Chapter 501

Be Careful

Cameron drove the captured Gray's vehicle towards the enemy compound. It was to serve as a 'Trojan Horse'. Hanna was with her. She hoped to approach unopposed. She wanted to avoid a gun battle at the gate. She wanted to keep the element of surprise for as long as possible.

Sheila and Ally were already in place by the outer perimeter wall and gate. They snuck up earlier to where Cameron wanted them. They waited for Cameron and Hanna to arrive. They planned to enter after Cameron drove through the gate. Everything was already pre-planned on how it was to work.

It was decided the drones would strike the complex as Cameron neared the checkpoint in the captured Gray's vehicle. It should eliminate a challenge at the checkpoint. The guard would be distracted. The known vehicle would cause him hesitation and confusion.

Cameron approached the gate in the appropriated vehicle of the dead Gray. The gate opened as she neared. It was what she hoped would happen. The Grays expected the vehicle to return. They wouldn't have been in contact with it for several hours. Its arrival was long overdue. They should have been concerned with who was in the car, not just the car itself. Routine operations made people sloppy.

John Henry cut all communications earlier. The compound lost contact on what actually happened with any of their teams which were out. They didn't know their strike force was terminated. They didn't know they were about to let the wolf in amongst the sheep. Everything was routine for them now and they were complacent. They were probably glad some of their strike team returned so they could find out what happened. Grays were often indifferent. The current instance proved no different. The Grays at the gate were probably glad they weren't the ones who were sent out. They didn't know the fate of their fellow Grays. It didn't really matter. They would join them soon enough.

As Cameron was about to pass the checkpoint, the first drone made its attack on the opposite side of the complex. She saw the missiles streak down from the sky. They were immediately followed by the missiles from the second drone. There were multiple explosions in rapid succession all within a second and a half. The entire west side of the complex was now burning rubble. Confusion and panic would soon be all the Grays felt. It would probably take them more than a few seconds to realize they were actually under attack and it wasn't some type of mishap or accident.

She floored it and rushed past the checkpoint. So far not a shot was fired in return. There were several figures outside of the building. Two Grays turned to look at the burning building. They were directly in front of her. She used the vehicle as a weapon. She crushed the two confused Grays against a wall. One was still alive pinned against the wall. He tried to move. He seemed unaware he was bleeding to death from internal injuries. The other Gray was under the car dead. His flesh was fried by a hot exhaust pipe. White smoke drifted off of his face as the heat burnt it.

Cameron wanted to get inside the building. She wanted to see what the Grays were up to. She also needed to use Hanna as her 'secret weapon'. She wanted to question a Gray. it was possible Ally and Sheila would capture one first. They already worked out what they would do if they did.

"Let's go." Cameron said.

Cameron and Hanna exited the now wrecked car.

The Gray tried to call out but was unable to do so. He couldn't feel the pain of the boiling water from the ruptured radiator on his lower extremities. His spinal cord was snapped just above the waist. He slumped over the hood of the car. He no longer moved.

Ally and Sheila entered the compound behind Cameron and Hanna. They followed the vehicle in on foot. They passed by the checkpoint and neutralized the guards. Both of the guards looked in the direction of the vehicle Cameron just drove into their compound. They also looked at the explosions happening on the far side of the never realized the real danger was right behind them.

Sheila snapped the neck of one of the guards and tossed him aside.

Ally rabbit punched the other one right at the base of his skull. His lifeless body fell to the ground. She gave it a swift kick with her leg. It landed on top of the body of the man Sheila terminated. The dead wouldn't provide any answers. They could be searched later.

Their way out of the compound was clear if they needed to retreat. It was unlikely with Cameron leading the assault. The direction was always forward. They watched the move Cameron used to terminate two Grays. They didn't think the vehicle was drivable any longer. There was quite a bit of steam from the front of it. It indicated the cooling system was compromised.

Cameron tried to view some of the drone footage on her phone as she moved forward. She hoped to get a few clues. Right away she thought something was missing. It was three things actually.

