Jackie's body among the pieces.
There was a very loud 'crash' sound and a lot of dust. She needed to move back further. She looked at all the debris on top of the HK Track. She didn't hear any moaning. If Jackie was amongst the debris, she was unable to speak. She carefully approached the pile of rubble. She didn't know if more would follow it down.
The HK Track exited into the main passageway. It took a look in both directions. It didn't spot any human targets. It was about to resume its journey further into the mine. There was a very loud noise from the cavern where the disabled HK Track was at. It quickly turned and headed in the direction of the noise. It entered the short passageway into the cavern. It immediately acquired a target.
The female Fanatic stood up. She could hear an HK Track. She thought she could make it off to the side. The dim light coming in from the main passageway suddenly was blocked. She understood why. There was an HK Track on its way into the cavern. She didn't have time to move. She wondered if it would open up on her with the minigun or fire a missile.
She was more than a little surprised when it didn't do anything but continue to enter the cavern. She realized it must have recognized her when she'd programmed her face into it earlier as a 'friendly'. She wasn't sure of it though. It may want to drive up to her and knock her down the shaft as what happened to its brethren.
The HK Track was about to open up with its minigun. It scanned the target in front of it. It was able to do facial recognition. It was the only human target it wasn't to kill. The target didn't try to run. The target stood there. The target must have recognized it as well.
The female Fanatic still had the rope around her body. It didn't look like the HK Track what's going to attack her. She was glad she spent the extra time to show it her face earlier. It paused right in front of her.
It was also supposed to take voice commands from her. She quickly took off the coil of rope as she gave commands to the HK Track. It turned around to face the entrance. She wanted to make sure no Grays showed up behind her. She securely tied one end of the rope to the rear of the HK Track.
She got down on to her belly and looked down into the shaft. She shined her light down it.
"I made it." The female Fanatic shouted down. "I'm going to drop the rope down."
Jill saw the flash of light from the shaft. She quickly moved over and pushed some of the debris off of the HK Track. She was relieved to hear Jackie's voice.
"I'm still here." Jill shouted up. "I'm OK. I don't know if I'll be able to climb the rope."
The female Fanatic knew she wouldn't have to. She was concerned about the integrity of the rope though. She quickly explained everything as best as she could to Jill.
Jill watched the rope come down. It was more than long enough. She carefully tied it around her the way Jackie told her to do. She needed to try to keep herself away from the side as she was pulled up. She turned the light off on her phone and put it away.
"I'm ready." Jill shouted up.
The female Fanatic directed the HK Track to move slowly forward. She made sure the rope didn't bind up on anything. Jill was on her way up. She just hoped the rope would hold.
Lena communicated everything she saw to Tina. The drone overhead covered it as well. As soon as they were out of sight and into the trees, she started out from the station. The drone overhead kept track of where the men were.
Tina could see they were going to take the shorter route up. She would stay ahead of them on the other route. She might even move into the trees to get a little closer to them. She would stay out of sight.
The two men continued up the trail. They could feel the effects of the high altitude as well as the climb itself. It wasn't overly steep, but it was steep enough. Their progress was steady even if it wasn't rapid.
The men took a quick break. They were near some rocks.
"I think we're halfway there." The first man said.
The second man took a drink of water.
"We need to be on the lookout for anyone else up here doing what we're doing." The second man said.
The first man was actually surprised they hadn't encountered anyone still living yet at any of the various installations they'd inspected.
"It's bound to happen at some point." The first man said. "Let's just hope we see them before they see us."
The second man wanted to get everything taken care of.
"Let's just finish up." The second man said.
The first man looked at the rock formations where they were at.
"Why don't you continue on up ahead and I'll wait here for a few minutes and see if anyone shows up." The first man said.
The second man looked around where they were at. It looked like it would be easy to get lost if they moved into the trees.
"Maybe it's better if we both wait here." The second man said.
The first man thought about what they'd seen earlier as they started up the trail.
"I don't think there's anyone tailing us." The first man said. "Let's move out."
They started back up the trail. They'd only gone along for a few minutes before they could hear voices.
"Someone's coming." The second man whispered.
The first man could hear them too.
"I think it's some other hikers or backpackers." The first man whispered. "Just act like we're out for a hike."
Tina watched the drone footage. She could see there were three backpackers on their way down the hill. They were on the same path the two men were. She decided to move closer to the other trail through the trees. It was possible the men might try to accost them. Two of the three backpackers were females.
She could hear the two men converse as well as the three backpackers. She continued to watch the drone footage. It was spotty in places because of the tree cover. She decided to move a little closer.
Lena was aware of the developing situation as well. She followed the men up, but not on the trail. She was in the tree line off to their right. Tina was off to their left. She decided to close up the distance. Soon she was able to hear them converse.
The two men soon spotted the other people. They could see they were backpackers. Two of them were female and one was male. They exchanged simple greetings as they approached.
"Are there many more people up at the top?" The first man asked.
The three backpackers paused.
"We've only seen a couple people all night long." The male backpacker said.
The two men check out the females. They all appeared to be in their early twenties.
The two groups quickly parted.
"We should have taken advantage of what was just here." The second man said.
The first man considered the same possibility. It just wasn't the right place or time.
"Let's do our job first and then we can think about some R and R." The first man said.
The two men continued their journey up the mountain side.
Tina and Lena were satisfied there'd be no negative interaction with the other hikers on the hill. They quickly moved away from the two men. They remained closer than they'd been previously.
Stop The Train
When everything is used up
What is left to remain
Even with distance and hindsight
It will do no good to complain
Would it have been better
To step back and abstain
Little would have been lost
There would be nothing to attain
It always seems going forward
The goal is to acquire and obtain
It's the very root cause
Of what creates pain and disdain
It's too difficult and complex
To ever understand or explain
It puts the brain in a tailspin
It makes everyone feel insane
Once things get going
It's hard to back off or refrain
Events feed on themselves
Nobody can stop the train
Nobody