Chapter 1619

Caught Off Guard

Camille-Hanna glanced at Gail before she returned her attention to Dee.

"We can take you to the rehab facility now instead." Camille-Hanna said. "You don't have to be a part of what's about to happen. The goal is to restart your life. What you see might end up as something which could bother you later on in life. It will be bloody and violent."

Dee began to reconsider her options. As much as she wanted vengeance, maybe she shouldn't be a part of someone's murder. She believed the two females would do as they said they would. She wanted to make sure. She wanted to reclaim her life. She knew she would need to do it at the expense of others' lives.

"Maybe I do need a fresh start." Dee said. "I just want to make sure justice is done for what happened to me. I know it sounds like vengeance. It is revenge. It's also about protecting others going forward. If what's already occurred is allowed to continue unabated, there will be other innocent victims. It's not something I can allow to happen. I am grateful for your help."

Gail looked back at Dee.

"Your mother's boyfriend and his associates will be dealt with, with 'extreme prejudice'." Gail said. "I swear it."

Camille-Hanna was still a little concerned about what was to happen with Dee's mother.

"We need to know what to do about your mother as well." Camille-Hanna said. "You've had some time to think about it. I know it's an important issue for everyone."

Camille-Hanna realized she almost said humans.

Dee did think about it. Her mother was still her mother. It was the poison she pumped in her body which made her make bad decisions.

"If she wants to try to clean herself up and enter a separate rehab facility, I would like her to be given the chance to recover." Dee said. "If she's still using, and doesn't want to change her ways, she's better off overdosing. She's probably turning tricks for two bucks just to be able to buy enough drugs to keep her going. She wasn't the best looking after Jamal would beat on her."

Gail turned around and looked at Dee. She was very disturbed by what Dee indicated. Jesse and Vanna were both beaten by those who abused them.

"Your mother's boyfriend beat her as well as abused her and you?" Gail asked.

Dee didn't remember everything, but she remembered enough.

"It was the reason why she started using the drugs in the first place." Dee said. "He told her he didn't want her stepping out on him when he wasn't around. He said as long as he took away her beauty, he wouldn't have to worry about it. He took away her beauty. He said he was going to take away mine. I needed to lay there and take it. The worst was when I needed to accommodate three of them simultaneously."

Dee wasn't sure if it was the actual acts involved, or the laughter and humiliation she would need to face during the procedure and afterwards. They treated her as something less than human. They treated her worse than an animal.

Gail planned to enact retribution. As a cyborg, she could literally bust someone up a bone at a time if she needed too.

"I will personally make sure all of them are punished for what they've done before they're terminated." Gail said. "I've dealt with plenty of individuals in the same way before. Justice needs to be served for those who've been abused."

Camille-Hanna figured it was what Jesse and Gail did when they went out since they never seemed to actually do anything or go anywhere. They seldom returned in the same clothes they left in. It was speculated their original ones were blood soaked as they sought vengeance against future Scavengers. She watched Sheila deal with a number of individuals on Cameron's 'off the books' operations. She was aware anything she watched Sheila do was most likely something Jesse did previously as well. The violence was all transferred over with the 'Neural Interface'. It was something Jesse warned them about. She said there was a lot of 'darkness' inside of her. Sheila seemed to flourish on the 'darkness'.

"I think it would be better if we dealt with them on our own." Camille-Hanna said. "To make something of your life won't start out very well with another level of violence added to it first."

Dee already started to have some additional concerns.

CamNet provided the Metal girls with updated information. She'd been able to tap into the phones of some of the people in the boyfriend's crib. There appeared to be at least one female at the location who didn't want to be there.

Gail wanted to act. She looked back at Dee.

"I want you to remain in the vehicle." Gail said. "You will stay with Barbara. There's been a new development. I need to act now."

Dee was a little concerned. She wondered if they took someone else. She knew they were all armed with a variety of weapons.

"They're all big." Dee said. "They'll have knives and guns."

Unless they possessed phased plasma rifles or Tasers, Gail wasn't concerned. The likelihood of either was nonexistent.

"It won't matter what they have." Gail said. "It won't matter how many of them there are either."