"Where are the Terminators?" Cameron asked. "They should've been hit in the initial strike."

Cam lost track of them somehow. She tried to light them up herself. There were just Grays running.

"I don't see them." Cam said.

Cam used the 'gun' on a fleeing Gray. They were instantly cut to shreds.

Ally spotted a Gray trying to escape. He ran away to save himself. He didn't care about his comrades. He carried no visible weapon. She ran and caught him in seconds. It was much like a cat intercepting a mouse. She held him firmly.

"I have a live one." Ally said.

Cameron wanted their plan to go into effect. She expected to capture a live one first. The plan would still work even if it was with a different Terminator. She looked at Hanna.

"Go to Ally." Cameron said. "Remember to make it look good."

Hanna headed off in the direction to be with Ally. She was briefed on her role as 'Mrs. Weaver'. She would begin an interrogation. By prearrangement Sheila moved forward and teamed up with Cameron.

Cameron and Sheila set off to enter the building. They shot a few Grays who fled from it as they moved to enter. They didn't have time to take prisoners as they advanced.

Cammy was on the outer perimeter on the west side. She was on the outside of the compound waiting. She was ready to respond to any breakaway from the compound with a force of Terminators. They expected the Grays to run in all directions rather than stay and fight. So far nothing happened.

Cam flew around the compound and the other two fully armed drones orbited as they waited for additional targets.

The two drones armed with air to air missiles were on patrol outside of the perimeter by several miles. They were in counter rotating orbits. It would allow them to respond quicker to any threat if it was encountered. They searched for any new threats in the air and on the ground. They didn't want anyone or anything to show up to help out the compound which was now under assault. They didn't want any hostile drones to arrive or reinforcements either.

Enemy HK drones would pose the biggest threat to the team on the ground. The three unaccounted for Terminators would pose the most immediate threat on the ground.

John monitored the feeds from the drones and the body cams in the Command Center. It looked like their team held the upper hand. There hadn't been any return fire directed at their forces. It appeared the enemy was taken by a complete surprise and didn't have any type of plan in place to offer any resistance. If anything it appeared more like rats trying to get off of a burning ship.

"So far it's looking good." John said.

John Henry wasn't so sure. The enemy Terminators disappeared and they didn't know what else was inside the building. He knew it was one of the things Cameron wanted to find out. Things could happen quickly in a combat zone.

"It can go bad real fast." John Henry said. "We don't know everything yet."

Sarah and Kyle watched, but remained silent. There were a lot of different things for them to look at on the monitors. It wasn't their place to direct the troops. If they were to spot anything, they would say something. The more eyes they could put on the target area, the better it was for their team.

Kyle was on operations like the current one in the past. Most of them were to try and free captives Skynet held as workers. They didn't often end well. There would usually be some loss of life. Some of the prisoners were in such poor condition they couldn't move fast enough. Some of the Grays, or Terminators, would try to kill as many prisoners as they could.

Everyone watched the video feeds which came back from all the drones as well as the body cams on the Terminators.

Savannah suddenly became alert. She caught something in a flash of one of the drone cameras. It was a threat, but she wasn't sure what the threat was. She believed it was time to make a decision on the side of caution.

"Cam, off to your right side, about a hundred yards off the burning side of the structure, I saw something." Savannah said. "Lose altitude fast. Drop to the deck and fall back from the area quickly."

Cam did as Savannah instructed without hesitation. Since the nature of the threat was unknown, it would be much harder for the enemy to acquire her, if they couldn't see her easily.

Savannah didn't know for sure, but it was her gut feeling about what may be about to happen.

"John Henry, move the drones away which are orbiting." Savannah said. "Prepare them for evasive maneuvers and countermeasures for surface to air missiles. I don't have any concrete proof yet. It may be what I saw though."

John looked at the same feeds Savannah looked at. He didn't see what spooked her. There must be a threat there. He knew she wouldn't call it unless it seemed imminent. He hoped to find out a little more.

"What did you see, Savannah?" John asked.

