Chapter 505

Cat And Mouse

Cameron was in the storm drain system. She was after a 'Metal Bitch' who escaped from the building they took down. There was a good chance the hostile Terminator took something with her. When she looked in the clean room under construction, there were no hard drives. If there was some version of Skynet taken away, she wanted it. She needed to destroy it.

She glided along swiftly in the darkness. She moved soundlessly. She was sure some of their Terminators would follow her. At each junction of the underground maze, she left a marker of some type. She only hoped she was on the correct path….

Maybe it was the journey to nowhere. Maybe it was where she was terminated. Everything was an unknown. It didn't really matter how it would play out. She needed to track down the female Terminator. There could be some version of Skynet with them, or something almost as sinister. If it was something related chemical or biological warfare, it needed to be dealt with.

She knew she was going to cause those in the Command Center a lot of worry by her action to go alone. She believed it was the best choice under the circumstances. Both directions of the flood control Channel needed to be checked. It would be safer for the Metal girls to be in pairs when they went to investigate. She was used to operating alone. It was nothing new to her. It always seemed to cause others more worry than it did her.

Savannah was in the Command Center. She was alarmed when Cameron went after the target alone. She was in the darkness chasing an elusive foe through a maze. She knew the other leads needed to be investigated. She felt there were others who could check on those later. Right now she knew where the assistance was most needed.

"John, we need to send Cameron help." Savannah said. "She can't go into the unknown alone. She'll take too many chances. There are going to be a lot of variables she'll need to face. She could be ambushed at any point in time. There are a lot of things to worry about, or go wrong."

John Henry desperately searched for a map or diagram of the drainage system Cameron was in. So far one eluded him. Even if he found one, they didn't have a clue where she was at. Without some way to communicate with her and follow her progress, they wouldn't know anymore than they currently did.

"We don't know where she'll end up." John Henry said.

Savannah knew the exit for the 'Metal Bitch' would actually be one of the drain openings in the curb, or a manhole. They didn't have a clue where it would be.

"Make calculated guesses based on what is at the beginning, or start, of each drainage tunnel." Savannah said. "They all come from somewhere. They all interconnect."

Kyle spent a lot of time in those systems in the future. None of them were even close to where Cameron was at now. There was usually a set on each side of the street. At an intersection there could be eight openings in the curbs. There were manholes usually associated with each one. There would be additional manholes in the street or sidewalk depending upon how deep the pipe actually was. Normally there would be some type of grab irons affixed to the concrete lining of the shaft. The manhole covers themselves were extremely heavy. They could weigh up to several hundred pounds. The weight of them wouldn't be a problem for a Terminator. He had a lot of trouble moving them when he was younger. Some of them he never could move. He needed to find an alternate route when it occurred.

He thought back to an encounter in his future. They experienced a lot of trouble with supplies which disappeared. Someone needed to have taken them. They set a trap to see how it was being done. He waited with Derek in the darkness. They heard the scrape of metal. The brothers looked at each other in the gloom. Whoever it was, was there now.

They moved around the crates and spotted a shadow which moved. It was gone in an instant. They saw there was an opening in the floor.

Derek pointed down at the opening and Kyle nodded.

Kyle dropped into the opening and saw it was part of the drainage system. There was no water. The system was most likely busted up in a dozen places. It was probably an isolated segment. It was dark so he needed to use a light. He was afraid it made him a target. He began to search the area and was soon lost. He'd ended up in a larger segment at some point. There were a dozen openings he came across. They would all put him in 'Indian Country' if he exited during the day. He didn't want to show up in Skynet's backyard. He was sure they wouldn't want him on their 'lawn'.

He needed to wait until night to make his way back to the bunker. They never found the thief, but they did seal the metal cover. They didn't have any welding equipment to use. What they did have was Termite. They used a small quantity of it to keep the cover from being moved. They melted the metal between the rim and the cover in a couple of small places. If they needed to reopen it, they could use a chisel and a hammer and break the melted patch.

