Chapter 678

Sounds Like Trouble

Cameron and her team terminated three individuals inside of the trailer and took one of them into custody. She wanted to know more about the nature of the group and what their mission was. She didn't think it was a Skynet operation.

The man was dazed at first. It didn't take him too long to recover.

"I'm not going to tell you anything, especially a 'Metal Bitch'." The man said. "The last I heard, you were up on the mountain side. You're actually a little better looking than I heard you described as by some of the others. You're going to make a fine 'Metal Whore' once you're reprogrammed."

The man's answer seemed to verify he was part of the anti-Metal faction.

Cameron took an even bigger dislike to the man than she felt before he opened his mouth. She was sure of what would come out of it next. It never seemed to change much once it started.

Cammy knew things were going to get rough. She elected to remain out of sight since the man thought Cameron was the female Terminator on the mountain side.

Cameron attempted to get some answers and determine the strength of the group. The man just taken prisoner was uncooperative. She was tired of waiting. His reluctance and contempt irritated her. She didn't like the things he said either. She knew there was one way to take care of the problem forever. The man didn't want to talk. Now he couldn't. He no longer possessed a tongue. The man's body still vibrated and contracted as he died. She crushed his windpipe before she left him. He terminated gagging and gasping. She didn't think he sounded so 'smart' now.

She looked over the inside of the trailer. There were a series of lockers. It indicated a larger group than what they dealt with so far. There was also the number of vehicles to consider. There was clearly much more going on than what they could see right now. The size of the threat was unknown.

"Based on the motorcycles and vehicles parked outside, there are at least four more people here, there may be a dozen or more total." Cameron said. "We don't know how many we're facing."

Bob didn't think they needed to become too active just yet. More than likely they could get some of the enemy to show themselves on their own. They knew what the last man alive in the trailer sounded like. They could always emulate his voice if the need arose.

"We can wait for some more to come out." Bob said. "It will thin the herd. Someone should come to check on things, or the sentry. You would think they would have a patrol. We also don't know how many are out. There are other places they could be. They might have other locations under surveillance."

Cameron didn't want to wait. She wanted to get things resolved. Waiting for the enemy to come out, one at a time, didn't sit very well with her. She wanted to move things along at a more rapid pace. She knew the best way to do it.

They double checked everything in the area they currently occupied. It was from the front gate, to the vehicles and the trailer. They carefully made their way towards the entrance in the side of the hill. There didn't appear to be a guard or sentry located at the opening. It appeared their primary security was the man in the truck who physically blocked the road with it. He was long since compromised and terminated.

Cammy didn't want Cameron to get ahead of herself. It seemed to be something she could do with regularity.

"There's no rush to go inside." Cammy said.

Cameron wondered how Cammy expected anything to get done.

"I'm going in after them." Cameron said. "I want things over with."

Cammy expected no less from Cameron. She was impulsive and would make mistakes because of it. She wanted to remind her who else was there with them, even if they weren't currently with them right now. She wanted Cameron to think her actions through.

"Don't make Savannah come up here for you." Cammy said. "It's why I'm here so she doesn't have to be. Don't get sucked in or carried away."

Savannah asked Cammy to protect Cameron and watch out for her. She would rather take the risk herself. Savannah was already subjected to enough violence for one day. She didn't want to see her in a mine either. She didn't want to see any of them in one, including Cameron.

Cameron didn't want anyone to second guess her. She was the one in charge and she would remind everyone of it if she needed to, one way or another. She wanted to remind Cammy of her specific duties.

"As soon as I'm done here, I'm taking Savannah away to have Vanna's baby." Cameron said. "You'll need to do it for me, as me."

Cammy felt a little apprehensive at Cameron's comment. She wanted to know more specifically what Cameron planned to do. Why was there a sudden acceleration of the plan? What was different? What was behind the decision?

"Why?" Cammy asked.

Cameron became irritated with Cammy. Why should it matter to her? What difference did it make? Certain things needed to be done. Some individuals were better equipped to carry them out.

"Because you have two chip ports, that's why." Cameron said.

Cameron's plan sounded illogical to Cammy.