John Henry complied with Savannah's instructions. He viewed everything plus more than Savannah looked at. He missed whatever it was she spotted. His server currently reviewed all the footage. He hoped to come up with something a little more conclusive.

"I detect nothing." John Henry said. "I'm reviewing everything."

Cam quickly moved away from the compound at low altitude. Down on the deck a surface to air missile would have trouble to get a lock on to her. Distance was what was needed right now. Her countermeasures were ready to go into effect if a missile began to track her.

"What was it?" Cam asked. "I saw nothing."

Savannah only saw it for a fraction of a second. She was looking at one feed when it flashed by. She wasn't sure what she saw, but knew it was a threat.

"It was there." Savannah said. "I saw it. It looked like someone was carrying a longer object."

John Henry reviewed the feeds.

Savannah was sure of something else too. She didn't know what it was, but it was close to where Cammy waited to ambush anyone who attempted to flee the compound. The threat put Cammy in the middle.

"Cammy, there's something outside the perimeter past you. It's behind you." Savannah said. "Your six is compromised."

Cammy immediately dropped down and changed her team's position. They might be targeted. They watched for the enemy to come from the compound, not already be behind them. It indicated there was some type of escape tunnel. It may have been an alternate entrance as well.

"I'm searching for movement." Cammy said. "Thanks, Savannah."

Cam hadn't spotted any movement outside the compound previously.

"They weren't there a while ago." Cam said.

She needed to resist the urge to return to the location and engage the threat. She knew it was exactly what they wanted to happen.

Savannah tried to think how some of the enemy could have gotten past Cammy. The only explanation was from underground. It was the same conclusion Cammy already came to.

"They must have come up from a tunnel." Savannah said. "I know I saw them."

John Henry still reviewed the feeds. He was focused on the compound itself. He thought the perimeter was secured. It apparently wasn't the case. He found what Savannah spotted in a flash of movement. It was bad news for the air units.

"I see it now." John Henry said. "Cammy, there's a Terminator past you. There are two of them. They are well hidden. They have an FIM-92 Stinger. They're waiting for a drone to come into range. It's an ambush."

Cammy needed to split her team. There were two separate threats now. The enemy Terminators dictated action be taken against them immediately. The fact they packed a Stinger missile made their termination vital. They would also be the hardest group to bring down. If they risked bringing a drone back in to fire a missile at them, it could be hit by the missile fired from the Stinger. It would be bad enough if a drone was hit. It would be much worse if the manned drone with Cam in it was hit.

"I'm moving half my force to engage them…." Cammy said. "The other half will watch our backs and the compound."

Cammy didn't want a 'breakaway' from the compound. She wanted everyone inside terminated. Every Gray who was inside the compound would stay there. She wanted them dead. The fact they tried to terminate Savannah and her earlier, sealed their fate. If there were any survivors, she would personally terminate them with extreme prejudice.

Ally moved her prisoner near the wall of the compound.

Hanna joined Ally.

Ally physically held the Gray prisoner. She didn't spot a weapon.

The Gray looked at Ally and made the connection. He could see things just went from bad to worse. It was one of the Terminators they were there to hunt. She was there now.

"You're that 'Metal Bitch'." The Gray said to Ally.

The comment angered Ally. She didn't like being referred to as a Bitch. She knew in this instance it was a case of mistaken identity. She gave him a punch to the gut. It wasn't too hard. She didn't want to rupture any organs yet. Those blows would come soon enough.

"It's true on both counts. I'm Metal, and a Bitch, but I'm not 'The Metal Bitch' you think." Ally said. "I'm just 'A Metal Bitch'."

Ally shoved him into a corner of the compound by the checkpoint shack. She tore his clothes off and left him to cower naked and alone. She wanted to make sure he was unarmed and intimidated.

The stripped Gary issued a series of threats and curses. She wanted to kill him, but she hoped to gather some intel. They had an ace to play. It was time. She played up the hype a little.

"I have someone special you might want to meet." Ally said. "She's been itching to get her blades bloody."

