Chapter 609

No Trespassing

Young Allison cared about Savannah, Anna, and Hanna. She didn't see her existence as being more valuable than anyone else's. It was something she learned from watching Savannah. Savannah always put others before herself. She would do the same. No one should give up their protective gear for her.

"Anna needs protection too." Young Allison said. "So do you, Savannah. I won't take a second vest from anyone. I refuse to do it. I'll take mine off first before I take anyone else's. I swear it. Don't test my resolve."

It was clear Young Allison meant what she said. She reminded all of them of Cameron. Maybe this is where the determination in Cameron actually came from. It was through the 'Neural Interface' with Future Allison. It may not be from Young Allison herself, but Future Allison was once Young Allison. They may not be the same person because of time, but they were the same individual regardless.

Savannah knew they needed to get Young Allison out of the danger zone. Too many things could go wrong. It could all happen fast. She was involved in enough operations to know how things all could change in a second. She faced more than a few of those when she was with Cameron on an operation. The current situation didn't appear to be any different. Maybe it was actually worse.

They didn't know anything about what was happening around them other than something related to Skynet was involved. Exactly what it was, or even where it was, was currently a mystery. One of their group was missing. Somehow it was all intertwined. They needed to worry about getting caught up in it, before they knew what they faced. She still felt the need to protect Young Allison above all else.

"I want Allison away from here." Savannah said. "This is going from bad to worse with every second."

Anna was a little surprised at what CamNet provided her with. It was some information which was as disturbing as it was informative.

"CamNet reported receiving fragments of a transmission from Cammy." Anna said.

Savannah could feel her heartbeat quicken a little more. It was already elevated once she determined they were involved with something related to Skynet. She needed to know more about the source before she got her hopes up.

"What's the timeline on the signal?" Savannah asked. "Is it from now or from before?"

Anna was assured it was current. It was a positive sign. It showed Cammy was still active. They didn't know her condition or location.

"It's from right now." Anna said. "It came from the side we drove in on. It's faded in and out several times. She must be near the extent of the jamming field. It doesn't appear she can get out of it."

They weren't sure why it would do it and not be a constant.

Young Allison was tired of waiting.

"I want you to go back and find her, Hanna." Young Allison said.

Hanna immediately turned around and headed back in the direction they came from.

Savannah didn't expect her to act so quickly. She wanted to get Young Allison away from the danger.

"What are you doing?" Savannah asked. "We still have Allison with us."

Savannah didn't want Young Allison in harm's way or worse, in combat.

Young Allison knew it was time to speak up. Cameron and Savannah both taught her to have a voice and use it when it was necessary. It was necessary now. One of the team was in a jam and they were close enough to assist them. They couldn't let the opportunity to help someone slip through their fingers. They were within a few miles of each other.

"I'm sorry, Savannah. I'm part of this too. Cammy needs help." Young Allison said. "This SUV is armored. I have my vest, we all do. We have two Terminators and a skilled Resistance fighter. Cameron is on the way. I'm trained as well, even if I'm inexperienced. Cameron's trained me my whole life. I can do this. WE all can do this. It's the right thing to do. I want it done."

Savannah could see and understand the reasoning behind all it. There was one big problem. They didn't know what was actually happening.

"We've no idea what we're facing or what went wrong." Savannah said. "We don't even know what to look for."

Young Allison saw it as self evident. The answer was right in front of them.

"It's Cammy." Young Allison said. "That's what we're looking for. She's in some type of a jam. What else do we need to know? This is what Cameron needs to face all of the time by herself. Don't think it doesn't bother me to no end to know she's out there alone doing these things. It bothers me just as much when you're out there with her, Savannah. Any of them would come for any of us. We will do no less. It's what I want."

Young Allison liked the genuine concern Savannah expressed for her, but one of their team was in trouble. It was top priority to her. Nobody gets left behind. She was amped up and ready for more. She also noted Hanna instantly responded to what she said when she said it was what she wanted. It wasn't an 'order', but it sure seemed like it was responded to as if it was one. She might need to choose her wording more carefully going forward when she was around Terminators.

Hanna and Anna quickly updated John Henry and CamNet as to what was happening and they would lose communications again in seconds. They wanted them to know what they were about to do.

