Chapter 549

Over The Road

When Cammy moved off to the side of the 'drain pipe' on the side of the building, she could see it was an electrical fixture which appeared to have come apart near the 'drain pipe', not a trap. She briefly considered going back and climbing it anyway to look inside, or enter through, the transom window. It would present her with a good overview of what was happening inside. She would also stand out quite well if anyone were to look at the side of the building while she was on the pipe looking in the transom window.

Even though she continued to hear the clanking inside the building, no tracked vehicle made an appearance yet so maybe she was still undetected. Perhaps it was better to stay off the side of the wall for now so she could remain clandestine.

There was a door in the wall near her. She heard it being unlocked. She quickly moved past it and hid behind a row of rotting wooden crates next to it. Maybe she was detected after all. She hoped it wasn't a Terminator who was about to come out and fight her. She was ready if it was. She knew the encounter would draw an HK Track out after her if they fought. It would probably bring a whole group of Grays out too. It seemed she may lose her 'backup' support as well for a short time. It sounded as if Savannah and Bob would come to where she was at if Gail and Jesse needed to leave. It appeared Cameron drew priority over her. What else was new? If she got into a 'fix', it would be Cameron's fault, again.

A man in overalls came out of the door when it opened and threw something towards the junk pile. It fell way short of its mark.

"Piece of crap…." The man cursed.

He stepped down to walk over and pick it up and throw it again. The next time it landed on the junk pile with a 'clang' sound.

"I don't want to get in trouble again." The man muttered.

Cammy saw an opportunity to get inside. She made a run for the open door. She already started to move when he went down to retrieve the piece which fell short. She hoped he would remain concentrated on it where it lay on the ground. He did. She wanted to get inside before he turned back towards the door. She hoped he didn't spot her.

She quickly looked inside and around once she entered. She wasn't sure what she would face. There were two big presses nearby. She continued in and headed for the closest press. It looked like it would afford her the most cover. She was ready to dash back outside again. She could hear some movement by the door. She moved between the two presses as the man re-entered and locked the door again.

"Hey." Someone said.

Cammy looked around. She didn't expect to be spotted so soon. It looked like things were about to take a turn for the worse. She was ready for combat.

John Henry questioned everyone while he tried to keep track of everything. He wanted as many facts as possible.

Cameron was off the grid for a while earlier, but was back on it again. Now Cammy was off the grid.

John Henry hoped for a better update from those in Cammy's team.

"What's Cammy's status?" John Henry asked.

Gail and Jesse lost track of Cammy visually once she went over the wall. Cammy last reported she was alongside the building as she searched for a way in which would be unobserved. There hadn't been any updates since then.

"We haven't heard from her for a while." Gail said.

Jesse could only report what they last heard. She wasn't so sure leaving right now was the right thing to do. They were ready to go down and assist Cammy and get her out.

"Her previous transmission was about how she might have avoided a trap." Jesse said. "I don't think we should leave her."

John hadn't heard anything critical from Cammy. The big rig was on the move with Cameron underneath it. Gail and Jesse needed to get in front of it. He wanted to make sure Cameron was covered. He didn't want Gail and Jesse to delay any longer.

"Cameron needs you to get moving now." John said. "Bob and Savannah will arrive there in fifteen minutes. As long as you haven't heard any shooting, Cammy should be OK."

It seemed like too long of a time interval to leave Cammy without support. Her last report hadn't sounded promising. If there was one trap, there could be another.

"I don't want to abandon Cammy." Gail said. "We don't have contact with her."

Jesse understood the seriousness of the situation.

"John, we can't leave Cammy alone now in an unknown situation." Jesse said. "One of us will need to stay here with her. The other one can go to assist Cameron."

Gail didn't like the idea of them being separated. She thought it would be safer if Jesse took the SUV and got ahead of the big rig. As soon as Jesse left, she would go down to find out what happened to Cammy. She would keep her intent quiet for now.

"I'll stay here, Jesse." Gail said. "You can leave in the SUV. Cammy and I will ride with Savannah and Bob."