Hanna walked up. Her figure was silhouetted by the burning compound in back of her.

She was close enough now the man could make out her features. The Gray now urinated on himself. He seemed unaware he did so as his body shook with fright. The Gray was almost frightened to death at this point. He was naked and knew what would be sliced off as the 'inhuman thing' would attack him.

Hanna stood before him. She looked at him and smiled.

"Do you know WHAT I am?" Hanna asked.

The Gray looked bewildered. It was a fate worse than death.

"NO! We destroyed you. You should have been destroyed. The team said you were zeroed when they fired the rocket at you." The man whimpered. "You're 'The Redheaded Witch'."

Hanna lifted her arms and looked at them. She looked down at her body. She then looked back at the Gray.

"Do I look destroyed?" Hanna asked. "It's you who I will slowly terminate."

Hanna took a step closer.

There was a foul smell in the air as the Gray now cowered in his own filth. It appeared he further lost control of his bodily functions.

Ally could see the man was about to 'snap'. She wanted to play it up some more.

"Carve him up." Ally said. "I want to hear him scream."

Hanna moved closer.

"Let me start with emasculation." Hanna said. "I like to collect 'junk'."

The man covered his private areas with his hands. He hoped he could make some kind of a deal.

"I can help you." The man cried. "Don't carve me up. I don't want to lose anything."

Hanna hoped to get some intel.

"Really?" Hanna asked. "Let's hear it."

The Gray would sell out his compatriots if he could get out of the current mess alive. He was sure to die as it was. He hoped to make a deal.

"You have to promise to let me go." The man cried.

Hanna chose her words carefully. There were many ways to play the game. She decided to use one of them.

"I will let you go. Amuse me." Hanna said as Ally watched Hanna's back and listened as well. "Tell me everything…."

It seemed the Gray couldn't talk fast enough. He knew his life depended on it, among other things, if the information wasn't provided quick enough.

Earlier:

Cameron and Sheila saw no more targets outside the remaining half of the burning structure. They entered the building.

They encountered opposition sooner than anticipated.

Cameron dodged a burst of automatic fire. Some of the rounds struck her vest as she lunged off to one side. Sheila moved to the other side.

A few more shots landed in her direction.

Cameron returned fire and a Gray fell.

Sheila moved to the opposite side of Cameron. She fired twice and another Gray fell.

They passed by a room which looked like the barracks. They noted one bed against the far wall. There was rope on all four corners. No one was in it, but it was clear what it was for. Females would be captured and brought there for the pleasure of the Grays. Most often it was a homeless female. It was the people no one would miss when they disappeared. She would be terminated at some point. Usually it was by a Gray who got 'carried away' with torture.

Cameron wanted all the Grays dead before they arrived. Now she really wanted all of them dead. She took one more look at the 'comfort bunk' and then looked at Sheila.

"Everyone dies." Cameron said. "I don't care how."

Sheila nodded. She understood what Cameron meant. Her hand reached down and brushed against her knife. She looked around the next corner as Cameron moved up behind her. She spotted a new threat almost immediately.

"There's a Terminator." Sheila said. "It's a Metal Bitch."

Cameron glanced over and saw her too. She checked her Taser to make sure it was hot. It was.

"Let me take her." Sheila said.

Cameron wanted the frontal sheath section off of the Metal Bitch. If they needed to take her down she wanted the front part of the sheath spared.

"I want her frontal sheath covering." Cameron said. "I need to fix the deactivated Terminator we have. I promised her…. Don't take any chances if it looks like it's going to be a problem. Do what you have to do. There will always be others."

Sheila knew what the deactivated Terminators sheath looked like. It was terrible to look at. She knew it is what Cameron would have looked like now if they hadn't done the repairs. It was clear she would have terminated with Skynet if Savannah hadn't used quick thinking to figure out a way to return to the past. She made sure her Taser was hot. It was.

"OK. I'll try to Taser her." Sheila said. "I'll try to keep her frontal sheath undamaged."