Dee wondered if her eyes played tricks on her. She was pretty sure the big female's eyes glowed red for a moment. She looked again, but they looked normal.

"I'll wait in the SUV." Dee said. "You should both go. It will be safer for you."

Camille-Hanna and Gail briefly discussed it at a level only another Terminator could hear. It was time to act. They both got out of the SUV.

"You're to remain here." Gail said. "We'll be back."

Gail and Camille-Hanna headed towards the location. The drone overhead indicated there were no new arrivals. It would also make sure of Dee's whereabouts.

Cam-Holly wondered where Allison was at. She needed to check on her and see what was happening with operations. She listened in the hallway to hear where everyone was at. Things were a little quieter than she anticipated. She wanted to check and see what was going on. Maybe they were in the lab.

She went down the hallway and made the turn to go by the lab. The lights were off. She paused for a moment anyway to listen. It was quiet. She moved by the infirmary. It was dark and quiet as well. She looked further down the hall to the next intersection. It was where Claire's room was located. Maybe she would stop by and see what was going on there.

Cam-Holly could hear there was some activity in Claire's room as she approached. The door wasn't closed tight, even if it wasn't part way open. It indicated some tact should be used.

She slowly opened the door and picked her head inside. She was a little astonished at what she witnessed. It was something Claire talked about from time to time with her. It appeared it was a reality now.

Vanna lifted her head and looked back. She motioned for her to enter. With all the activity going on, she wasn't sure if Vanna realized her chip was in Cam's chassis and she wasn't actually Cam.

Cam-Holly wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, there were plenty of other places where she would be able to look.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Temporal Mission:

Past Timeline:

November 26 1963

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Young Allison could see Speedy and Eddie were a little confused at what they witnessed for several reasons. They both rushed forward to assist Cameron and her as they moved the Lightning through the hangar.

"I think you girls need help." Speedy said. "I don't even know how you moved the plane this far by yourselves."

Cameron lowered her left hand down to her skirt to cover herself back over.

"The wind was blowing." Cameron said.

Both Speedy and Eddie saw the wind was blowing. It was blowing from the opposite direction if anything. It was blowing into the hangar, not out of it.

Speedy grabbed onto the tow bar in front of Cameron. He could have grabbed onto it in back of her, but he didn't. He put his back to her so he wouldn't be able to see what happened the next time the wind caught her skirt. If there was anyone outside, it would block their view of her. It seemed to be an act of decency.

Eddie moved back to where Young Allison was at.

"This thing sure moves a lot easier than the last time I needed to move it around by hand." Eddie said. "You girls must be really strong."

Young Allison didn't see the need to try and explain only one of them was a girl, and the other one was a cyborg. She wanted to say they 'work out', but the term wasn't common in the time period they were in. It was bound to cause even more confusion.

"We're both in good shape." Young Allison said. "We both do gymnastics and track."

Speedy spoke as he pulled on the tow bar.

"I was really surprised to see you two moving the P-38." Speedy said.

Cameron was sure he would be surprised at a lot of the things she could do. She wanted to lay the groundwork out there to hopefully get a little more at a later date.

"Maybe on another day you'll take me up in the Lightning or the Warhawk." Cameron said. "I've flown a Mustang before. I'd like to get some time in on the Catalina if you know the owner. I'd like to try a water landing and take off in the PBY. I think the R2600 engines would really increase the performance. I can pay for the cost of the fuel."

Speedy was a little surprised she spotted the engine swap. He was pretty sure all of them could be arranged.

"I'm a little pressed for time today to be able to do too much." Speedy said.

The P-38 was almost to the hangar door.

Cameron wondered about Speedy's experience in both the Warhawk and the Mustang. She was aware the Lightning was a different machine.

"I've read the performance of the P-40 and the P-51 is very similar below fifteen thousand feet." Cameron said. "It's only where the oxygen level starts to drop off, where the single stage supercharger on the V-1710 engine starts to suffer in performance, as compared to the two stage supercharger on the V-1650. I know the Lightning is equipped with a supercharger and a turbocharger. The two stage supercharger produces much of the same results a little more efficiently in my opinion. The difference in maximum altitude is only a little more than a thousand feet."

