Chapter 893

S - O - S

John Henry kept a close watch on Cammy, Ally, and Sheila. Their recent trouble at the casino when they wanted to 'cash out' was worrisome. It was apparent the casino they played in was Syndicate affiliated. Most of them were. There were different 'Families' which ran different parts of the Syndicate. Most of them weren't at 'war' with each other at this time. Often a small skirmish would develop, but there was no money to be made in fighting. Peace and order was quickly restored.

The biggest threat to the Syndicate was the Cartel. They represented 'foreign' interests. It seemed they liked to fight. The Cartel was mostly into drugs for their income, but branched out to run 'skirts' and dabble in gaming. It was where they most often clashed with the Syndicate. It was when the Cartel tried to get their foot in the door of something already established and run by the Syndicate. Direct competition cut into the bottom line. When the Cartel tried to take more than they should from business already in progress, is where the trouble started. It was often gruesome and bloody. There was 'merchandise' damaged on both sides, as well as the loss of 'soldiers'. It always created a dip in revenue which was highly frowned upon by higher ups. The competition seemed to rub the Syndicate the wrong way. The Cartel didn't back down.

John Henry noticed the 'tail' the Metal girls picked up almost as soon as they left the casino. It was originally one individual. He was soon joined by two others. They were three very 'salty' looking men. The first man followed them out the same door the Metal girls exited from. It was clear he was to keep them under direct observation. He received some backup within a few minutes. The other two men came out of the lower level of the casino and exited through the loading bay for supplies to the casino and eating establishments. It was also where the cash would be picked up for transport to a bank. Profits from illegal drug sales and the sex trade were funneled into the casino's 'revenue'. It was a way for the Syndicate to 'launder' their illicit money.

The three thugs quickly joined up and continued after the Metal girls. None of the men appeared to be a Terminator, but sometimes it was hard to tell. John Henry thought about the name he heard mentioned during several of the phone calls before he crashed their systems and blocked everything. They attempted to contact someone known as 'The Enforcer'. He figured if any of them were a Terminator, it would be 'The Enforcer'. The name alone sounded very 'Terminator like'. The casino management tried to reach 'The Enforcer' before he blocked all their communications. Even though they couldn't get through, they still attempted to contact him. He assumed it was 'a him' anyway. If it was a Terminator, it could be anyone, with either a male or a female appearance. It didn't really matter. They would still be a very scary robot from the future underneath their sheath.

John Henry decided he needed to get the Metal girls attention. They should have contacted him by now but they didn't. They didn't respond to their coms. He needed to contact them. He needed to warn them. He wasn't sure if the Metal girls actually knew they were targeted and were being followed. He hadn't seen any of them actually look back to check their six. He could only view them through the various security cameras and traffic cams located along the route they were currently on. He couldn't see them all of the time, even if he could see them most of the time. He thought they seemed rather oblivious to the threat which continued to close on them from the rear. He thought of several ways to get their attention. Since he knew the direction they were headed and exactly where they were at, he would use the existing infrastructure to his advantage. He started to make the street lights, down the street from the direction they were headed, flash an 'S - O - S' pattern every ten seconds. He wasn't sure if they would pick up on it or not right away. If anyone else noticed it, it would appear to be some type of electrical short or malfunction. He strongly doubted anyone would make it for the Morse Code signal it was. He did consider using the 'C - Q - D' pattern which was the original distress signal as promoted by the Marconi company. He decided to stick with the 'S - O - S' pattern for now.

He double checked his communications blackout area. No one inside of it was able to get any form of communication out. It looked like everything he did worked. He thought the casino's response to what he did wasn't what he expected. It made him wonder even more about Skynet involvement of some type. On the surface the thought seemed somewhat illogical on several levels. He would need to think it through a little further and see what advantage anyone else could have gained from being involved with the Syndicate. He needed to consider there may be some type of manipulation where one side presented itself as something different than it actually was. He didn't think it was the Syndicate.

The three Metal girls moved along. They carried hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash with them. It was just short of a million dollars. They presented themselves as three separate individuals for their own share of their winnings. It was three separate transactions. They were certain if it went over one million dollars, it would trigger some type of further restriction.

Cammy glanced back earlier and spotted the tail. When she checked a second time, she noted there were now three men. The original man was joined by two others at some point soon after they left the casino. It was clear someone wanted to play hardball. The girls were all aware they were targeted.