He wanted to make sure they understood the magnitude of what Cameron was about to face. It wasn't a walk in the park by any means at all.

"There will be dozens, if not scores, of openings." Kyle said. "It can get real tricky down there. It can happen real fast."

Sarah silently squeezed Kyle's hand when she saw he looked a little disturbed. She figured he was reliving some experiences from the past. He could have been thinking about the most recent one too where the vehicle he was in was almost taken out by an HK drone. She thought it was better not to find out the specifics. If she mentioned the wrong one, she may give him something additional to think about.

John was done with the Gray compound. He wanted all the troops deployed to search for Cameron and the 'Metal Bitch'. They gathered as much intel from there as they were going to get. All the terminated Grays were thrown back inside the burning building.

"I want all our Terminators who were at the compound redirected to the storm drain entrances." John said. "I know there's no way to cover them all. They might be able to at least cover a few streets and see if anyone appears along the length of it."

Savannah wanted some specific action. Based upon Kyle's description, it seemed they were going to be numerous variables facing Cameron. She needed more help where she was at.

"Cammy, I want you to go after Cameron." Savannah said. "Take the Metal girls as well. There will probably be a multitude of routes to check."

Cammy and Hanna currently searched one segment of the main flood control channel. They hadn't found anything yet. They didn't find any homeless people either. They were ready for a more useful assignment. She didn't think it would be too hard to follow Cameron. She thought of what she would do and knew Cameron would do the same thing.

"OK, Savannah, we'll do it." Cammy said. "Cameron should mark her trail in some way, we'll follow her. If she needs to check different routes, we should close up on her."

Savannah was still upset she wasn't with Cameron. She should have stayed with her.

"Cameron knows help will come." Savannah said. "She knows I'll come for her, if no one else does. I will always come for her…."

John gave Savannah a reassuring hug. He knew Savannah hadn't ever 'given up' on Cameron, even when everyone else did before, including him. Her faith in Cameron was unwavering, pure, and true. He realized it was love like no other. It was love which proved stronger than his. There were times he gave up on Cameron as being 'gone'. Savannah always told him Cameron would return. She always reminded him Cameron was invincible and eternal. Savannah always helped him through the darkest days with her faith. He wanted to give her a little reassurance and not worry so much.

"She'll be OK, Savannah." John said.

Savannah wasn't going to chance it if things went bad. She would 'change' it herself.

"We'll find her, or we'll go back in time for her." Savannah said. "I will."

John Henry looked over. Savannah's statement reminded him a lot of Cameron. He was sure she did plenty to change or 'fix' things. He thought it was a bad idea. He was sure it was the reason why the TDE at the Resistance base would only function into the future and not the past. It was evidently encryption created by River at Cameron's request which they believed was in the future, even if it happened in the past.

John didn't doubt Savannah. Things seemed clearer now to him.

"She knows you'll be there for her, Savannah. I know you'll be." John said. "I understand now."

John and Savannah looked at each other. There was a lot they 'understood' now. It was clear where they were headed. It just seemed to be a matter of time now.

Kyle and Sarah exchanged glances, but didn't comment. They saw everything 'change' before their eyes, but nothing was 'different'. It was there all along from the beginning. Only Cameron understood, and Savannah.

"Cameron's wedding dress is going to be a tight fit around Savannah's current bust line." Sarah whispered to Kyle.

Kyle couldn't help but glance over at Savannah. He could see Sarah was correct. He knew what Vanna looked like. Savannah was clearly much larger. He returned his gaze to Sarah. He thought it was too bad Sarah didn't keep her nursing breasts longer. Life moved on. He was fine with the way everything was again.

John Henry turned and looked at them. He was the only other one who heard them. Strangely enough, he thought the same thing….

It seemed the future was calling.

