Chapter 857

Next One

John wanted to have someone available to follow the bobtail truck if it left. The two Grays who arrived with it, seemed to indicate they brought an HK Track with them. It sounded like they were going to unload it for security at the location. It was probably a response to their take down of other Skynet locations associated with the HK equipment and the boxcars. It would appear they wanted to keep the operation in Las Vegas running and give it a little extra muscle.

Ally previously expressed concern her SUV was already compromised because the occupants of the bobtail truck, and at least one Gray from inside the building, spotted it sitting down the street.

Cammy specifically wanted to go inside the building with the Grays so she could assist with the termination of everyone.

It was decided she would switch her SUV for Ally's SUV. Ally would still be the one to go after the truck with a 'new' or different color SUV.

Cammy would join Gail after the switch. She drove over and met up with Ally. They moved Ally's SUV over two blocks. She turned her SUV over to Ally.

Ally still wanted to participate in the take down of the building. John Henry needed to remind her of the other priorities and why they were actually there.

She looked over the new vehicle. it was a completely different color than the one she previously drove. She thought it was a good thing since the Grays already observed the vehicle she was in earlier. They tried to ambush her but failed. She really wondered how many seconds away she was from being jumped by them. She figured it was pretty close based on Gail's description of where the men were who started to run to come up in back of her. She noticed Cammy was going to depart on foot to join Gail.

"Do you want me to drive you closer?" Ally asked. "It won't take long. I can let you off near the alley."

Cammy planned to take a more clandestine route to join Gail. She needed to think about the Terminator who was associated with the group. So far the Terminator hadn't been spotted yet. She was aware the group of Grays was very sloppy. If she was the Terminator who watched over them, she would hang back and observe everything they did before she made her determination whether they would live or die. She wanted to make sure she avoided any such possibility of running into the Skynet Terminator.

"No." Cammy said. "I'm going to go through the other businesses. It will be in through the back way through their properties. If anyone is watching, they'll never see me coming."

Ally didn't think it was the best method, but it would work. She really thought it would be better if she went with Cammy. She noticed Cammy wasn't very heavily armed.

"Aren't you going to take more firepower with you?" Ally asked.

Cammy planned to use her hands as much as possible for the terminations. They weren't just terminations to her. She was very adamant about what needed to be done as well as how it needed to be done.

"I have what I need." Cammy said. "This is personal."

Cammy was unaware how personal it would become before the events played themselves out. What she was about to hear, would be a real 'future shock'.

Before Ally could protest, Cammy headed through a parking lot and over a fence.

Ally watched her go and was all alone again.

"Great." Ally said as she looked around. "I'm still stuck here."

Ally didn't like being 'odd man out'. She thought she should make entry into the building with Cammy and Gail. It would better ensure a successful entry and take down. It would also put her away from either SUV. She needed to be ready to act. If the truck left, or any other vehicle left the location, she would need to intercept them and find out where they were headed.

Maybe it would have been easier if they terminated everyone at the rail yard. They could have taken care of the two Grays, as well as the two unknown men who seemed to be quite a problem now for Cameron and Savannah. Dan, Frank, and Sheila were there now to assist them.

Sheila was in the casino with the unknown man. He played at a table near her. He looked like he was going to get closer to her. She was ready to spring into action if necessary. She looked to make sure she didn't see a Taser or anything like it in his hands. They were under the assumption he was from the future so he would know what a Terminator was and how to take one down. She looked around and spotted Dan in the distance. He paid attention where she was at. If she was in distress, he would be able to assist her. If he needed to come in with 'guns blazing', then he would. It was something they already worked out amongst themselves. The Control Center might not like the way things played out, but they weren't taking any chances with the unknown group.