"But I already am - you." Cammy said. "What do you have planned?"

Cameron didn't want a bunch of questions right now. She wanted to move the operation forward. Details of other things could be discussed later, if they even needed to be discussed at all.

"Now isn't the time for this discussion." Cameron said.

Cammy ran Cameron's program. She quickly deduced what Cameron was really going to do. She was pretty sure it was going to cause a problem. She wanted Cameron to know she was on to her.

"You want to take Young Allison into the past. You want me to bring Savannah to visit her." Cammy said. "Savannah is going to need to be there for several months. You will probably be there for a longer period of time with Young Allison."

It was exactly what Cameron planned. She didn't want the two girls to grow apart or become fixated with other female lovers. Each girl was allowed to share with any female she wanted to. They just couldn't make it too personal, or get too involved. There would be no males involved other than John. The main goal was to make Savannah and Young Allison inseparable.

"Yes, several times." Cameron said. "I want their bond to expand. I want it to be unbreakable."

Cammy knew Cameron wanted Savannah and Young Allison to become lovers. She wanted them to become physical lovers. They were already mental and emotional lovers. She knew Cameron could always break the bond herself, with anyone. She also knew how Savannah thought, felt, and acted. She wanted to make it clear to Cameron.

"Savannah won't want to do it." Cammy said. "She's very respectful and wants Young Allison to make all of her own choices. I doubt her mother will be thrilled when you take her away."

It was clear Cameron was either off on her own tangent or disregarded Cammy all together. She kept speaking as if Cammy hadn't said anything.

"I need to remain with Young Allison her entire time in the past. I can't let anything happen to her." Cameron said. "You'll need to bring Claire and Savannah every so often. I want Savannah and Young Allison closer in age. I want them both still teenagers for John."

Cammy doubted it was true. She saw it more as Cameron's own desires, wants, and wishes. She wanted to call her out on it.

"What is it exactly you want for yourself?" Cammy asked.

Cameron looked at Cammy with irritation. She appreciated her assistance earlier in the day and evening. She didn't want any backtalk right now. Cammy seemed to have a problem with it. How could she always turn into such a source of irritation?

"I often wonder why I ever created you." Cameron said.

Cammy wasn't about to back down. She decided to push the issue. She wasn't going to mince words either. She knew exactly what Cameron created her. The fact she would even question it was ludicrous.

"YOU created ME, really yourself, to share with Savannah. It was to do the things you didn't, and still don't, have the 'guts' to do." Cammy said. "You don't know what you're denying yourself. There's no explicable reason why either."

Cameron knew what she wanted. There were programming conflicts within her which seemed to prevent it. She knew it was the fault of John - Future John. It appeared even in the future, he was still able to cause problems in her life in the past. She didn't like Cammy to blame her for things she felt she didn't have much control over.

"Future John has programmed me…." Cameron said. "He's restricted my development. It's why I have so many problems."

Cameron tried to fix or circumvent those issues with her clones. It appeared she was rather successful. Maybe she wanted to test them out and see how they actually played out. It was possible they would create some kind of a problem later on. So far it hadn't manifested. Cam was seldom a problem. Camille never was a problem. It was Cammy who was always the problem. It was because of the issues revolving around Savannah.

Bob listened to Cammy and Cameron. He also watched the mine entrance. He thought it was a good thing one of them was diligent and concentrated on the job at hand, instead of petty squabbles. It was time to get them back in the game.

"There's someone coming." Bob said.

Cameron glared at Cammy in the darkness. She was very upset with Cammy. The main reason for it was probably because everything Cammy said was true. She heard a 'saying' before, 'the truth hurts'. She knew the statement to be true. She was actually able to feel it now. It was time to refocus and deal with the current situation.

A man walked out of the mine entrance. He looked at his watch. There was a disgusted look on his face.

"I have to do everything myself…." The man muttered.

Cameron silently followed him. He seemed unaware of the two other SUVs which were now parked next to their own vehicles in the darkness. She wondered if he was tired or just careless. It was probably both. She knew once the routine was the same everyone became rather lax in their duties. He felt he was inside of a secure compound with a guard at the gate. He would be less aware of his surroundings because of it.