Cameron was fed the conversation from the SUV with Savannah and Young Allison. She was concerned for Young Allison at first, but not so much after listening to her explain herself. She worried about both of 'her girls', but they were all trained. She was also able to call on additional resources. She wanted to contain the target area.

"I'm coming there fast." Cameron said. "I have additional help on the way. They'll be arriving from both ends of the canyon. I'll have them block the roads. Savannah, make sure Allison…."

The transmission was lost.

Hanna didn't slow the pace of the SUV. She continued on her quest to find Cammy.

Savannah was deeply worried and conflicted.

Young Allison took Savannah's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm ready." Young Allison said. "It's the enemy who needs to worry, not you."

Young Allison was worried, but not really afraid. She called up everything Cameron, Savannah, and the Metal girls taught her. She needed to pop her 'combat cherry' at some point. She was actually less worried about it than her actual one, and being with John. It was firmly in her mind both were her 'duty'.

She could feel her heart pound but it wasn't excessive. She was sure she was pumped full of adrenaline, or soon would be. Maybe it would actually hit her with full force when they made contact with the enemy. She didn't doubt for a moment she was about to be in some type of a gunfight. It was unclear if she would face only Grays, or if there would be Terminators involved. She checked all of her gear as she watched around her. The enemy could appear from any direction since they were back inside of the target zone.

Cameron sped towards where she sent Cammy. It originally was only to be a simple recon of a possible location which needed to be followed up on. The satellite photos showed it as deserted, but there were fresh tire tracks noted. It could be anything from bikers to drug users. It was on the way, with a slight detour, for Cammy to meet up with Savannah and Young Allison. It shouldn't have been a problem. It clearly was now.

It was in a canyon off one of the old roads on the way to Palmdale. There was mining there long ago. The mine entrances were finally blown closed and sealed years ago. The tunnels and shafts inside most likely still remained. They knew Skynet liked to hide in those. It could be similar to a location where Duplicate Cameron expected to be terminated on one fateful day. She couldn't help but feel a glitch impulse as she thought about it. She contained those files from Duplicate Cameron.

She needed to think about what the tire tracks could actually be from. It was entirely possible it could involve more than one group. They could be in close proximity to each other and one not know about the other. She developed a special dislike for bikers based upon Duplicate Cameron's experience with them. River was actually the one who terminated the entire group by herself. It was an impressive feat no matter how it was looked at. Right now the only thing she knew is she faced the unknown.

She captured a version of Skynet with a powerful mainframe which was headed for some place. The place could be the old mining area. It was what she wanted Cammy to check out. It wouldn't have been something she even considered other than her recent acquisition. It was a long shot, but some of the intel gathered from the captured phones indicated hits around the area.

Even if there was nothing there, the Skynet mainframe was headed for somewhere. She wanted the location and where it came from. When was it put into the crates? Where did the crates come from? Where were the crates going? She wanted answers.

There were other Terminators who currently assisted her. Sheila and Ally ran down all the leads for CamNet they came across so far. They all turned up empty. No Grays or Terminators were found at any of the locations. Skynet may have written the city operation off and pulled back to a remote and isolated location. It was what she wanted to find out. She was also angered at the reports of the bunks with ropes at both ends which were found in all the locations. She would look the other way if Sheila was on an operation where a 'comfort bunk' turned up at a location and any live Grays were captured. They would get what they deserved before they were terminated.

Now it looked like Cammy hit pay dirt on something. The jamming field seemed to confirm it. Cammy was in a bind and Savannah's team was the closest. Young Allison made the right call no matter how it was looked at.

Cameron called for all Terminators within thirty miles to stop whatever they were doing and come to Cammy's aid. She didn't want to use a drone during the daylight over a populated area. They did so in the past and were able to pass it off as military testing from Edwards around the dry lake bed. Some reports came in as UFO sightings. There was some chatter about Area 51 as well. It all helped muddy the water and made people seem like 'nut jobs'. CamNet and John Henry suppressed all of them they could.

She called for the Blackhawk to make a pass over the area. It was now manned with an all Terminator crew. The previous crew was handsomely rewarded for their service to 'The Government' and for their silence. All were given a multi million dollar severance pay package with a confidentiality agreement. They were relocated to different parts of the country. She didn't want them terminated as long as they followed the rules. They were ready to join the fight on more than one occasion as well as fly the helicopter anywhere it was requested.