She watched the man move toward her. She continued to play and win. She was up to twenty thousand dollars already. She only took a little loss every now and then to keep from winning all the time on every hand. She learned before when she won every hand, it soon brought down the 'heat'. It caused a lot of grief and hard feelings in the past. She didn't know all the details, but she did know it led to a few terminations. The bodies were buried in the desert. The Syndicate controlled casinos of the past all sent out 'thugs' and 'knuckle draggers' to get their money back. They never did. They were terminated instead. She found it somewhat strange how those who cheated others didn't like it when the tables were turned. It seemed to her, what was fair was fair.

Sheila saw the man look around one more time. She knew he was ready to move out. She finished her hand and took off before the man did. She wanted to be in front of him. She headed for the parking structure. It seemed like the most logical place he would go when he left the casino. If he didn't go outside to the parking structure, he could go back and catch the next tram in either direction, or go out one of the other entrances of the casino. Dan still kept him under surveillance from a distance.

She made it outside and looked for a place to hide. She was far enough ahead of him she hoped he only worried about what was behind him. She moved behind some bushes and looked back. She was very relieved to see him exit the rear of the casino. The man was headed her way. He kept looking back. He looked around once he was outside. He headed for the parking structure elevator.

"The brown haired man exited the rear of the casino and is headed towards the parking structure." Sheila said. "Dan can move towards the rear entrance."

The question now would be which level of the parking structure he would exit on to. Without knowing the level, it would make observation or interception more difficult. She hoped the casino Control Center might be able to give her a heads up.

"John Henry, I'm headed for the stairs." Sheila said. "Keep me posted on which level he gets off of the elevator at."

John Henry would do his best to assist her. There was also another team member in the parking structure.

"I'll keep you notified." John Henry said. "Frank's waiting there as well."

Frank selected the best level he thought he could intercept any other vehicle on.

"I'm waiting on the second level." Frank said. "We'll be able to follow him."

Sheila wanted to do more than follow the man. She wanted to ensure they didn't lose him. The way the men tried to be so evasive, there was a good chance they could lose them in traffic or through some other planned event to make sure no one followed them. She didn't expect anything less than a stellar performance if he left the casino in a vehicle. She wanted to make sure they would be able to track him.

"I want to tag his vehicle first, if we can." Sheila said. "I don't want to lose these blokes. I know they're going to pull a fast one with whatever they do. I think it applies to the whacker Cameron and Savannah are surveilling."

John liked the idea, but it sounded risky to him. She wouldn't know which vehicle was his until he approached it. He wasn't sure how she would be able to tag it after he was at it, or even in it.

"It's a good idea." John said. "Then you won't have to follow them so closely. You're going to need to use extreme caution when you're around his vehicle. If he spots you, there may be trouble. Remember, he's most likely from the future and knows what a Terminator is. He may know how to bring one down."

Sheila could see John came to the same conclusion she did about what the man could do to her if he recognized her for what she was. She still felt her skill level was good enough where she might be able to accomplish the task without too much of a problem.

"I'll give it my best shot. I think I can pull it off." Sheila said. "I'm in the stairway now."

Dan followed further behind Sheila and the man. He didn't want to be spotted again.

"I'm behind him." Dan said. "I saw he entered the elevator. I can move up and try to determine which floor he stops on."

Sheila didn't want Dan to be 'made' and blow the operation. The man might go for a ride in the elevator and return back to the ground floor and open the door and find Dan standing there.

"I think you can just hang back for now. Dan." Sheila said. "I don't trust this clown at all."

John couldn't agree with Sheila more. As far as he knew, the two men were the most elusive they ever followed on any operation anywhere. He was willing to bet it included Cameron's 'off the books' operations. He didn't want anything compromised either. It seemed the best idea would be for Dan and Frank to link up now

"Wait for Frank to come down." John said. "You can join up then."

Sheila received word the man exited on the third level. She was in the stairwell. She quickly moved down from the fourth level, back to the third level. She was able to peek around the corner of the stairwell.

"I see him." Sheila said. "He is getting in a blue sedan. It looks like an older car. I'm making my move now to tag it."

John was concerned for Sheila's safety. If the man were to notice her, things could turn hot fast. He still thought it was a very risky move on Sheila's part.

