Chapter 995

Special Branch

Savannah was able to calm the female and inform her they rescued her father. He was physically unhurt as best as they could tell. She reassured her they would be reunited soon.

"I want to see him now." The female said. "He needs to know what happened."

The female was relieved her father was safe. Wait. She wasn't sure safe was the correct word under the current conditions. He was out of the hands of the people who took them captive and threatened both of them. Every time her father would demand they be let go, they issued new threats. She didn't like what they told him they were going to do to her if he didn't cooperate. They handled her very rough in front of him. They did a lot of things in front of him with her. There was no doubt in either of their minds what would happen to her if he didn't do as they wanted.

Savannah didn't care for the revelation. She wanted to know if the female was 'injured'.

"Do you need medical attention?" Savannah asked.

The female looked away.

Savannah talked with her and asked her to tell her what she could. She didn't want to make her feel worse than she already did. She told her she didn't need to say some things if she didn't want to. She knew there were thing's Vanna still didn't want to talk about. She was sure it applied to Jesse as well.

It turned out when the girl and her father were abducted. They were held at the old supermarket first. When they took her father away, they left her there as a hostage. They originally kept her secured in a closet.

Soon afterwards, when everyone else was out or in the freezer, one of the men gagged her and pulled her out of the closet. He took her to their sleeping quarters. He tied her to a bed.

Savannah could see where the conversation was headed. It wasn't a good place. She didn't want the female to say any more than she wanted to. She wanted to find out what happened, but she didn't want the girl to relive the experience.

"Did he 'touch' you?" Savannah asked. "You don't need to say anything if you don't want to. I just need to know if there's anything I can do for you now if some things happened."

It was clear the female felt comfortable around Savannah at this point. She looked a lot less terrified and a lot more confident. The female managed a faint smile.

"He was going to do a lot more than touch me." The female said. "I knew what was going to happen. He told me what he was going to do to me. He told me what would happen on one side, and then on the other side afterwards. I already prepared myself for the worst. I wanted to stay strong so my father wasn't hurt. I tried to protect him as best as I could. He was about to abuse me when the 'big man' came into the room and saw what was about to happen."

Savannah wasn't sure what the female was about to reveal. It sounded to her like it just went from bad to worse. She didn't want the female to go where she was uncomfortable.

"You don't have to continue if it bothers you." Savannah said. "I think I understand what happened. I'm sorry we didn't find you earlier. As soon as we found out your location, we came to where you were at. We were outside of the building trying to find a way in when all the trouble broke loose out in the front. We stayed and entered the building anyway, just so we could look for you and your father. Did the 'big man' do something to you?"

The faint smile returned to the girl's face.

"No, the 'big man' grabbed the other man and picked him up with one hand and squeezed his neck." The female said. "I think he killed him. He threw him around the corner like a rag doll. The 'big man' untied me."

It was unexpected news and Savannah was surprised to hear it. She understood exactly who the female meant now by the 'big man'. It was a Terminator. It was 'The Enforcer's' twin. She called up an image of 'The Enforcer' from Las Vegas on her phone. She wanted to show it to the female. She wanted to make sure she got everything straight.

"The 'big man' helped you?" Savannah asked. "He protected you from the other man? Is this what he looked like?"

The female looked somewhat relieved as she spoke. It appeared to help her to have talked about it. It was clear to the female it wasn't going to happen again in her present company. She looked at the image.

"Yes." The female said. "He was very cold and unemotional. I thanked him for protecting me. He said nothing and walked away. I didn't expect him to apologize and he didn't. The abusive actions of the one man weren't his fault."

Savannah understood the female escaped her first potential abuse. She strongly doubted it was the last attempt. The Terminator wasn't always at the old supermarket.

"Did anyone else try to touch you?" Savannah asked. "We can take you to the hospital or for a medical exam if you want."

The female looked at Savannah for a moment. She could see Savannah wanted to help her, but she didn't want to push her. She was very appreciative of it. Since she was taken as a prisoner with her father, no one had shown her any form of compassion except the 'big man'. She wasn't sure exactly what he showed her, but he prevented her from being abused. She knew it was going to happen sooner or later the way the men all looked at her. It didn't. After the one man was killed, they all gave her plenty of space.

"No." The girl said. "They were all a little less rough with me after the incident. They didn't even really look at me either anymore. I could feel what they wanted to do to me every time they all looked at me before, but not after the 'big man' told them to leave me alone. I won't say they were nice to me, but no one was mean to me anymore. They didn't hit or push me anymore. They gave me decent food to eat and allowed me to use the restroom instead of a bucket. I've been dressed like I am ever since then."