Cameron was a little frustrated. It seemed to be a game of cat and mouse. She was the cat, but the mouse was elusive. She needed to turn around and go back several times. In some tunnels there was fine silt on the bottom which was undisturbed. It meant she took the wrong branch. Each branch seemed to get smaller. The system seemed dry for the most part. It made her job to track the 'Metal Bitch' harder.

She knew it was only a matter of time until she ended up at a curb opening in the street with nowhere else to go but out. She came to the conclusion she was tracking more than a single 'Metal Bitch' by the disturbed silt in some of the branches. It appeared there were at least two sets of tracks. She didn't know who the other ones belonged to. It raised new questions about what she would face if she caught up to them. They seemed to know where they were headed. For her it was hit and miss.

If the 'Metal Bitch' was leading someone, who were they? Was it someone important from the future, or someone who would be important in the future? It seemed more like a Gray than a second Terminator. Did they have Skynet with them, 'a Skynet'?

Cameron viewed the workings of what appeared to be a 'Clean Room', but it wasn't complete yet. She didn't want it completed at a different location either.

If there was a Gray with the 'Metal Bitch', it must be a high value target. It might also be someone there now to start working on a biological weapon to unleash on, or before, Judgment Day. She knew whoever it was, they needed to be terminated. She planned to terminate both of them as soon as she found them.

Cameron moved on through the ever shrinking drainage pipes. She began to wonder if the 'Metal Bitch', and her high value target, were already out somewhere. It was only a moment later when she heard it. It was a 'scuffing' sound. There was someone ahead of her. They were much closer than she imagined. She closed up on them even with the wrong turns. She knew there was someone else there besides a Terminator. They slowed the 'Metal Bitch' down. It must be a Gray as she suspected.

It was to her benefit they weren't able to make good time. If there was a copy of Skynet with the female Terminator she should have left the Gray behind and tried to escape with her 'master'. She couldn't help but develop a very uncomfortable feeling thinking of Skynet as her 'master'. She was glad those days were over. She slowed and used even more caution….

Cameron was aware if the 'Metal Bitch' knew she was being pursued, she would attack. It's what she would do if she was the one being pursued. She wasn't sure what the attack would be. There was no room to fight hand to hand at this point.

She began to wonder why the Gray with the female Terminator was of such importance. What would be more important to her than carrying out her mission? What if it was John with her? She would try to make sure she was able to get John away from the danger. Maybe it was something similar. It could be the Gray programmed the female Terminator to protect him specifically. She could also be his sex slave. She needed to clear her mind. More than likely combat was imminent. She slowed and used even more caution….

Cammy and Hanna returned to where Cameron went into the inlet tunnel. They searched for anyone else in the other inlets. Ally and Sheila went the other direction. They hadn't returned.

John Henry followed the drone images. The drones searched for the 'Metal Bitch' or Cameron. Ally and Sheila were quiet for some time now. He decided to recall them too.

"Ally, you and Sheila need to return." John Henry said.

Ally was sure they found someone. She didn't want to give up the chase.

"We have contact." Ally reported. "Cammy and Hanna can follow Cameron. We're on the trail of someone."

Cammy didn't want to waste any more time. Savannah was very adamant she go after Cameron. She didn't want Savannah to become directly involved. She needed to act now.

"OK, I'm headed in with Hanna." Cammy said. "I'll lose communication shortly. Don't send anyone else in after us. I want to assume anyone behind us is the enemy."

John Henry was disturbed by Ally's report. He previously sent Cam off with the other drones to search the streets for any movement. He wanted Cammy to get started. He wanted Sheila and Ally to know help was on the way.

"Roger, Cammy, no one else will go in behind you." John Henry responded. "Ally, I'm redirecting Cam back to your location."

Ally didn't think it was prudent right now. They were on to something Skynet related.

"Keep her distant for now. They may have another 'Stinger'." Ally said. "I don't think we are on the trail of any 'homeless' people."

John Henry knew they hadn't spotted them yet. He wasn't sure how she could make such a precise determination without visual contact. They must have found something specific.