"Don't get burnt." John said. "Use caution."

Sheila was concerned about what would happen. She tried to make light of the situation.

"I'd say I was born cautious, but we all know it would be a lie." Sheila said.

John Henry was about to inform her she wasn't born but constructed. Before he could speak, he noticed John saw what he was about to do and waved him off. He quickly realized Sheila's statement was a figure of speech and nothing literal. Sometimes he thought the Metal girls were a little too 'human like'. Then again, their 'human like' quality might be beneficial if Cameron ever allowed the Terminators to 'mix socially' between genders. He looked forward to the day he would be able to have 'relations' with a female. He would prefer it was a human female, but a Metal girl would work just fine.

He felt some discomfort in his pants and looked down. He quickly realized what the problem was. He was glad he had on full length pants and not just a pair of underwear like John wore. He certainly wouldn't be able to hide the 'stiffness' he developed in the front of his pants.

He really would like to be with any female. He believed it would be a very enlightening experience in multiple ways, other than just in some momentary gratification. He was very displeased with Cameron's proclamation about who any of the Terminators could be with. Seeing Cammy attempt to hit on John and remain without clothing for so long, really made him want a little more.

Now he thought about Riley. He really wanted to see a little more. Perhaps he would offer to give her an additional 'check up' to make sure everything was back to normal. It seemed to him it would be like a good idea to wait until Derek was off on an operation with Jim.

Cameron was now in the same tram car with the other unknown man. She watched him from a small hole in a casino 'newspaper'. She held it up in front of her face to hide her identity and the fact she was observing him. She managed to enter the tram car behind several other individuals and hide her face from him. She made her hair cover the side of her face where he was at.

She watched the man, he checked his phone. She saw him make a call. She was only close enough to hear him and not who he called.

"Did you get it?" The man quietly asked.

Pause.

"OK. I'll get off at the next stop." The man said. "I'll meet you at the side entrance. We'll do it the same way as we did last time."

The man ended his call and looked around again.

Cameron looked busy as she read her casino brochure.

"John Henry, pass the word." Cameron said quietly.

She figured they would be able to get the phone numbers of both of the men who just used the phones. They should be able to dig deeper into what else the phones were used for and when. It was possible the phones were just 'burners' and they would end up in the trash can at the conclusion of whatever these men were up to. The way they operated so far, it wouldn't surprise her in the slightest.

It really made her wonder what all the 'cloak and dagger' routine was about. Now she needed to wonder if what the men actually said over the phone was correct or not. When the man in front of her stated they would 'do it like they did last time', it sent up a red flag for her. As far as she knew, it was code to set up some kind of an ambush. It could be exactly as the man said it would be too. There was no way to know. She looked around the interior of the tram car. There were too many witnesses to start an interrogation on the man now. She didn't want to terminate a carload of innocent riders. She did however want to terminate the man.

John and John Henry discussed Cameron's report. They were as wary as she was whether it would go down like he said. They determined it was probably safer for Savannah to get off at the next stop anyway, whether the man did or not. Either way Cameron was in the car with the man and she already indicated she was ready to terminate him as soon as possible. She could do it with one short blow to his spine and instantly paralyze him. If she did it up higher towards his neck, she would terminate him.

John Henry wanted to make sure Savannah knew all of the information they did so far. It still wasn't a whole lot. They didn't know how much of it would actually play out as indicated.

"Savannah, it looks like the man will get off at the next stop." John Henry said. "The other man with him retrieved a blue sedan and is headed for the next casino. It sounds like they will link up at the side entrance. They didn't indicate which side. There could be some type of code involved with the conversation as well and nothing would be as it seemed. Looking at a satellite photo it appears he will exit on the north side. There is a driveway there."

Savannah trusted the report from John Henry. What she didn't trust is what the unknown man would actually do. Based on their past behavior anything could happen. She wanted to terminate him herself.