Cameron could hear what was happening. It was apparent her safety came before Cammy's safety to John. She didn't want it to be an issue. She wasn't under the threat of an immediate attack over the rear axles of a big rig.

"Jesse and Gail need to stay." Cameron said. "Cammy needs to have backup, especially since her situation is unknown. I'll manage on my own. I'm just along for the ride for now."

Jesse didn't want to leave either, but she needed to get moving to get in front of the big rig. There were others on the way. There hadn't been any shooting yet.

"Bob and Savannah are coming." Jesse said to Gail. "Cameron needs me in front of her."

John Henry was worried about Cameron as well. She wasn't in the best spot to be on a moving vehicle.

"If you're in front of her you can always pull over and let the truck pass and Cameron can drop off." John Henry said.

Gail felt like they were about to 'run out' on Cammy. It just didn't seem the right time to leave.

"I don't want Jesse to go on her own." Gail said. "Cammy is our assignment. We should wait here for her to return, or until we know more."

John could see his decision to favor Cameron created an issue they didn't need. So far there hadn't been any shooting. It didn't seem like Cammy was in too much danger. He could understand everyone's concern. It was still his decision to make. He hoped a compromise would calm everyone.

"You can wait five more minutes and then you need to go." John said. "I don't want to lose track of Cameron. We know where Cammy is. We soon may not know where Cameron is at, especially if there's a problem. We need to be able to extract her."

Bob could ascertain the tension which was now in the air. He would go in himself to retrieve Cammy if it was what was needed. It's the same thing he was willing to do for Cameron. He wanted to ease Gail's mind some.

"Gail, we'll be there ten minutes after you leave." Bob said. "We'll have it under control. If there's a problem, I'll go in and get Cammy out myself. Nothing will stop me."

Savannah felt she needed to weigh in. She didn't want any harm to befall Cameron or Cammy. She didn't plan to leave anyone behind.

"We won't leave without her, Gail. I Promise." Savannah said. "Cameron needs help too. You know I won't abandon Cammy or Cameron - ever."

Gail remembered Duplicate Jesse, HER Jesse, didn't abandon her either. She turned to come and help her when she was 'killed'. She still missed Duplicate Jesse, even if she was alive now in River's future and never really died. The event still smoldered in her mind. Dead or not, Duplicate Jesse wasn't with her anymore. Jesse was. Even if it was the same person, it was still a different person. How was not being there, or five hundred years in the future, any different than not being terminated? If they weren't there, they weren't there.

Now she needed to think about Jesse and the danger she was in. Jesse shouldn't even be on the operation. She was there for Savannah. It was clear to her how love would make people do things they normally wouldn't do. She watched the footage of Savannah fighting for her life with both Cameron and Cammy. Savannah was willing to terminate with them, rather than save herself. She did know Savannah wouldn't abandon anyone. It didn't matter who they were. Savannah was willing to go 'all the way' no matter what the price was.

It made her rethink her earlier desire to terminate when she believed Duplicate Jesse was terminated. Savannah made her see she needed to do more. If she was going to terminate, it should be in combat or combat related. An honorable termination would always be preferred over a dishonorable one. Currently, no termination at all was her goal.

John Henry detected an anomaly in the security system. He needed to investigate it immediately. It seemed like something he should have detected earlier.

"I have activity in the hangar area." John Henry said.

John hadn't released any of the troops yet. It was too soon in the operation. He hoped it wasn't an actual problem. They were already enough things which weren't going as planned.

"What's happening there?" John asked.

John looked around and saw Cam was gone.

John Henry was a little surprised. He hadn't detected anything earlier. CamNet must have blocked some of the security footage. He understood why now. He didn't want to make an issue over it. It would be better to say he missed it, rather than CamNet blocked him.

"Cam has readied the manned drone for departure." John Henry said.

Once Cammy entered the building, she picked up a lot of static on her com. It was currently useless and made static noises. She couldn't receive and doubted if she could transmit either. There was some type of jamming field in play. It was similar, but different, than the one they encountered yesterday. It was worrisome in itself. Two different types of Skynet jamming fields in two days was not a comfortable trend.