Savannah wasn't sure if it was the entire story. There were a few unanswered questions. She didn't really want to push the female, but she wanted to make sure. She remembered what Vanna told her happened when she was first abused. Once they determined Vanna was untouched, she was savaged unmercifully.

"There were some 'stains' on the bed…." Savannah said.

The female knew exactly what Savannah referred to. The man who tied her up made a point to explain to her what already happened there several times, and what was going to happen to her. He told her it was her new purpose in life. It was bad enough when he told what all of the men were going to do. From what she saw, there were about seven or eight men there at any given time. What was even worse was the man told her with a smile on his face and laughed at her. He told her it was where she would die, tied to the bed. He said it would happen when the men wanted a 'little more' from her. She wasn't even sure what it meant. She was grateful none of it happened. She was grateful to the 'big man' and his undisputed authority over all the other men.

"The stains were there when he tied me up." The female said. "No one tried to do anything again. I know I owe it to the 'big man'. What happened upstairs only started when the shooting did. The man told me I would take the bullets intended for him. He laughed when he said my rescuers would be my executioners. I think they were getting ready to do more to me when the one loud gunshot went off. The pretty girl came into the room and got shot. She killed the man who shot her. She tricked the other man and someone shot him and I was free."

The female wondered if she was 'free'. It might be the first stage in a whole other nightmare. She heard the men talk about how there were others who would like to get a hold of her father and his work. Her father made it very clear if anything happened to her, anything at all, he wouldn't do what they wanted and they could go ahead and kill him. It seemed they really wanted whatever they forced him to do. She saw there were other 'scientists' who were there sometimes. She really didn't know what was going on, but it seemed very important to some of the men, especially the 'big man'.

Savannah made sure her com was off as she talked to the female. She would make a report after the interview. She informed John Henry the female was only roughed up and not abused as they feared. She didn't share all the details yet. She just wanted everyone to know the female hadn't suffered as they all thought. She wasn't sure if anyone would be surprised when she informed them a Terminator actually protected her. It wasn't so much to protect her, as it was to ensure her father's cooperation. Either way, the Terminator's actions protected her and spared her from an even bigger misery going forward than she already endured.

It was a relief for everyone.

Earlier:

There was a lot of concern in the Command Center about the operation. Everything appeared to have gone smoothly and the team was out of there in just over six minutes. They accomplished a lot in a short time. They were even able to remove the bodies from the scene. The refrigerator truck served as a temporary tomb for the deceased Grays, along with the charred remains of the attack force.

So far everything was done in the darkness. It lessened the chance of what they were doing from being spotted by anyone. They were on the lookout for anything else to happen around the area. They needed to watch for any reinforcements to show up from either group. They thought there might be something else headed to the port facility. As to exactly what it was, they didn't know.

Right now Savannah dealt with the female. There was a lot of concern from all of them about her and her condition.

John wanted to hear what the female had to say firsthand. It wasn't the case. He could picture some of the things she might say. Maybe it wasn't something everyone needed to hear. It was obviously going to be very personal. He could see Savannah wanted to give the female some dignity.

"I understand why Savannah cut her com." John said.

John Henry thought it was a prudent use of discretion on Savannah's part. He understood humans were especially vulnerable to past events in their lives. He wasn't really sure why they would remain concerned about something which was done and over with. Whatever happened already happened. It was fact. Mr. Ellison taught him he needed to show concern and compassion for others, and all life was sacred.

"It's a sensitive issue." John Henry said. "We shouldn't worry about it or dwell on it. It's something personal. We know of others who needed to deal with similar issues. I think it's best if we don't inquire too much."

John still feared the worst. He was glad he wasn't there to deal with it in person. He knew there was one person there he could trust to tell him the important information and downplay the rest, the personal things.

"Savannah will tell us what we need to know." John said. "I'm not about to push the issue."

A short time later John Henry received an update.

"I have Savannah." John Henry said. "She has her report."

Savannah gave them a report. The female wasn't abused.

John wasn't sure he understood Savannah correctly at first. She made it very clear to him. He was more than relieved to hear it. He hoped it would make Cameron and the other Metal girls a little less reckless going forward as the operation unfolded. He was sure they weren't done with it yet.

"It's good news for a change." John said. "I know what happened was bad enough. I'm just glad it wasn't worse."

John Henry was able to listen to the 'interview' with her father.

"They're questioning her father right now." John Henry said.

John hoped the interview turned out well and the father and daughter would be able to be together again. He wanted to make his position known. He was sure it would reach Cameron one way or another.