Speedy thought he should have been surprised to hear her mention the two different engines in the aircraft, as well as their various forms of aspiration. Somehow he wasn't. It seemed 'Cindy' knew a lot of things and was very capable. He heard 'Emily's' explanation to Eddie about their physical condition earlier.

"They're very similar." Speedy said. "At the altitudes we fly at now, we seldom go over fifteen thousand feet for anything. The VFR, or visual flight rules, generally keep us below ten thousand feet. The only one of the three planes we have the oxygen system operating on is the Lightning. My Mustang is stripped down for air racing. The Warhawk is pretty much in stock condition. It actually still has the self sealing fuel tanks and armor. I think the only thing it's missing are the guns."

Cameron knew it would be missing the most important feature to make the guns work. They would also need to be a supply of ammunition. She would keep her eye open and see if there was somewhere she could procure replacement weapons for the three aircraft. She understood they wouldn't be put in the Air Racer. The 20MM cannon for the lightning would probably be a little harder to come by.

The P-38 was moved outside of the hangar.

"I didn't think it was too difficult." Cameron said. "Which one do you want in the hangar next?"

Eddie moved up to the front of the P-38.

"I have the other tow bar hooked to the P-40." Eddie said.

Cameron turned in the direction to go around to the side of the hangar where the other two aircraft were parked.

"I'll bring it over." Cameron said.

Speedy and Eddie looked at each other. They quickly moved to follow her.

Young Allison followed behind the three of them. She wasn't surprised to see Cameron's skirt blow up from the rear this time. It took Cameron a few seconds before she reached back and pulled it down.

She was pretty sure Cameron already got them rides on the three aircraft when they were available. It would be a matter of getting all the cards into play. It was approximately a two hour drive to Mojave from the safe house in Chatsworth. She was pretty sure Speedy would be more than happy to meet them at Van Nuys. The Santa Susana runway was a little on the short side for the P-38. They could be at either one in approximately twenty minutes from the safe house. She was pretty sure Cameron would be making trips to both of them for more avgas going forward.

The four of them started to move the P-40. It moved along just as easily as the P-38 did with Cameron on the drawbar.

Speedy reached up and touched the side of his head.

"The first time I flew the P-40, I was surprised at how easily it could roll." Speedy said. "I took it up to do some maneuvers. I was used to flying the P-51. I did a similar maneuver with the P-40 to see how it would roll. I immediately slammed my head into the opposite side of the canopy because it rolled so quickly. I was caught off guard. It wasn't what I expected to happen. I quickly corrected and slammed my head into the other side of the canopy because it rolled back so fast again. I found out at lower altitudes the Warhawk was much more maneuverable than the Mustang was. The performance is very similar. It's only when the air starts to thin when the Mustang and Lightning start to shine. None of the planes are flown at high altitudes any longer."

Eddie listened to the conversation as he pushed with 'Emily' along the rear of the wing.

"I still don't understand how they could put Merlin engines in a PT Boat and not in a P-38." Eddie said. "When some of the PT Boats were fitted with the Merlins, they received three of them."

Young Allison shook her head.

"What a waste of machinery." Young Allison said. "I know there's a whole backstory as to some of the reasoning. A lot of it was political as well as financial. There were certain individuals involved with the War Production Boards who directed business for the companies they previously worked for, or held stock in."

Speedy looked back as they moved the P-40.

"They even put Merlin's in a couple of models of the Warhawk." Speedy said.

Cameron was aware there was a story behind it as well.

Caught Off Guard

It doesn't take much damage
To leave something forever marred
The one usually responsible
Is nothing but a blowhard

Few want to think about
What was left scarred
Rather than get it fixed
It is just as easy to discard

When it happens to a person
It leaves their heart and soul charred
They often will soon end up
On the way to a graveyard

It's a shame how some
Have such disrespect and disregard
They are cowards and fools
They should be stoned and tarred

Keep the eyes wide open
Watch out for a hidden card
Deprivation and deceit know no bounds
Don't be the one caught off guard

Nobody