"There are three people in the group behind us." Cammy said.

Ally was sure it was a bad sign. Maybe things were about to happen a little quicker than they anticipated.

"Is the tail closing?" Ally asked. "I don't want to look back."

Cammy determined the three thugs wanted to wait for a better 'kill zone'. The thugs wanted them off of the main street before they made their move. It was most likely going to be some type of strong armed robbery. The thugs might even think they could kill them. If they were helpless human females, it was something the thugs could do. They weren't helpless human females. They were Terminators.

"No. They're still holding back a ways." Cammy said. "They're going to wait until we're more secluded. They will move in for the attack if we take an alley, a side street, or enter a parking structure. They don't want to be spotted or identified by anyone else later on if we go to the police."

Ally wasn't so sure if they weren't Terminators they would be able to go to the police. The Syndicate thugs might make other 'plans' for them. Those could be anything from death to sexual slavery. There could be multiple versions of either of those things. None of them would end very well for a human female.

"The casino management team seemed pretty upset we walked out the door carrying all 'their money'." Ally said. "They may not intend for us to be able to go to the police once they get 'their money' back. There's a lot of open desert around the Las Vegas area. There's also a market for hot young females in dozens of countries around the world. It would be a way for the casino to earn some money off of us, after they get what they view as 'their money' back."

Sheila agreed with Ally's assessment. Their transactions were all done in cash so there was no record the transaction actually ever occurred. The three men after them could be acting in an 'official capacity' for the Syndicate, or specifically from someone in the casino, who wanted the cash for themselves.

"I think those blokes intend to grab our cash and 'punch our tickets' at the same time." Sheila said. "If there's some kind of vehicle associated with them, especially a van, I think they'll try to put the grab on us as well. We've seen similar types of operations before and know how they work."

Cammy needed to agree with her observation. The individuals they dealt with in the casino were very rude and hostile. It made her wonder about some of the other activities the Syndicate was mixed up in.

"You all saw the way everyone looked at us when we were in there." Cammy said. "I think after they rob us, they will try to put the grab on us so they can traffic us either locally, or to a foreign country. They will want to earn some type of money off of us. I think if we were actually human females, it would be some especially brutal treatment. We all know the end result would be termination after our 'debt' was paid."

Sheila believed the last part was true.

"I saw some blokes, with some fancy headgear, from some Southwest Asian country look at us and talk to one of the management flunkies as we walked out the door." Sheila said. "As far as we know, we have a price on our heads as sex slaves for some moron who exploits the people of his own country for his own personal gain."

They all knew from their personal dealings with the sex and drug trade young blondes and young redheads were prime candidates to be sold into the type of sex trade. They drew a very high price in sections of the world where the native females didn't look like them. None of them fit the bill, but their shapely figures and perfect bodies would still draw top dollar in one of those 'oil rich' nations. Since their bodies were scantily clad to begin with, everything they could 'offer' was clearly on display for anyone who wanted to look. There were plenty of people who looked. No one ever just looked once either. They all looked at least twice, if not more.

Ally wasn't going to stand for anything like it. It was time to do more than just fend off some type of robbery and attack. There needed to be an appropriate response.

"It looks like we're going to have to send a message loud and clear to all of these people." Ally said. "I want them to know they made a big mistake with every move they made."

Cammy and Sheila looked at each other and silently nodded. They'd needed to make a 'statement' when they were in Las Vegas in the past. They intended to make another one before they left this time as well. They needed to send a message specifically to the Syndicate they weren't invulnerable, no matter who was on their payroll and answered to them. It was a well-known fact there were a number of individuals involved with law enforcement who were on their 'payroll'. Most of it was to look the other way at the appropriate time. Some of it was to provide them with intelligence, and even act as their enforcers against their competition in a 'legitimate law enforcement operation'.

The street lights in the distance started to flash.

Sheila noticed it and pointed it out to the others.

"Look at the street lights a quarter of a mile ahead." Sheila said. "They're flashing in a repeating pattern."

As the three Metal girls moved forward they saw the pattern ahead. It repeated itself over and over.

Off, Off, Off - Off longer, Off longer, Off longer - Off, Off, Off….

Cammy knew John Henry or CamNet attempted to warn them.