"I want them reunited as soon as possible." John said. "The father and daughter belong together. They need each other right now more than ever."

John Henry didn't know if it was going to happen. He viewed the father as a collaborator. He understood there were extenuating circumstances involved to influence his decisions. He needed to remember what Mr. Ellison taught him. There seemed to be more than a few questions about what to do going forward.

"What are we going to do with them?" John Henry asked. "We may need to terminate the father. It's a possibility."

John was aware of it. If the father was really a willing participant in any of it, he would need to be terminated, or he would end back up doing the same thing again. Either way, his daughter was innocent of his crimes, if he even committed any. He wanted to make his position perfectly clear.

"I don't know how it will play out for him." John said. "We're not going to terminate the daughter. It's an order."

John Henry tilted his head slightly. He wondered why John needed to say it. He knew there were a couple of people who were way ahead of him on the subject.

"Savannah wouldn't let it happen." John Henry said.

John didn't know where things would end. If they did need to terminate the female's father, they would need to release her where she could be 'found' and cared for. It would result in some type of investigation. The less the authorities knew about anything, the better.

"It's probably the main reason Cameron wanted Savannah to take charge of her." John said. "So far it's been dark and they haven't seen what any of our group looks like in detail. Let's keep it the same way. I don't want any police sketches of our people."

John thought back to an earlier operation where they came across sketches of them. There weren't any photographs, but someone made police type sketches based on their descriptions. He hoped it was one group they were able to eradicate. So far they never encountered anything else like it again. He really wanted to keep the police out of things.

He sincerely hoped the female's father wouldn't need to be terminated. They would need to let the female off at a hospital or some other agency where she could receive help. They weren't about to take her to a police station. Maybe they would just leave her at a homeless shelter. There were plenty of those. They didn't know if she could describe either of the two locations where she was held to the police. It sounded as if she was always moved in the hours of darkness. They currently set up surveillance at both of those locations, and the cryogenics lab where she stopped on her way to the port facility. He was sure the Terminators would just as soon eliminate any loose ends. He already ordered it wasn't going to happen. He knew Savannah wouldn't stand for it either.

"As soon as we have something conclusive about the girl's father, I want to know." John said. "I need to know what his fate is before anything is done to make it so."

He really hoped there would be a positive ending. There was absolutely nothing to guarantee it would be.

Cameron listened to the report from Savannah and was relieved it wasn't what they thought. They were able to help someone before it was too late. Now it all came down to what the father was doing and involved with.

She kept getting updates on what was happening around the area they were in. So far nothing was spotted or seemed headed their way. There were no additional 'hits' on any more of the containers. No one came looking for the group which launched the assault. All communications were blacked out for a mile around them.

Cameron directed the two teams of her Terminators who were on the outskirts of the area to go back and check the other containers inside the port facility. One was to use the forklift located inside the building to move all the damaged cars into the building where the rail siding was. The doors over the rail siding would be lifted back up into place to conceal as much of everything inside the building as possible.

It would further 'clean up' the location of obvious damage, or the indication some type of an attack actually occurred there. For the record, it was the location of where a 'movie' was filmed after all. It should explain the 'condition' of the building and any 'props' inside of it.

The troops on the ground would continue to have drone support and be warned of any vehicles which approached the area while they quickly did the container check and cleanup procedure.

Cameron started to get tired of the wait. She wanted answers and they weren't coming quick enough.

Sheila questioned the man and reassured him he would be reunited with his daughter once it was safe, if he told the truth.

He said he didn't even know what they were having him work on. He only determined it was some kind of 'moving metal'. It's what he thought anyway. They provided him with the samples of 'Liquid Metal' and tried to get him to reverse engineer it. He didn't have any idea how to do it and strung them along so they wouldn't hurt his daughter. They threatened to torture and hurt her if he didn't deliver. He made it clear to them if his daughter was touched in any manner, he wouldn't cooperate with them at all.

Sheila and Holly questioned him about what else happened at the port facility. She specifically wanted to know what was supposed to happen that night, and who the other group was which attacked them.

The man didn't know what they were waiting for, or the identity of the other people who attacked them. He was forced to spend all his time in the makeshift 'lab'. He was allowed to see his daughter three times a day when they ate a crude meal together. They developed a way to silently communicate with each other to indicate she was unharmed and untouched in any way. It was the only thing which kept him going.

Sheila scanned him the entire time and didn't detect he was lying. Everything he said appeared truthful and he answered every question and didn't try and dodge or deflect any. His main concern was for his daughter and her safety.