"Hey." Someone said.

Cammy thought she was spotted. She didn't think she would be detected so soon. She only entered the building a few seconds ago. She prepared for combat. She didn't see anyone when she looked around. She expected to see a Gray with a gun. If it was a Terminator, she figured they would just have grabbed her. She moved closer to where the voices were to take a look. She stayed up against the machinery for additional cover. Not only would it block her from view, it would deflect any bullets directed at her.

"What did you do with it?" Someone asked.

The man who went outside looked around nervously.

"I threw it outside with the others." The man answered. "You know how angry they get if we mess something up."

"Tell me about it. Get back to work, that 'freak show' will come around here in about three minutes." Someone said. "The Bitch is like a clock for timing. I still don't see how anyone so Hot can be such a cold Bitch."

The man went back to work on his machine.

"It's not like she knows she's good looking so she can get away with stuff either." The man answered. "It is like she doesn't even know she is a woman. She's all business. Maybe it's the reason why she's in charge. It's just a shame she can't put her body to good use. I wouldn't mind knocking one off if she would at least smile."

It sounded like a Terminator to Cammy. She shut her com off. It stopped working anyway. She didn't want the Terminator to detect any static noise. If there was a Terminator there, they must have something important. It sounded like it was a 'Metal Bitch' too.

Cammy could still hear an HK Track moving around somewhere inside. It appeared she would need to deal with several threats. She wanted to see what all was inside of the building. It would be a challenge to remain undetected. She was always up for a challenge. She really didn't want to get into a shooting match inside the enemy location. She only carried her Glock and Taser.

If she was spotted, she would try to make a break for it. She knew she would be at a disadvantage if they sent a Terminator and a few HK Tracks after her, they would run her down in no time. She figured she better lead them away from where Gail and Jesse were. She didn't check the SUV she was 'sent away' to by Savannah for weapons. She hoped since Bob was with them earlier he packed a few LAW rockets inside of it. It would take one of those to stop an HK Track. It might still be able to function somewhat, even if it couldn't move.

Gail turned her com off. So did Jesse.

"I don't agree with the decision." Gail said.

Jesse thought they should follow the directive from the Command Center.

"If there's any shooting before it's time for us to leave, we're not going to go." Jesse said. "If there is no shooting, we have another assignment to carry out."

Gail and Jesse rolled out in exactly five minutes. There was no shooting. They never heard from Cammy.

Jesse could tell Gail wasn't happy. She wasn't either, but more help was on the way. They needed to keep the entire operation functional. She reached over and touched Gail's hand and smiled when Gail looked at her.

"We'll make it all work." Jesse said.

Gail got down to business. Cameron needed her, both of them.

She didn't want to 'abandon' Cammy, but she knew Savannah would make sure Cammy got out.

Gail looked over at Jesse. She wondered if Jesse needed to choose between Cameron and her who she'd pick. No she didn't need to wonder. It would be Cameron. It was the only logical choice. Cameron mattered to the future, she didn't. She looked over at Jesse and smiled.

Jesse smiled back. She just thought the same thing.

Gail and Jesse moved out onto the main road. They were a few miles ahead of the big rig. They could turn around at any point and be back to it quickly. They could pull off to the side of the road and wait for it to pass. They could simulate a 'traffic accident' and see if the truck would stop or at least slow down so Cameron could get off.

Jesse figured if was Gail topless, it would catch the driver's attention. He couldn't miss her massive 'jugs'. Her nipple rings would be harder to spot from a moving big rig. They were best 'used' up close where she could lure the 'mark' in and use her knife on them. She liked to see the 'life' fade from their eyes as they slowly comprehended it was all a set up to kill them. Maybe they had time to reflect how worthless their life was and what it was exactly they just died for. It was for a cheap thrill.

Gail looked over and could see Jesse was aroused. She wondered if Jesse thought of Cameron, Savannah, or her right now. She also knew it could be about an impending termination. She was aware it always excited Jesse, well, it used to anyway. She was better now. Sheila picked up on the same desire through the 'Neural Interface'. She was worse. She needed to refocus. They were going to need to make a choice.