The Metal girls wondered why they weren't contacted directly. They tried to reach John Henry for an update.

Cammy wanted to find out what all the 'hocus pocus' was about. She attempted to contact John Henry again. It didn't work. She tried to reach CamNet as well. It was the same result. There was no link established. They were cut off.

"I can't reach John Henry or CamNet." Cammy said.

Ally and Sheila both tried.

"I can't either." Ally said.

Sheila continued to watch the lights flash ahead of them.

"It's the same with me. I get nothing at all." Sheila said. "They must know something we don't. It's clear they attempted to warn us."

The lack of communication symptoms seemed like something they experienced before. It wasn't just once, but several times.

Ally drew the logical conclusion.

"Have we encountered a Skynet jamming field?" Ally asked.

Cammy didn't know what was up. It seemed Ally's assessment was correct. It made her think about some of the action and activity she witnessed in the casino they just left.

"I don't know." Cammy said. "It sure seems like it."

Sheila tried to put everything together as well. Some missing pieces of the puzzle began to fit.

"It makes sense Skynet would take over some casinos." Sheila said. "It would fit right in with their 'control' philosophy."

Cammy could see it now as well. It seemed as plain as day in hindsight.

"It would give Skynet access to unlimited funds, extensive electronic apparatuses. It's a 'legal' way to get people into debt and then be forced to do Skynet's bidding for them. They can use blackmail with 'working girls', and Syndicate muscle to do the dirty work. They become de facto Grays by their actions." Cammy said. "They would be able to quickly get a number of prominent individuals under their control with very little effort."

Ally wasn't sure about the 'working girl' angle.

"I read 'working girls' are legal here, in certain areas anyway." Ally said. "It shouldn't be an issue."

Cammy was aware most humans were susceptible to sexual temptation. She believed most males wouldn't be able to resist a young and willing female in their bed, especially if they were drugged, or were drunk and their inhibitions were down. Something else would be up and ready for action.

"What if one of the 'working girls' turns up dead in the room of the person they want to control? They can use females or males as bait, and hold it over them. Skynet can hold it over their head with a video or photos." Cammy said. "People from all around the nation come here, as well as from around the world. This is a perfect control point. They can make someone think they're responsible for something they didn't do and with a 'little cooperation' they can 'make the problem go away' for them."

Ally was aware 'conventions' were very popular in Las Vegas. People did come from every place to show up in 'Sin City'. She knew the big draw was to get people to come to a place known for all types of 'action'. Whoever sponsored such an event was probably being influenced by Skynet as well, and didn't even know it.

"We should have thought of this earlier." Ally said. "Things of this nature have probably been going on for years. No one wants to go to jail for the 'accidental murder' of someone's daughter or son, during a drug or alcohol induced stupor."

Sheila understood better why Las Vegas always seemed to irritate her. It wasn't the city. It was the people in the city who were the problem. It was something they should have done when they were in the past. They would need to play 'catch up' now.

"It's time to not only clean this town out, but clean it up as well." Sheila said.

Cammy noticed the intensity of the 'SOS' began to increase. She chanced another quick glance behind them.

"We have a more immediate threat." Cammy said. "Don't look back. The tail is closing up on us. They probably think we're far enough away from the casino so whatever they do won't be linked back to it."

Cammy saw she was in the view of a traffic cam and signaled a thumb's up in front of her body to block it from the tail. She also signaled she knew of the threat behind her with three fingers. She needed to consider if someone was going to try to put the grab on them they might use a Taser, or some other type of electronic device to subdue them as they loaded them into a van. Unfortunately for them, they would be just as susceptible as a human female would to such an attack.

It was clear to Cammy they should have used the H-bomb on Las Vegas when they were first here so many years ago. It would be hard to come up with a single weapon of such destructive potential now. The only thing more destructive would have been a C-bomb. There was talk of constructing one then. It seemed like something they wanted to stop. She couldn't remember. She only could remember the radiation from a Cobalt bomb could be a planet killer if enough of it were unleashed at one time. The radiation was much more severe, with a much longer half life. Depending upon what someone wanted to do, why settle with destroying an entire city, when the entire planet could be wrecked. It seemed like it was right up Skynet's alley.