"How do you know?" John Henry asked. "What did you find?"

Sheila only could go by the footprints they picked up. The soft silt left good imprints.

"The footprints we have come across are new boots. They're military grade." Sheila said. "Someone has a limp, or is dragging their foot every now and then. They may be hurt."

Ally was worried it could be something more sinister.

"Or they're carrying something heavy like a 'Stinger'." Ally said. "It's not the lightest thing to tote around. There could be other weapons involved. Some of those are as heavy as they are cumbersome to humans. I can think of a few things."

John Henry was a little worried with the last part of Ally's statement. He hoped they weren't lugging around a backpack nuke. They were transportable by a human male with a moderate amount of difficulty. Depending upon how far they would need to carry it, and how it was being carried, would make a difference. If it was on someone's back, they would be able to manage it a little more easily than if they needed to pick it up with their hands and arms. He wasn't going to express his thoughts to anyone else until they knew a little bit more about what it might be. It was sure to cause a panic if he were to suggest it might be a backpack nuke.

Cam was glad the enemy hadn't used a Stinger earlier. It raised a few questions. Both her and the other drones were over the area at lower altitude, more than a few times.

"Why haven't they used it yet?" Cam asked. "They've been presented with the chance several times."

Ally thought about it herself. It appeared to her the Grays decided to run and not fight.

"It's unknown." Ally said. "Maybe if they use it before they 'needed to', it will pinpoint their location. I think they're trying to escape, not fight. They might even dump it once they're out of the danger zone, or at least when they think they're out of the danger zone."

Ally knew they wouldn't be out of the 'danger zone' because Sheila and her tracked them. They were in the 'termination zone' but didn't know it yet.

John Henry knew none of the operation was planned out by the Resistance. They simply reacted to events which happened to them. Someone attacked them out of the blue. What occurred now was their response. It was much more efficient than what Skynet's forces could muster.

"We don't know everything we are up against here tonight." John Henry said. "We stumbled across something or more accurately they did."

John Henry tried to reach Cammy and Hanna but they were already inside the inlet tunnel. Cameron still wasn't back in communication range either….

Savannah watched and listened. None of the current events sat well with her. She knew she should have gone with Cameron. She wondered if Cameron knew John and her would grow closer at this time, both of them were together now and worried about her. The more she thought about it, the more impossible it seemed even Cameron could orchestrate all of this. What happened with John and her was REAL.

John was worried about the unfolding events. He tried not to look over to where Savannah was, but did anyway.

Savannah and John both traded quick glances.

John didn't know where anything was headed, or how it would play out. It seemed there was more going on than there should be. He was pleased Savannah was in the Command Center with him. He glanced over at Sarah and Kyle. He wasn't as pleased they were there. If Savannah wouldn't have been in there now with them, he wouldn't have minded under normal circumstances. He liked his parents to be near him when they could.

Ally and Sheila moved silently and swiftly. They knew they were closing in on someone. The footprints indicated two people. They went up a side branch of the flood control channel. They passed through a much shallower branch. It was only a few feet below the level of the surrounding ground and open on the top.

John Henry looked at the past satellite images. He could see where the Metal girls were going.

"Based on the direction you're headed, it's a more rural area." John Henry said. "The cement will turn into dirt soon and you will be able to see above the ground level. It means someone can see you as well."

Sheila didn't think they were too aggressive yet in their pursuit. They figured the enemy was armed and antsy. Even though they wore protective vests, they didn't want to dodge bullets if they didn't have to.

"We've used caution." Sheila said quietly.

Ally and Sheila continued on. They expected to make contact soon. They hoped to do so before the targets figured out they were being tracked. They might leave a booby trap behind. The girls checked for it anyway as they continued their pursuit.

Sheila kept watch behind them as well as on each side of them in case one of the men slipped away from the other one. It was a real possibility.

Ally was on point. She suddenly slowed and then stopped.

"Sheila, up ahead." Ally whispered. "I see them."