"OK, I got it." Savannah said. "I'll exit immediately and head for the north side. I want to be ahead of him. Cameron can follow him. We'll have him sandwiched between us. We also need to consider he might go a different direction, even if he gets off of the tram and stays off."

It was a real possibility there would be some scenario play out like it did with the last man who got off. Since he actually retrieved a vehicle from the parking structure, maybe he intended to get off all along. It was possible they might have vehicles parked at every casino. There was no way to know what they were up to.

Gail was still in the back of the building. She grew impatient as she waited for Cammy. She was ready to make her move now. She wanted to act while all four men were in the building. She hoped to do it before the HK Track became active. As more time passed, it didn't seem she would be able to beat its activation.

There were new sounds from inside the structure. Gail listened by the back door. There was the sound of a forklift moving. There was a lot of cussing. There was one loud metallic 'clang' noise. It seemed as if the individuals inside were extremely careless and didn't care about the quality of whatever they did. The cussing and forklift noise finally stopped.

It sounded like they successfully unloaded the HK Track.

The Grays discussed what they wanted to do with it.

"Are we supposed to activate this piece of crap, or wait for the 'freak show' to arrive?" The first Gray asked.

"I say we leave it turned off." The second Gray said. "I don't even know why we need this thing. As far as we know it will go rogue on us."

"It's so they can spy on us." The first Gray said.

The two men from the box truck gathered their stuff and prepared to leave. They wanted to know if the two Grays there still might have a female 'around'. They said they didn't, but they might the next time.

Gail heard the roll up door at the back start to open. She needed to move quickly. She headed back to the dumpster she hid in earlier. The SUV drove out first. It was followed by the box truck. The box truck pulled past the SUV and headed down the alley. The SUV backed past the open door and then headed inside. They would be lined up to drive forward out the front when they left. It was good to know if they needed to follow it later on. She didn't anticipate there would be a later on if it was up to her.

"The box truck is moving eastbound out of the alley." Gail said. "From what I gathered there are two Grays in it. I don't know what else is in the back of the truck. It still leaves the original two here."

Ally hoped she was going to be able to join the 'party' with Cammy and Gail. Evidently it wasn't in the cards. With a new set of wheels she was good to go in pursuit of the box truck. They shouldn't recognize her if they spotted her. It wouldn't be the vehicle they spotted before.

"I have Cammy's SUV now, I'll follow him." Ally said. "I already know what the truck looks like. I don't think they'll be able to do too much evasive maneuvering with it."

Gail heard the roll up door lock. She moved back up to the rear door to listen. She didn't like letting two of the Grays get away. She could have taken them all while they were inside the building.

Now she needed to hope they didn't activate the HK Track while she waited for Cammy to arrive. She would continue to listen to the men's conversation about what they were going to do.

Young Allison didn't like how their troops in the field continued to be separated from each other. Now Ally was off to the unknown by herself. Savannah was basically on her own patrol with Cameron close by but not close enough. Sheila, Dan, and Frank were all on three different levels of the parking structure. It sure seemed like they could use more Terminators there.

"All of our people are being strung out." Young Allison said.

Anna didn't think it was anything new for what was basically surveillance right now. If Cameron went in alone, she most likely already would have acted at either location and the situation would be resolved. The perpetrators would all be terminated. She didn't want Young Allison to become frustrated over it.

"You know this is how these things unfold." Anna said.

Young Allison was concerned for everyone, especially for Savannah.

"I'm worried about Savannah." Young Allison said. "I don't feel comfortable with her being around all those people in the casino, let alone with Grays, and an unknown group as well."

Anna understood Young Allison felt Savannah would be uncomfortable around the people who frequented the casino.

"Savannah and you both lead simple, sheltered, and protected lives." Anna said. "You know the real world is an ugly place."

Young Allison felt as ugly as the world was now, it was going to be a lot uglier in a Skynet future. Maybe it was just one of the things which made where Savannah was currently at even worse. It was because of all the beauty and grandeur which surrounded it. It was all done to sell the lie and separate the patrons from their money.