Sheila knew she would personally inspect the 'Metal Bitch' for 'damage' once she was captured. It appeared the operation would be able to offer her more than just the opportunity to kill the enemy.

Cameron and Sheila moved in for the attack.

Cammy moved in on the position where the two Terminators came up from below the ground level. She could only see the male Terminator now with the 'Stinger'. He searched for a target. The female Terminator was out of sight or returned back into the tunnel. She may have slipped away too…. She could be moving to flank one of their teams right now. It was what she would do if she was in the same situation.

They didn't know the full extent of the Gray's defenses or fortifications.

Cammy searched around but could not locate her. She needed a better shot at the Terminator. She wanted him to expose himself more while he looked in the opposite direction. It looked like it was time for a sucker play.

"John Henry, in thirty seconds send one of the drones in real low. I want it to be heard but to 'cut the grass'. Send it towards the position of the Terminator." Cammy said. "When he rises to 'shoot' at it, I'll take him. I have him zeroed."

Cammy closed in on the Terminator with her group of Resistance Terminators.

She heard the drone. She couldn't see it. The Terminator shifted his position to take a shot at it. He didn't realize it was right on the deck. As soon as he rose up she hit him with a Taser, as did another in her group of Terminators. The hostile Terminator went down instantly. The Stinger dropped to the grass in front of him.

Cammy moved forward to search for the female Terminator. She was nowhere to be seen. She spied the tunnel opening and decided to enter. It was disguised as a drainage ditch. It was why they hadn't detected the threat earlier. She instructed her Terminators to deactivate the hostile Terminator and remain on station to complete their original mission. One of her team took the Stinger and readied it for use against any hostile HK drones which might approach. With all of their drones down low, it was possible HK drones could arrive at altitude and have an advantage.

Another of her group would remain at the tunnel exit in case anyone else tried to escape and got past her…. She didn't know the extent of the opposition which faced her. There could be a group of Grays who might try to escape the same way as well. She didn't want her team to tip their hand too soon if the enemy was spotted exiting from the escape route.

"Let them come out before you zap them in case there is more than one of them who tries to flee." Cammy said. "If the first one falls before they exit, they may retreat back inside. They will most likely be ready to shoot anyway."

Savannah listened to Cammy give instructions to her team. She wanted to be there with Cammy and Cameron. She was still upset because Cameron sidelined her. She wanted Jesse safe at the base. It was a trade off. There were plenty of Terminators with Cameron on the current operation, so it was a little more palatable to be separated from her.

John tried to put it all together. So far Savannah made the good calls. He didn't think anything was close to a conclusion yet. There could be additional hidden threats. He didn't think the anti-aircraft missile was necessarily a singularity.

"Cam, if they deployed one Stinger team, there may be more as well." John said.

Cam decided to keep it low and move out of Stinger range. She didn't want to be down on the deck if any HK drones showed up. They needed to move away and get some altitude.

"Roger." Cam said. "I'll fall back for now. They will need to get better control of the compound and surrounding area."

Savannah was worried about Cammy entering the unknown. It was very much like what Cameron would do. She didn't need to remind herself Cammy was 'Cameron'. She was Cameron's clone, even if she wasn't supposed to be. She was also out of date.

"Cammy, be careful…." Savannah said.

Cammy was concerned but not too worried. She was a Terminator and she was about to use her assets. She figured the female Terminator must have gone back the same way she arrived from.

"I will, Savannah." Cammy said. "I'm going after the 'Metal Bitch', and to help Cameron."

Cammy disappeared down the 'rabbit hole'….

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Be Careful

Life is about choice
It's also about chance
With a combination of both
It's all part of a dance

Some of the choices
Turn out not to be the best
Throw in random chance
It's all part of life's test

Most people forge on
They take life's blows
They rise with the highs
They sink with the lows

Many a step forward
Leads to two steps back
It appears many things
Are little more than an attack

One must stay positive0
Even if not cheerful
Don't lose sight of tomorrow
Always think twice and be careful

Nobody