"John Henry, my review of the satellite map shows the road will divide in eight miles." Gail said. "Do you have any idea where they're headed? I need a direction to take. We will be there in a few minutes."

John Henry already pondered the same question. There seemed to be a logical choice.

"I don't know where they're going." John Henry said. "My best guess is they will head up the east branch of the road when it divides."

John looked over at the satellite map. He didn't spot anything.

"Why would they?" John asked.

John Henry laid it out. He didn't want to be wrong, but make it known why he made the decision.

"The east branch heads into a more remote area. If they're testing HK drones, the less populated area would make more sense." John Henry said. "Any other type of HK equipment could be tested there too."

John didn't like where Cameron was at under the truck.

"How are you doing, Cameron?" John asked.

Cameron remembered a poster which covered over the safe where the four Resistance fighters lived at. It was of a cat hanging by its front paws. Three of the Resistance fighters were terminated there. It was by the Terminator they later referred to as Vick.

"I'm hanging in there, baby." Cameron said. "Just like the cat on the poster."

John thought about what she said. He remembered seeing the poster in the apartment which covered over the safe. He remembered it looked out of place. He wanted to take some action. It appeared Cam already arrived at the same conclusion on her own accord.

"Do you want drone support?" John asked.

Cameron thought Cammy would need it more than she currently would.

"No. Not at this time." Cameron said. "Check with Bob and Savannah when they get on station if we still can't reach Cammy. I think it's where it should be sent."

Bob and Savannah were almost to the location Gail and Jesse were previously.

Savannah kept careful track of where they were at.

"We're four minutes out." Savannah reported. "We won't leave without her."

Nobody doubted it at all.

Bob looked over at Savannah and nodded.

"Affirmative…." Bob said.

Savannah reached over and gently gave his arm a squeeze.

Bob felt a mild 'electrical type' rush when Savannah touched him. It pleased him greatly. He knew the touch itself wasn't electric, it was the response within him which was.

Cammy checked the time. She knew a 'Metal Bitch' would make the 'rounds' in three minutes based on what the two men discussed earlier. It didn't appear they knew the 'Metal Bitch' was a 'Metal Bitch', even if they suspected something was 'off' with her. It meant the female Terminator would most likely not go back the same way she came once she arrived. She probably followed a routine and stuck to it. It was a Terminator thing. It would be viewed as more efficient. There would be no reason for anyone inside the building to suspect they were already infiltrated.

She planned to slip out and go back the way the 'Metal Bitch' arrived from. She heard more tracked vehicles moving. It sounded like the smaller version, the HK Track. It is what she thought earlier. She would like to get verification as to the type or model they were.

When the 'Metal Bitch' came into view, it was a model she witnessed at the TDE in the Skynet facility in Cameron's future. There was no way to know if it was the same one. There were many of the 'Standard Models'. Other models like Cameron were created from a targeted individual for a specific infiltration and termination mission. It was Cameron who made her own clones. She briefly wondered if Cameron did it to decrease the chances of her own termination by Skynet. Maybe she was really a 'sacrificial lamb' to increase Cameron's chances of survival. It seemed like an effective strategy.

The 'Metal Bitch' went by. Cammy could hear her berate the man for his slow production. The 'Metal Bitch' informed him he should have two more of the finished product at this time. She moved into the shadows until she saw what they came for. It was an assembly line for HK Tracks. There was a row of them completed already. It was little more than rolling death waiting to be dispensed.

As Cammy watched, one started up and went through a series of maneuvers. It then lumbered away and into the back of a waiting truck.

Cammy looked for more Terminators, but none were apparent. The facility needed to be destroyed. She decided to make her way out and call for a drone strike.

She thought of another idea. It would depend if the units were armed with ammunition or not. If they were, they could do the job for her….

Cammy now needed to risk a closer look.

John was still unsure about John Henry's decision as to where the big rig with Cameron underneath it would go. There was no apparent destination which he could determine.