The man entered the trailer. Cameron was right behind him. He stopped in his tracks as his brain tried to process what he currently looked at. His associates were dead and the trailer was ransacked. She didn't allow much time for it to happen. She slammed him down onto the floor. It shook the entire trailer.

The man was stunned. He attempted to collect his thoughts which seemed very hard to do. He started on a string of curses as Cameron grasped his throat to keep him from screaming or calling for help. She tried to question him. He didn't want to talk. There were a few muted screams. He no longer possessed a tongue either. Now he couldn't speak. She was tired of waiting.

Cameron returned back to the entrance of the mine. She rejoined Bob and the others.

Bob noticed there was fresh blood on Cameron's hand. He figured the captive was uncooperative. He may have provided some information before his termination.

"Is there any word on how many more are inside?" Bob asked.

Cameron shrugged her shoulders. She wanted action and to get this operation concluded as soon as possible.

"One less than there was a few minutes ago." Cameron said. "I'm done waiting, let's go."

Cameron led the team into the darkness of the opening in the hillside. She was headed back into another mine. She was angry and irritated. It was a bad combination for the start of a mission. Maybe it was a mistake Savannah wasn't with her right now. It was doubtful she would listen to anyone else if things started to go bad.

John and John Henry waited. They expected to hear more as to what would actually happen at the location of the anti-Metal group.

"They've been quiet." John said.

John Henry knew there was a very good reason for it. He blocked all of the conversation between Cameron and Cammy from John, and everyone else. Cameron previously made it clear any private conversations were to remain private. He thought back on his conversation with Cameron.

"When you hear anything personal or private, you are to keep it personal and private." Cameron said.

John Henry thought it put him in a precarious place based upon Cameron's directive.

"But I'll hear them." John Henry said.

Cameron went a little more than him just to keep things private. She wanted his assistance.

"You'll help me make what the girls want to happen - happen." Cameron said. "You've been on my chip, you've seen everything."

John Henry knew Cameron's statement was true to a certain extent. There was a lot more he didn't see. There were things Cameron kept hidden from him. There even appeared to be things she kept hidden from herself. He wasn't comfortable with everything he was able to view.

"I have, even if I don't agree with some of it." John Henry said. "I do agree with a lot."

Cameron didn't care if he agreed with it or not. He was to follow her instructions. He was to carry out her plans. He was to collect all of the information about everyone.

"I want to know everything happening and with whom." Cameron said. "You'll report everything to CamNet."

John Henry felt Cameron placed him in a rather delicate position. She wanted everything everyone else did to be kept private, yet she just authorized him to spy on everyone and relay the information to her indirectly through CamNet. He wasn't sure why there needed to be an additional layer, unless it was a filter.

"Why not report it directly to you?" John Henry asked.

Cameron didn't want to know all the details, even if she did. She wanted to keep some distance between her and everyone else in their private affairs. She was more concerned about when things didn't work out.

"I want to give everyone space to grow." Cameron said. "CamNet will notify me if there's a problem. I'll then be given the specific information, if I need to fix it."

Cameron previously indicated she knew what was best for everyone and when.

He wasn't sure everything was always fixable. He tried to push the past conversation from his mind. He came back to the present. He still found the conversation disturbing. Maybe it was even more so now than when he heard it the first time.

John Henry answered John's question right after he asked it.

"Yes, it's been quiet…." John Henry said.

John was still irritated by the entire operation. It didn't appear to be a group of Grays. He was sure it was actually the anti-Metal group. Cameron didn't need to go into the mine. She just needed to destroy it. There were drones on station. It could all be done remotely.

"I don't think this is anything." John said. "It's not like there will be a 'Skynet' in there."

Since John Henry was on Cameron's chip for a time, he thought he possessed some insight as to how she felt about things. It was more likely she was even more against the anti-Metal group than she was Skynet. She felt the anti-Metal group was a personal issue to her as opposed to an operational issue. There was a difference between those two things to Cameron.

"It's personal to Cameron." John Henry said.