The Blackhawk was now marked as a 'contract' fire fighting helicopter. It raised less suspicion as it moved around the remote areas identified as such. Wild fires were common in Southern California. There were private companies which offered their services under contract to assist the governmental agencies for water and retardant drops on wildfires.

They wanted to keep as low a profile as possible. They didn't want the helicopter to become a target. As it was, it was repainted every few months with a different paint scheme. Sometimes it bore a different paint scheme on each side. They didn't want any one group to 'notice' the same helicopter in the same areas.

Earlier:

CamNet contacted John Henry with the troubling news. She didn't have any specific details on everything in progress right now. He needed to pass the information along.

"John, CamNet has contacted me about a potential problem." John Henry said.

John frowned. He spent a lonely night locked in his room. He was worried one of the Metal girls, or Cameron herself, would try to put Young Allison in his bed. The latest occurrence sounded like standard fare for Cameron. She often found trouble without too much effort. Maybe it actually found her. He didn't think it really mattered once the bullets started to fly.

"What's Cameron got herself into now?" John asked.

John Henry was told it was Cammy, not Cameron, who was the one in the hot seat.

"It's Cammy this time." John Henry said.

John wasn't too concerned. It seemed to be pretty much more of the same behavior. Cammy was a clone of Cameron after all. The apple didn't fall far from the tree.

"It's the same thing." John said. "Either way, Cameron was behind it."

John Henry filled John in. It was a little more involved than he first thought. He connected John with Cameron. He figured she should take the heat from John instead of him.

John was pleased to hear from Cameron. He knew he was going to be displeased with whatever she said. Since there was already a problem indicated, it was all going to be bad news.

"Hello, Cameron, what's the latest?" John asked.

Cameron was worried about Cammy and the first team to respond. It was Savannah, Young Allison, Hanna, and Anna. She didn't release the specific information yet. She didn't want to cloud John's judgment too soon in the process.

"CamNet's filled you in." Cameron said. "I've scrambled the Blackhawk. It was a simple recon, John. It was based on some tire tracks which were detected at a remote location. The only reason I asked her to check was because she would pass near the area. Cammy went into a 'dark zone'. We know it's Skynet related. There appears to be a Skynet jamming field there. It spells big trouble. A few of the phones we collected yesterday showed pings in the general area, but nothing specific. It all adds up now."

John sat up in his chair. It did sound a little more involved than he first thought. It looked like some of the intel Cameron gathered paid off.

"OK, relax." John said. "I'm worried about Cammy too. What do you have?"

John Henry didn't have much from Cammy herself.

"We've picked up some fragmented transmissions from Cammy." John Henry said.

John cut his com. There was a 'sick' feeling which flooded him. There was usually someone with Cammy if they weren't with Cameron.

"Where's Savannah at?" John asked. "She should be with Cammy."

John Henry was aware of the team who was in the target area. He was a little displeased Cameron didn't reveal the information John currently sought. Now it was going to fall on his shoulders. He didn't feel any fingers should be pointed at him when it was revealed.

"Savannah is with Hanna, Anna and ….." John Henry said before he paused.

John thought about the normal operations. Not all of what he saw in the early hours of the morning clicked yet.

"And who?" John asked. "It can't be any worse."

"Young Allison is with them." John Henry said.

John stood and began to look at everything they had so far. It wasn't much. The name was about the last name he wanted to hear.

"It just got worse." John said. "I can't believe Savannah would endanger her."

John Henry knew it wasn't the way it was. They went to see why Cammy didn't meet up with them as planned. Things took an ominous turn from there. They didn't know what they were driving into when they went to look for Cammy.

"Cammy was to meet up with them. They were all going to Palmdale." John Henry said. "Savannah wanted Young Allison away from there when she discovered there was a problem."

It sounded like the smart move and the right move to John. What could have gone wrong?

"Why are they still there then?" John asked. "They should be traveling in the opposite direction as fast as the vehicle they're in can go."

CamNet embellished the report to John Henry somewhat.