The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like the type of weapon Skynet would like to get its hands on when it initiated its take over, and war against the world. A group of strategic C-bombs would kill many more people than standard nuclear weapons would when they were unleashed. She really wondered what they were actually in the middle of at this point. Whatever it was, it was a lot more than the casino losing a few bucks. It looked like greed on the part of their adversaries would further lead to their downfall and termination.

John Henry decided to extend the area around the Metal girls for three miles with a total communications blackout. He searched for 'The Enforcer'. It sounded like it was what may turn into a bigger threat than some Syndicate thugs.

He previously observed what Cameron was doing with Savannah and apparently Gail was a reluctant participant. It was very evident she was displeased at what Cameron wanted to do.

Once Gail and Cameron exited the Honeymoon Suite, he popped out of the Executive Suite and called them down the hall. He wanted them to act and reinforce the Metal girls.

"Come quick." John Henry called. "We have a problem."

Cameron and Gail looked at each other and hurriedly ran the short distance.

They entered the room and saw John Henry now possessed a dozen computer screens which were all up and running.

"Where did this new equipment come from?" Cameron asked. "It's the middle of the night."

It was apparent John Henry made extensive use of his 'security card key'. It would open every door in the casino and the hotel which used a card key.

"I 'borrowed' a few monitors from some of the casino and hotel offices which aren't open now." John Henry said. "I'll pay for them later."

Cameron wondered what type of issue it may create later on. She wanted to focus her attention on whatever the problem was John Henry was so concerned about.

"What's the problem?" Cameron asked.

Gail wanted to return to the Master Suite and listen through the wall to hear what happened with Savannah and John. She planned to make good on her promise to 'go through the wall' if Savannah said 'stop' or 'no' to John. Gail vowed Savannah wouldn't be defiled against her wishes.

John Henry wasn't sure where to start with his suspicions about what he witnessed and encountered so far. He decided to start with the obvious issue.

"It's Cammy, Ally, and Sheila." John Henry said. "I'm unable to contact them."

Cameron frowned a little. She figured whatever problem the Metal girls encountered was of their own making.

"It figures, they went looking for trouble." Cameron said. "It looks like they found it."

Gail thought it was important to know what they did before they were blamed for something.

"What have they done?" Gail asked. "How bad is the problem? What is the problem?"

John Henry stated the immediate concern as well as what the possible root cause of the problem was.

"They've been targeted for a hit." John Henry said. "It appears they've been targeted for termination by another casino. It's possible the casino may have been infiltrated by Skynet and is in bed with the Syndicate. I'm starting to find a lot of unanswered questions for things I'm looking into related to the Syndicate casino."

The mention of Skynet and the Syndicate got Cameron's attention real fast. She knew either one was a problem by itself. It could only be compounded multiple times over if somehow Skynet could get control of the Syndicate. She knew it didn't need to control it outright, but only be able to use the Syndicate network for its own benefit.

"Was the hit initiated by the Syndicate?" Cammy asked. "Or was it by Skynet?"

John Henry's suspicions led him to believe there wasn't a distinction between them in Las Vegas. He didn't know if it was the whole city, or just the one casino. He was sure it was more widespread and involved other casino hotels.

"It's both." John Henry said. "I think they're one in the same here."

Cameron decided in an instant to take control of the Syndicate in Las Vegas if it was infiltrated by some version of Skynet. She would wipe it out. It would need to wait for another time. The immediate concern was for the Metal girls. It would also give her control of whatever they controlled. Skynet could get its hooks into a lot of people fast in Las Vegas. She could think of a dozen ways the Syndicate could compromise any individual targeted by Skynet to get them under their control.

"How imminent is the threat?" Cameron asked as she looked at the monitors.

John Henry watched the trio of Syndicate thugs close up on the Metal girls. They weren't too far behind them currently. It appeared the attack was imminent.

"They're being targeted as we speak." John Henry said. "It appears the attack is being pressed and is about to happen. I haven't been able to identify a vehicle involved with them, but it's possible there is one. They're currently unable to communicate because I've enacted a jamming field throughout the area."

Gail remembered how she last saw the Metal girls dressed. They weren't prepared for any type of combat.

"They only wore bikinis." Gail said. "They don't have any weapons or armor."

Cameron briefly looked at Gail. She pointed out Terminators were constructed to operate without weapons when necessary.