John wasn't pleased to have the finger pointed back at him, even if indirectly. He knew Cameron would never forgive him for his previous transgression with Riley - Future Riley. It always appeared there were some things which bothered her more than others. The issue with Future Riley was one of them.

"I know. I know." John said. "I know…."

John knew it was the fault of the anti-Metal group which tore Cameron away from the man she loved - HIM - Future John. Somehow he didn't see himself as Future John, even if he was.

Sometimes he wondered if Cameron settled for 'second best' with him. It wasn't a pleasant feeling. He didn't care for a lot of the things Future John did or was responsible for. He never wanted to be Future John. Maybe to be second best wasn't so bad, as opposed to being in first place for being an insensitive jerk.

John Henry picked up an image on one of the drones.

"It looks like they're going to have company soon." John Henry said.

John looked at the monitor.

"Make sure it stays targeted." John said. "It looks like it might stop."

They watched the lights go out on the vehicle.

Cameron was done waiting, it was time for action. She moved into the opening. She didn't want to call it a 'mine', but it's what it obviously was at one point. She was still 'bothered' by what happened in the last one, and another one before…. It didn't matter if the first one was Duplicate Cameron. She possessed all those files now. It was as if they were her own. She would have done the same thing so it really didn't make a difference.

There was a noise up ahead. Cameron stopped her team. Cammy moved up alongside of her. She wanted Cameron to show a little discipline as well as moderation until they knew more.

Cammy didn't want any unnecessary problems. It was time to take action on her own.

"I'll take point." Cammy said as she moved past her.

Cameron grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Wait." Cameron said. "Listen."

Cammy reluctantly stopped and did listen.

"It sounds like trouble." Cammy said.

Cameron thought so as well.

"I've experienced enough of it today." Cameron said.

Cameron quickly looked over her attack force. There were eight Terminators who accompanied her. It was a bigger force than she normally would have with her. She knew it was Savannah's doing. She knew Savannah wanted her to be safe.

Savannah personally directed each one of them to make sure Cameron was protected. The 'Chosen One' indicated her wishes. Every Terminator there was going to follow them and watch over Cameron. None of them wanted Savannah near the mine either. They were all more than willing to keep Savannah from having to go there under any circumstances. They all still remembered the condition she was in, and how terrible she looked when they rescued her from the last mine. It was something which didn't sit well with any of them.

Earlier:

The team at the base of the canyon waited. There was little to do but wait. They shared some small talk but not much. They wanted to remain alert and not get distracted. There was also another reality they needed to think about. There would be people dying soon. They were aware some already did. It was the nature of their business. Business seemed to be picking up over the last few hours.

They were surprised there wasn't more information coming from where Cameron's team was at. They didn't know most of it was being censored by John Henry because of its personal nature and some of the subjects discussed.

There was the sound of an approaching vehicle.

"There's someone coming." Gail said. "They're slowing down."

They saw a set of headlights which went off as the vehicle crept closer. The driver seemed to use excessive caution. Maybe they were tipped off somehow about the ongoing operation at the mine. Perhaps someone may have been alerted. If it was the case, there might be even more trouble on the way.

Their SUVs were concealed down the embankment below the side of the road. They would be visible in the daylight. They didn't plan on being there for very long.

The drone high overhead was able to view everything. The vehicle was a truck.

They heard a reassuring voice over their coms.

"I have the truck targeted." John Henry. "I can strike it at any time."

Savannah knew they needed to act silently in this stage of the operation.

"Not yet." Savannah said. "I don't want to endanger Cameron. If there's an explosion, it will alert those on the hillside."

Savannah and Jesse were with Gail. They watched everything from a place of concealment.

John Henry was a little surprised when the vehicle stopped short of the turn off.

"It's stopped." John Henry said. "Cameron's Terminator has moved behind it now."

Gail didn't intend to let it pass under any circumstances.

"We're in front of it." Gail said. "It won't go any further."

Savannah found the driver's behavior highly unusual as well. Maybe they missed something. There still seemed to be quite a few unknowns associated with the current mission.