"It's just the thing." Young Allison said. "Where they're at is a beautiful and fancy place. It's the places I've seen in the future from Cameron's files which worry me even more. They are two opposites and I don't care for either one."

Anna was sure this was a case of 'the grass was always greener on the other side of the hill'. Things and places were often different than what people thought they were going to be when they actually got there and saw them. Social norms were very different in the past where Cameron was supposed to take Young Allison.

"You may find the past less appealing than what you think." Anna said.

Young Allison didn't plan to go to the past, just to go to the past. It was supposed to be a safer environment for her to stay for a year so she was a little older when she returned. It would actually only be a few minutes time from when she left in the present. She didn't have any illusions the past was something great because she knew it wasn't. She didn't think the present or the past offered the same nightmare the future did.

"I would find growing up in a Skynet future tied naked to a rotting mattress in a Scavenger camp even less appealing." Young Allison said. "I know what happened to Vanna and Jesse and even ME - Allison, a few times. We all know it will happen to all of us at some point anyway if Skynet ever takes over. Skynet may not be able to terminate all humans. It will however be successful to terminate humanity from humans."

Anna sure hoped the girls would have Terminator protection to prevent it. If the Terminators were offline or taken down by the enemy, whether it was Skynet or the anti-Metal group, the girls would eventually face the horrors of the future at some point.

"The world is an ugly place." Anna said. "Skynet will make it uglier."

Young Allison watched the video feeds from Las Vegas. There was nothing she could do from where she was at. She knew it was something which needed to change. She should be there with Savannah now.

"I want Savannah to be safe, as well as Cameron and everyone else too." Young Allison said.

The thought of her mother, and especially Summer, being ravaged by the future sickened her. She was going to do everything she could to prevent it from happening. It was time for her to act and start taking decisive action. Cameron and the Metal girls trained her for as long as she could remember. It was time to step up and help. As long as Savannah was out there and needed to face the unknown, she was done being a spectator and was now a participant. Maybe John wanted to run around and feel important in Las Vegas when there was no need for him to go, but she didn't. She wanted to make sure the enemy was dealt with in the swiftest and harshest manner possible when they were encountered.

She really believed her Mother and Summer would be safer in the past if Judgment Day occurred. For whatever reason, she believed Summer would rather go to River's future. Based upon what she reviewed in the reports, there were individuals there who were even worse than Scavengers.

Cammy continued to make her way through the properties in back of the target location. She was a little upset to hear the truck just left. Maybe she should have allowed Ally drive her up and let her off at the entrance to the alley. It didn't really matter now. What was done was done.

"Gail, I'm coming over the fence, one building to the west." Cammy said.

Gail heard a soft thud, seconds later Cammy came from behind the next building. She gave her a brief report of what she heard so far.

"I want to take them now." Cammy said.

Gail was as surprised as she wasn't. She wanted to know Cammy's plan of action.

"Do you want me to go to the front and enter from there?" Gail asked.

Cammy's biggest worry right now was what was just let off from the bobtail truck.

"Was the HK Track activated?" Cammy asked.

Gail knew they hadn't because they said they didn't trust it.

"No, they decided to leave it off." Gail said. "Listen…."

They could hear the conversation of the two Grays inside of the building.

"I just tried those two clowns again." The first Gray said.

"The boxcars made it here just fine." The second Gray said.

"It looks like they panicked over nothing and did something stupid." The first Gray said.

"Maybe they split." The second Gray said.

"Pat and Sam were kind of flaky." The first Gray said.

"If they did, they're going to be in a world of hurt when the tin can goes after them." The second Gray said.

"Better them than us." The first Gray said.

"I'm sure the next time we see them, it will just be their heads." The second Gray said.

"Unless they already got themselves killed." The first Gray said. "I think it's time to live in this joint up a little bit. Do you catch my drift?"

"One of us needs to head out and find some fresh 'skirt'." The second Gray said. "Let me have some of those drugs first."