"Young Allison demanded they go after Cammy." John Henry said. "She said they weren't going to abandon Cammy because of her. She threatened to look for Cammy on her own. She's a very steadfast individual."

John could see he would have no more control over Young Allison than he would over Savannah or Cameron. He remembered his mother told him no male could control her either.

"This is getting better by the minute." John said.

John knew now where some of the problems he experienced with Cameron came from. Young Allison was a very headstrong and determined individual.

Savannah wanted to help Cammy. Young Allison wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. They didn't have much information or a plan. There was very little of anything to work with. They drove through the target area once already and hadn't spotted anything.

"Drive through to the other side." Savannah said. "Cameron told us the target location was on the south side of the road. We have a better area to focus on."

Young Allison wanted to keep all the options open. They didn't have a definite timeline or actual location. Things could change fast.

"What happens if Cammy is on the north side?" Young Allison asked. "She may have seen something or been chased. She could be damaged or disabled by now. We don't know if she's on foot or still in her SUV. She only indicated she was being pursued from the fragmented and incomplete transmission."

Hanna knew it was a real possibility. They would split the area to be checked.

"I'll check on the north side." Hanna said. "You three check on the south side."

Anna looked into the distance. There was some assistance on the way.

"I see the Blackhawk." Anna said. "It's seven miles out."

Hanna knew the speed of the Blackhawk, their speed, and the general area of the jamming field.

"We'll still be in the 'dead zone' as it makes its pass." Hanna said. "We won't be able to hear what they've seen unless we are out of the jamming zone. It would be unsafe for them to land inside of the target area. If they do, it looks like we're going to have a real problem."

Young Allison reached in her backpack and brought out a Taser.

Savannah wondered what else Young Allison brought with her. She looked at the Taser and expected to see Young Allison's Model 66 come out next.

Young Allison noticed Savannah watching her while scouting the landscape. She felt her actions were justified.

"This will work against both Terminators and humans." Young Allison said.

Savannah knew it was true. The main drawback was Young Allison would need to be in close to make a hit.

"It may come to something similar before we're finished." Savannah said. "We don't know what we're involved in."

Young Allison looked at Hanna and Anna. They might have some useful information already.

"Do you have satellite maps of this area in your files?" Young Allison asked.

They both began to access the images. They weren't updated.

"Yes." Anna and Hanna both replied.

Anna checked the timestamp.

"They're more historical than current." Anna said. "Our current situation isn't something we anticipated."

Savannah spotted a couple of faint topographical features.

"I saw a trail and a dirt road." Savannah said. "Where do they go?"

Young Allison made a quick deduction.

"The dirt road is most likely where Cammy went." Young Allison said. "We haven't seen her SUV along the road so she probably drove in."

All the pieces seemed to fit now.

"We also saw the 'No Trespassing' signs." Anna said. "I think it's our target route."

Savannah knew it was all correct. There was one big problem.

"Not with Allison in the vehicle." Savannah said. "We're not taking her into combat. That's final. I don't like to give 'orders', don't make me start."

Young Allison knew she could give 'orders' too. She never did. Whose 'orders' would the Metal girls follow? She was sure Anna would follow her 'orders'. She didn't plan to leave without Cammy. She saw how Hanna responded to her earlier request about what she 'wanted'. She wanted Savannah to think about more than her. The 'Natural Order' was irrelevant with the current situation.

"Cammy is your protector." Young Allison said. "And more…."

Savannah looked quickly at Young Allison and looked away again and back at the terrain. Cammy needed their help. Young Allison wasn't going to let it go. She hoped they didn't start issuing countermanding 'orders'. Anna and Hanna were with Young Allison all of the time. Who would they respond to? It seemed like something she didn't want to find out. They were right in the target area now. Cammy must be near them somewhere.

"Where does the dirt road end up?" Savannah asked. "Does it come out somewhere close around here or is it a 'Dead End'?"

Savannah immediately regretted saying 'Dead End'. It sounded so terminal, especially under the current conditions.

"It stops at some old collapsed structures and continues as a trail and rejoins the old road." Anna said. "There appear to be several branches of it going in different directions. None of the branches look like an actual dirt road.

Hanna looked at their position.

"We'll be out of the jamming field soon." Hanna said.