Cameron was close to her targets now. She could hear the struggled breathing of the Gray. Someone was having a hard time ahead of her. She was afraid if she was too close, she might be detected.

She heard a metallic 'click' and seconds later a semi round object rolled towards her.

It was a grenade!

There was nowhere for her to go. She couldn't run from it. There was only one thing to do.

Cameron quickly grabbed it and slung it behind her. She accelerated its forward motion, which was directed at her, past her, before it exploded. It was a few yards behind her when it did. It was a little closer than she would have preferred. She felt lucky only a few pieces of shrapnel hit her. She gambled the grenade would get further away from her if she kept the direction it was going the same. The momentum wouldn't need to be stopped and reversed.

Now she needed to pause a moment. She expected another grenade. Maybe they didn't have another one. Maybe it would be gunfire instead.

Cameron could hear some metal scraping and rapid movement. She determined it was a manhole cover being moved. The enemy was at the 'escape point'. It was a good thing because the pipe was much smaller at this juncture. It was time for her to act. She decided to return the favor in kind. She didn't have a fragmentation grenade. She carried something better.

She armed a Thermite grenade. She waited until the last two seconds and flung it forward. She didn't want it directed back at her. It exploded a second later. There were some horrible screams as someone was showered in Thermite and now burning. The Gray was hit if nothing else. The burning Thermite could not be easily extinguished.

Cameron moved cautiously but quickly forward.

The screams intensified and then subsided.

Cameron noted a tunnel intersection. It most likely went to the opposite side of the street by passing under it. She hurried through it.

She came up across the street from where she threw the Thermite grenade. What she saw somewhat surprised her.

The 'Metal Bitch' was out from the manhole, but both of her legs were missing. Her back was still burning in places. She pushed a container in front of her. She used only her hands to propel herself. It was a slow process but it was the only way for her to move.

There was a burning body half in and half out of the manhole. It was human. It no longer moved. It continued to burn. The screams ceased earlier as she went under the street.

From the other side of the street, Cameron pushed the manhole cover open in the sidewalk and sprung from the drain. She ran toward the 'Metal Bitch'. She wanted to get the container away from her before she could destroy it.

The 'Metal Bitch' saw Cameron emerge and head straight for her. She tried to draw her sidearm.

Cameron was on her in a second and fired her Taser. The 'Metal Bitch' was down. She ripped the burning shirt off of her back. She looked around. There was a panel truck parked nearby. Nothing else was around there. The panel truck seemed out of place for the surroundings. It was an area under development still. She looked back and could see the burning building in the distance. She was quite a ways distant from it.

She kept an eye on the panel truck. She looked at what the 'Metal Bitch' pushed along as she removed her chip. It was what she'd suspected. It was an infant version of Skynet. She was sure of it. She would need to test it to be sure.

Cameron rolled the 'Metal Bitch' over and ripped the rest of her smoldering shirt off. The front section of the sheath was undamaged. The small, medium sized breasts were complete and undamaged, as was the abdominal section. She smiled. She would be able to fix her deactivated Terminator with 'parts' off the ruined chassis. She would also Resequence and reprogram the other chassis Sheila deactivated earlier. It would give her two more female Terminators to 'play with'.

She always liked it when everything fell into place. It looked like she scored a bonus with this one, and the version of Skynet which was captured.

Cameron thought of a few ideas and possibilities….

She needed to refocus. There was still the panel truck to deal with.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Cat And Mouse

Few things in life
Are cut and dried
One finds out soon enough
When something new is tried

Everything that is worthwhile
Takes some effort and time
It usually makes the journey
A drawn out uphill climb

It seems that there is always
Some type of push and pull
One can always be assured
That there will be a lot of 'bull'

Everything comes down to
Some form of give and take
Sometimes is hard to tell
What is real and what is fake

Life itself becomes the game
Expect to meet many a louse
One could even end up a spouse
Everyone plays cat and mouse

Nobody