"They are weapons." Cameron said. "It's possible they could all be damaged during some type of altercation. We don't know what the enemy has planned for them. I think it's more than a simple robbery."

John Henry was worried about one individual the casino managers tried to get a hold of. He was concerned 'The Enforcer' may be their biggest threat.

"The casino managers also tried to contact someone they call 'The Enforcer'." John Henry said. "If they're associated with Skynet, I think 'The Enforcer' may be a Terminator. He'd be able to take care of any Skynet or Syndicate 'business' without fail. He would quickly become someone feared in the underworld."

It wasn't something Cameron wanted to hear. If Skynet was involved with the casinos, including the one they were in, John and Savannah were in danger. It wasn't something she even contemplated. She wanted some additional assistance. She didn't know how involved things were going to become.

"We need to act." Cameron said. "Get some drones back up and overhead."

John Henry didn't think a drone attack in any part of Las Vegas was a very good idea. He wasn't exactly sure what Cameron intended to do.

"I don't think we should risk a drone strike on Las Vegas." John Henry said. "It will be daylight soon."

Cameron didn't want any hesitation. She wanted the new threat dealt with immediately. They needed to know more about the enemy, than the enemy knew about them.

"Do It - NOW." Cameron said. "See if any of our other teams are still in the area as well. We need to get on top of this right away. There are military installations around here. We're not too far away from Area 51 either. Skynet could have its hooks into a number of individuals in any of the locations who would do its bidding. Have CamNet check all the computers associated with the casinos and the military installations for any traces of Skynet."

Cameron turned to leave.

John Henry was a little concerned about her apparel, or lack of it.

"Where are you going?" John Henry asked. "You're only wearing a bathrobe."

All of the clothing Cameron and the girls wore previously was still in the SUV in the parking structure.

"Everything I need is in the Escalade." Cameron said.

John Henry felt the situation was serious enough to notify John. If they were at the Resistance base and something like this developed there, he would need to call him and inform him. It was their standard operating procedure.

"I'm going to alert John." John Henry said.

It wasn't an option Cameron wanted to use at this time. It would interrupt her plans and totally sidetracked them.

"NO!" Cameron said. "John needs to - rest."

Gail shot Cameron a quick glance.

They both knew what she really meant.

John Henry believed his call was the correct call.

"If there are any Terminators here, John needs to know." John Henry said. "This is a threat."

Cameron felt they should have a little more hard evidence to go on before they got too far ahead of themselves. They really didn't know anything for sure yet. It was all speculation.

"Have you spotted any Grays or Terminators?" Cameron asked.

John Henry thought there was enough circumstantial evidence but didn't want to argue the issue with Cameron.

"Not yet." John Henry said.

Cameron wanted to establish a rigid set of rules when it came to John and Savannah.

"Then you won't disturb John or Savannah either." Cameron said. "You will only do it if you spot a Terminator, or if anyone tries to assault this hotel."

Cameron sent a message to CamNet informing her of the same thing. John and Savannah weren't to be disturbed. She needed to send the message three times before CamNet reluctantly agreed. She didn't care for the slow response from CamNet.

John Henry could see there were some other issues in play. He could only guess as to what they may be. He thought they might revolve around Savannah.

Cameron turned to leave.

Gail was hesitant to follow.

"Gail, the girls need your help." John Henry said. "They're about to be in a jam and they are severely under armed."

Cameron knew what troubled Gail. She decided to spell it out for her.

"Gail, it's going to happen sooner or later." Cameron said. "It's inevitable. It's the 'Natural Order'."

Cameron headed out. She didn't have time to argue or wait any longer. The Metal girls were in a jam and she was on her way to assist them.

John Henry could see there was some other issue at play between Cameron and Gail. He knew the Metal girls needed help now. He quickly devised something which may be more suitable to Gail and he would be able to go assist the Metal girls. He got up from the monitors.

"Gail, you can take over here." John Henry said. "I'm going to help Cameron. We need to help the girls."

Gail looked at John Henry and ran from the room to catch up with Cameron. She headed for the elevator and reached it just as the elevator door was about to close. She stuck her hand between the closing doors and tripped the safety so they reopened. She quickly moved inside and faced Cameron. The doors closed and the elevator started down.

"You're right." Gail said as they rode the elevator down. "They both need to be together for protection. John will be protected from the anti-Metal group and Savannah will be protected as a mother. She will need to tend to her offspring. It should remove her from combat."