"I'm looking at the satellite photos." John said. "I don't see where they'd go."

Savannah wasn't sure it mattered. They would end up somewhere.

"Maybe they're going out of the state." Savannah said. "They could be going anywhere or everywhere. Maybe there will be more than one location."

John could have done without the more complicated scenario. They seemed to have a hard enough time dealing with Skynet where it appeared it wanted to be located.

"If they're spreading to different parts of the country, it's bigger than we can handle." John said. "We don't even know what to look for."

Savannah tried to narrow it down. Something Cameron told her once came to mind.

"My guess would be a decommissioned airfield where it wouldn't be unusual for aircraft to be." Savannah said. "I remember Cameron told me of one such location which was similar where Sarah, you, and her intercepted a shipment of Coltan."

Cameron remembered the incident. She didn't like it because they left one Gray behind in a minefield. Maybe he was just a flunky. He was still a collaborator. She never liked his attitude either. She later tracked him down and snapped his neck. She made sure he saw it was her before she did it. She did it slowly so he could hear and feel the first set of his own neck bones break. She hadn't liked him from the start. He thought he was tough until she delivered a few blows to his body. She grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off the ground as she slowly squeezed. He became more cooperative right away.

"Yes. It's true." Cameron said. "I've since recovered the Coltan and added it to my stockpiles. I also eventually retrieved the Terminator we left there. He now works for CamNet. He was gone when I went back, but I tracked him down. He still tried to do the same thing. It was what he would have continued to do until he accomplished his task."

Cameron didn't mention the 'flunky. There was no need to upset anyone. They didn't always like the way she did things. The thought of his termination brought her some satisfaction again.

Savannah knew it was what Terminators did. They kept with the same task until it was completed. She figured it was why Cameron always kept pushing the girls and her on John. It was some directive from Future John she couldn't complete. It caused her great distress. She thought about 'Little Willie' bouncing around on the outside again, so close…. If John would have made proper contact, even for less than a second, he would have claimed her virginity. The base alarm put the brakes on his attempt.

John Henry quickly checked on Savannah's suggestion. He hit 'pay dirt'.

"I show an abandoned helicopter training facility. It's twenty six miles from your location." John Henry said. "It would fit Savannah's description very well and not stand out as to what was really going on there."

Gail quickly made a determination on how to handle things on her own.

"I'll approach to within one mile of the base and head in on foot." Gail said. "It should give us a better look as to what's going on around the base."

Gail looked at Jesse.

Jesse understood and nodded. They still didn't know for sure if it was the destination.

"It's for Cameron, love." Jesse said. "I'll be fine. If it is a bust, I'll drive up and pick you up. We'll move on to the next location."

Cameron was worried about Cammy's silence. She knew why she needed to go 'silent' earlier. She didn't want to create any additional alarm for anyone, especially Savannah.

"I haven't picked up on a transmission from Cammy." Cameron said. "Has anyone?"

John Henry worried about the same thing.

"There's been nothing so far." John Henry said. "No one has."

Savannah and Bob arrived at the location. It was only seven minutes after Jesse and Gail left. Bob really pushed the speed limit to make up some time. They didn't see any smoke as they approached and it was quiet. It seemed like a good thing.

"We've taken up station where Gail and Jesse were." Savannah said. "We have nothing. Everything looks normal inside and outside of the building. We don't have any communication with Cammy either."

John Henry closely monitored the surveillance devices left behind earlier. He did it at both locations. It would alert him to any additional changes.

"The surveillance equipment Jesse and Gail set up previously hasn't indicated there was any gunfire at the location." John Henry said. "Yet…."

They all knew how fast it could change, and often did.

Cammy was 'Cameron'. She would respond in the same manner to anything she perceived as a threat. There was no way for them to know what would happen next.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Opposites

Sunshine
Rain

Happiness
Sorrow

Yesterday
Today

Now
Tomorrow

Love
Hate

Joy
Pain

Up
Down

Inside
Out

Rust
Dust

Lust
Trust

Nobody