Anna hoped for some better intel.

"I saw nothing to the south except the Blackhawk fly by." Anna said. "I hope they spotted something."

Hanna's report wasn't any better.

"I spotted nothing to the north side either." Hanna said. "Only the Blackhawk coming back, it was headed the same way we're going now. It was actually much further to the north than I expected it to be."

Anna looked at the road. It indicated trouble.

"Look." Anna said. "It's not something I wanted to find."

Hanna saw it too. It was bad news.

"There are shell casings on the road now." Hanna said. "They weren't there when we passed by in the other direction earlier."

Savannah hoped they found Cammy, or at least her trail.

"Is Cammy in front of us?" Savannah asked.

All they knew was there was gunfire where there hadn't been before.

"Someone is. The shell casings are fresh." Hanna said. "Everyone hang on."

Hanna increased her speed even more.

Young Allison didn't know if it was a positive, but there was at least a glimmer of hope.

"Cammy is still in the fight, otherwise there wouldn't have been gunfire." Young Allison said. "It at least indicates she hasn't been captured. We don't know who the shell casings belong to."

Savannah felt a glimmer of hope. Young Allison was correct. She could hear the engine rev up. She could feel Hanna push the SUV on the curvy road.

"Remember, Allison is here with us." Savannah said. "You can push it, just don't push it too hard."

Savannah reached in the back and pulled out an M79 and a bandoleer of rounds.

Anna saw it and reached for it.

"I would like to use the grenade launcher." Anna said.

Savannah knew Anna would be a better shot than her. She would be able to calculate range better, especially on moving targets from a moving vehicle.

Anna cracked it open and inserted an HE round.

They cleared the jamming field.

". . . behind me. I'm being pursued by three vehicles." Cammy said.

A wave of relief flooded over everyone.

The report from the Blackhawk was in.

They flew around the backside of the hill and let off four Terminators. They were in front of Cammy now to set up an ambush. Cammy would lead the three vehicles pursuing her into it.

Cameron reported she was about to enter the jamming field. It meant she was still a few minutes behind them. They wouldn't see her soon at their current rate.

"Cammy, how soon until you reach the ambush site, how far past the jamming field are you?" Anna asked. "I hear gunfire ahead."

Cammy was pleased there was help in front of her and in back of her. It was touch and go earlier.

"I'm almost there." Cammy said. "I'm about four miles out of the jamming zone. They chased me in and out of it a few times in the hills along some trails before I was able to get back to the dirt road and then the paved road. There's been a lot of gunfire. My vehicle hasn't taken too many hits."

Savannah wondered if Cammy took any herself. She doubted she would get an accurate answer under the conditions.

In seconds they could all hear gunfire and several explosions.

Hanna looked in her rear view mirror.

"We have a vehicle behind us closing fast." Hanna said.

Savannah heard Cameron say she was just about to enter the jamming field. It was several miles behind them.

"It can't be Cameron already." Savannah said. "It's most likely the enemy."

Hanna looked closer.

"It's not Cameron." Hanna said.

Cammy led the other vehicles into the ambush and they were dealt with. The ambush team opened up on them with gunfire. It was only the first two. The last vehicle lagged behind. It decided to run. It turned around before it reached the ambush site.

She made a power turn and headed back past the two shot up vehicles which pursed her. The four Resistance Terminators were checking them for any survivors. It was doubtful there were any. At any rate, there wouldn't be.

"The third vehicle has turned around and run back the direction it came from. It's headed towards you." Cammy said. "I've turned around to pursue it."

Savannah saw it for the threat it was to them.

"It means we are about to be sandwiched between two hostile vehicles with an unknown number of assailants." Savannah said.

Young Allison still held her Taser. She reached back into her backpack.

"It's time to fight…." Young Allison said.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

No Trespassing

What does one have
What do they own
What do they borrow
What do they loan

Is what's there
Really what's there
Do they take the dare
Do they really even care

It seems almost everyone
Is only something to use
When that becomes evident
It does more than just bruise

It seems most unlikely
That things were meant to last
They are haunted by the past
Over tomorrow a shadow they cast

Just when one finds
The one that's surpassing
Up goes an emotional roadblock
That says no trespassing

Nobody