"It has to be connected somehow to this operation." Savannah said. "No one else would be out here at this time. They certainly wouldn't approach the area like they did, nor stop where they're at."

Jesse smelled a rat for sure. The behavior of the driver was highly unusual under any circumstances.

"Especially the way they turned off the lights and are creeping up." Jesse said. "I don't think they're part of the same operation."

Savannah considered it could be a different group as well. She wondered if they were up to something else. If they did think something was wrong, they might call in additional personnel to help.

"Is there any cell phone traffic?" Savannah asked.

John Henry previously put the jamming field into place.

"They've attempted to make some calls, but I have everything blocked." John Henry said. "I think they're trying to call in reinforcements. I've intercepted and blocked their text messages."

Gail thought about what John Henry just said. It was an implication which looked like it would cause more trouble for them. She heard Jesse's earlier implication. She wanted some specific details if they were available.

"Do you think they are a Gray?" Gail asked.

If it was a Gray, then they needed to worry about more Skynet Terminators.

"We've found the anti-Metal group tried to infiltrate the Grays before. The Grays may have done the same to the anti-Metal group." John Henry said.

Maybe the hunters were now hunted, by the hunted.

Cameron moved ahead with Cammy and Bob behind her. The rest of the team was to hold their position for now.

There was a 'pounding' noise from the direction they were going. They could hear men speaking where they were headed.

"Where the Hell is Max at?" Someone asked. "He should have been back here five minutes ago."

"He's probably 'cuffing his dummy'." Another voice said. "We all know he's a jerk off, in more ways than one."

"Ted, go check it out." Someone said. "I'm getting tired of this crap."

"You two take it easy for a few minutes." Ted said.

It was a different voice from the other two.

Cameron and Cammy moved back. Bob pressed himself back into a depression in the rock wall.

'Ted' walked out briskly. He passed by Bob in the darkness.

Cammy and Cameron grabbed 'Ted' when he passed the crates they hid behind. Cameron snapped his neck. They left his body behind the crates.

Cameron quickly formulated a plan. She told Cammy and Bob what she wanted to do.

They both agreed it was a sound concept to acquire unsuspecting targets.

Cameron decided to use 'Ted's voice' to draw them out.

"Hey guys, I'm going to need some help." Cameron said in Ted's voice.

"Now what is it?" One man asked angrily.

"Shut up and let's go." Cameron said in Ted's voice. "Don't act like Max."

There was some cursing and grumbling.

Another man walked out and received the same treatment as Ted, a snapped neck. His body joined Ted's behind the crates.

Cameron boldly walked into the room.

The man who remained in the room froze up when he spotted Cameron.

"It's YOU!" The man said.

Cameron tilted her head slightly. She didn't recognize the man.

"Me?" Cameron asked.

There was no one else in the room with him and Cameron.

The man looked at his gun across the room. The man looked thoroughly befuddled.

"How are you here?" The man asked. "We left you in the future."

Cameron shrugged her shoulders and flashed a faint smile.

"It wasn't me." Cameron said.

The man didn't believe it. He didn't think it was true.

"You're one of a kind." The man said.

Cammy walked into the room.

"Not really." Cammy said. "It's more a matter of opinion, and perspective, than appearance."

The man looked at both of them. His eyes bugged out like a Volkswagen.

Cammy covered the man with her M4. Cameron went out and told Bob to bring the team up.

Cameron entered the room again.

"It's time you tell us everything…." Cameron said.

The man looked at her bloody hand. He could see some of it was still fresh, even if it was wiped away. He wondered what she did to the others. He was afraid he was about to find out himself.

He was right.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Sounds Like Trouble

Everything starts off nice and cozy
Everyone shows their best side
Even without it being said
Each wonders what the other will hide

Not to say it's something bad
It's just the way things work
One needs to be wary
And watch for the first smirk

Everyone wants something
It may be different for both
If the goal is similar for each
It will help the relationship's growth

More often than not
One will seek quick gratification
It usually leads to more
Than simple and harmless flirtation

So keep an ear open
One may burst the bubble
Cut out on the double
If it feels or sounds like trouble

Nobody