There were a lot of things Gail didn't like about it. To have Savannah protected better would involve some sacrifice.

They rode the express elevator down and headed out of the casino and into the parking structure.

The Escalade was waiting for them. It contained their other clothes, weapons and body armor.

Gail looked over at Cameron and at her current attire. It was only a bathrobe. It was currently open. She wondered if it was for her benefit, or an oversight. She needed to refocus.

"I'll drive while you dress and armor up." Gail said. "You can get everything ready for the girls as well. Make sure all the weapons are hot."

Cameron was aware they were hindered by the Skynet communications block.

"We can't communicate with anyone, but we know the direction they were headed." Cameron said. "They may go to a location more favorable to them before we actually arrive."

Gail didn't think the Metal girls would travel far on foot. Since they were already aware of the threat behind them they would attempt to lure the Syndicate thugs into a more secluded location.

"We know they would come for us." Gail said. "We will do our best to defeat the enemy. We will prevail in the end. We always do."

Cameron was aware of the differences she experienced with Gail earlier. They were all on the same page right now. She knew Gail was very adamant about 'defending' Savannah. She actually thought it was a good thing.

"Gail - Thank YOU." Cameron said.

Gail was aware everything was about more than one individual, unless the individual was John Connor.

"I understand." Gail said. "I'm sorry I doubted you. Thank you for your sacrifice."

Cameron rapidly dressed as Gail drove.

"Everyone sacrifices for John Connor." Cameron said.

Cammy was certain since John Henry contacted them with the SOS he would probably also do something to assist them. Since they were unable to communicate with him, they didn't exactly know what it would be.

"I think John Henry will send help." Cammy said. "Maybe we can take one of these people alive. I'd like to hear exactly what they know about everything we suspect."

Sheila felt a rush of excitement at the prospect. If they were Syndicate thugs, she could do whatever she wanted to them. Another rush of excitement flooded over her. She knew she wanted to hurt the Syndicate in any way she could.

"I'll make them talk." Sheila said. "They always do."

Ally didn't think the trio after them would pose much of a threat.

"If these are common thugs, they won't be a problem." Ally said. "We need to be on the lookout for Grays or any Terminators."

Cammy was aware they started to operate under a lot of speculation. There weren't any facts to back up what they were worried about.

"I don't think they know we're Terminators." Cammy said. "We might be over thinking all this. We might be caught up in our own hype."

Ally didn't think they looked threatening to anyone how they were currently dressed.

"We're walking around in bikinis, sandals, and a wrap, with hundreds of thousand dollars." Ally said. "We all look young and vulnerable."

Sheila was a little concerned if the casino they just left was compromised, what about the one they were staying in?

"What about the first casino?" Sheila said. "I mean the casino where we were supposed to rendezvous, instead of coming here."

Cammy hoped it was under control since John Henry contacted them with the 'SOS', they would be on the lookout for any irregularities. Cameron and Gail were there along with John Henry as well. They should be able to assist him if a situation developed.

"I hope John Henry and CamNet are checking it out." Cammy said.

Ally would like to have a little better information as to the regard.

"We need to make sure." Ally said. "John and Savannah need to be warned and protected."

Sheila realized they knew very little. So far everything was speculation.

"Who knows what peril they're facing? We don't." Sheila said. "We don't even know what is headed in our direction, other than three Syndicate thugs."

John and Savannah were both fast asleep. They were unaware they were even in the same room, let alone in the same bed. Both of them were naked and only inches apart.

Their future and their destiny was about to come to fruition when they both awoke. Cameron put all the players into place and set the stage.

John and Savannah were side by side and could be ready in seconds once they started to touch each other. Their bodies were young and would rapidly respond to nature's call.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

You Know That's Impossible

Life has many paths to follow
Some things we take for granted
We think everything is set forever
Our flag we've surely planted

To one another may be a surprise
That each is still their own
It doesn't take much damage
For everything to be quickly blown

Before each may act
They'd better think twice
What about the other
Maybe think it through thrice

Everyone knows what they're doing
They think they'll never get caught
To stab the heart of another
Is a lesson never ever forgot

The future was still bright
Many things were yet possible
To undo what you've done
You know that's impossible

Nobody