"If I give some to you, I bet you'll end up 'doing' the one we have, again." The first Gray said. "Yesterday was my last time for her."

"She's been 'checked out' for two days." The second Gray said. "We need to dump her before we get the next one. She is going to go ripe on us real soon."

"Let's put her in the SUV and we'll go." One Gray said. "We will throw her in a dumpster a few miles from here. She's just a piece of trash anyway."

Both of the men laughed.

"We should have dumped her in an empty rail car when we were at the rail yard. One of the hobo rail gangs would be blamed for it." The second Gray said. "I want to pick the new one this time."

"Whatever, dude. Trim is trim. All of it is good, some of it's just better." The first Gray said. "Anything is better than those skanks from the work camps. Most of those were used up."

"I know for a fact they were totally used up when we were done with them." The second Gray said. "Once they were dumped in the general population of the work camp, things got a lot worse for them."

"I bet after a few days the stupid skanks wish they would have stayed where they were and performed 'comfort duty' for us." The first Gray said. "It's not like chicks 'make it' anyway. It's just the way it is."

Gail noticed Cammy seemed to be increasingly agitated as she listened to the Grays talk. She already needed to listen to them a lot longer. She was pretty steamed herself.

"When I was still with a Scavenger group, I was able to get my hands on a redhead bitch once…." The second Gray said.

Before Gail knew it, Cammy was up and moving. She smashed through the back door. She hit it with such force she tore it off its hinges.

"Wait for me." Gail said as she hurried after Cammy.

Gail was angry about what the Gray said too. The implication was that it could have been 'Savannah' from whatever future these Grays were from. They were going to die a much worse death now, than before the Gray shot his mouth off.

It was clear to her it was way more than personal now to Cammy. Because of the mention of the 'redhead', it was to her as well. Sheila wasn't the only one who could take pleasure in the administration of 'justice' for someone who deserved it.

John watched a video feed of the platform where the second man was about to get off the tram.

He heard a 'crashing noise' and then heard Gail say, 'Wait for me'.

"What's happening there with Gail and Cammy?" John asked.

John Henry would have preferred they wore their vests with body cams, but they didn't. He could only go by the com traffic.

"I think Cammy just smashed down the rear door to the Gray's location." John Henry said.

John wasn't sure why they needed to act suddenly without any warning to them first.

"She didn't even tell us." John said. "Did the Grays start to activate the HK Track? Were they discovered?"

John Henry was sure there would have been shooting if it was the case.

"No." John Henry said. "I don't think so."

John tried to reach Gail or Cammy over and over.

Nothing but background struggling noises and muted cursing came through his com.

They soon heard some screams. Soon afterwards, they heard two loud screams followed by two more blood curdling screams. It was clear someone was in great pain.

Neither Gail nor Cammy responded to their questions.

John wondered what was happening inside the building. One thing he knew for sure was those screams didn't come from Cammy or Gail.

Savannah felt the tram slow and got up to exit.

The tram stopped and the door opened, Savannah exited with a small group of people and headed for the escalator. She didn't look in, or even at, Cameron's tram car. She did everything like the people around her did. They wanted to get off the platform and hit the casino. She wanted to be ahead of the man when he came down the escalator.

Savannah started down the escalator and looked back quickly before she was lower than eyesight level on her downward travel.

The doors started to 'beep'. The man was still in the tram car….

It appeared they just got played again.

Savannah realized she was on her own. She didn't think it was going to make a difference because now Cameron was alone with the man on the tram car.

"Beautiful…." Savannah said. "Absolutely beautiful…."

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Next One

Some need to wonder and ask
When is enough ever enough
It seems to be when one
Thinks they have the right stuff

They know what they want
They don't care who they hurt
They soon seek out more
With those that they flirt

It matters not to them
Who was there first
They want more than one
To quell their inner thirst

They don't really care
In whose face they rub it
They got what they wanted
In another's face they spit

They plow on ahead
They create their own fun
When that one's used up
They move on to the next one

Nobody