Sheila left her com on, so John and John Henry could hear the entire interrogation. They gave her specific questions to ask him. He kept asking about his daughter and who they were.

They developed a brief back story to try to fill in some of the answers for the man. Maybe he would believe it, maybe he would not. The goal was to get him not to pursue any of what occurred.

Sheila told him they were from the 'Special Branch' with Interpol. She said the group which held him was trying to manufacture synthetic drugs. She told him the other group was terrorists who they were in league with, who attacked them. It was over some disagreement regarding drugs and money.

The man was very worried about his safety and the safety of his daughter.

John wanted the father and daughter back together. Savannah said everything was ready on her end.

Sheila and Holly met up Cammy and Savannah and reunited the father and daughter. One of Cameron's Terminators arrived to collect them.

Savannah quietly informed the Terminator they were not to be hurt and released before daybreak in San Diego. They could go south of the border if they wanted to lay low for a while. They were to be given some money and told they needed to remain out of sight so the 'bad guys' didn't grab them again. They couldn't guarantee their safety if they were 'picked up' again.

The father and daughter didn't know where either location was at specifically, so they wouldn't be able to pinpoint any locations for the authorities.

Savannah made sure they understood the group who abducted them was known to have informants in the police departments. She said their story would not be believed and they would be identified and targeted again. She pointed out it was one of the less violent groups. She told him they hoped to have everything resolved in a few weeks, or a few months at the most. She mentioned both groups were like a Hydra. They seemed to sprout new heads every time one was cut off.

Cammy took the father aside and spoke quietly with him. She informed him the next time they were picked up by the group of drug dealers who had him, or the terrorists they dealt with, would be more aggressive with his daughter the next time they apprehended her. She clearly indicated he would be made to watch as she was held down and abused by a group of men, one after another. She made it clear there wouldn't be much of his daughter left alive after they were done. If she lived, she would most likely be severely disfigured.

She reminded him the drug dealers had their cronies in place with all of the local and state police agencies. If he was identified as having been associated with the group, he would probably be picked up again, or killed to keep him quiet. She reminded him 'dead men tell no tales'. She pointed out some of the interaction he witnessed with the men with each other and how they disregarded human life.

The father looked over at his daughter as she laughed and joked with Savannah. It was something he hadn't seen since they were abducted. He tried to process it all. She told him how she was tied to a bed and almost abused, but the 'big man' stopped it the one time. He was terrified of the 'big man'. He seemed emotionless whenever he dealt with him. He looked like a stone cold killer. He appreciated the compassion he showed for his daughter.

Savannah watched as Cameron's Terminator drove them away. She was confident he would follow her instructions. She thought the girl was very lucky. She was able to survive being held captive by a group of Grays and remain unabused. It almost changed except for when the Terminator intervened. It really made her question mankind in general.

Savannah and the Metal girls headed back to where Cameron was at.

They still waited for something to develop at the port location. The girls formed back into three teams. They reformed into their original teams.

Cameron, Savannah, and Gail were Team One.

Cammy, Hanna, and Holly were Team Two.

Cam, Sheila, and Ally were Team Three.

It often seemed to come down to the old adage of, hurry up and wait.

They waited for a target.

It always seemed like the waiting was the hardest part. What made it worse was they didn't know what they were waiting for. There were several short battles so far that night. One was at the old supermarket, and the other one was more involved at the port facility. They didn't know if it was the brunt of the fighting, or simply the appetizer. Only time would tell.

The mood in the Young bunker was noticeably improved with the latest news.

Young Allison was satisfied at the way the events turned out as related to the father and the daughter. It wasn't how she thought it would be. Maybe she read too much into it. The more she read into it, which wasn't based on fact, clouded her judgment, even if she knew it would.

Anna wanted to remind Young Allison they may have jumped to conclusions too quickly about what may have happened to the female. She wanted Young Allison to be less emotionally involved in her decisions. She knew Young Allison would have acted more harshly because she believed the female was abused. She needed to keep the brakes on Young Allison and keep her within the framework of the command structure and to deal with the Command Center.

"It wasn't what we thought." Anna said. "The facts were a little different than we anticipated."

Young Allison pestered Allison for years to tell her exactly what happened to her in her future. She wanted to know because whatever happened to Allison is really what happened to her. It was a sobering thought to know what could have happened to her already. She could only imagine what it was like to have a gun pressed against the side of her head, or a knife pushed against her throat as someone ravaged her body for one or two minutes. They all told her if she resisted or fought back they would kill her and do it anyway. It was a sickening thought. When they were done, they would simply pull up their pants up as if nothing happened, and walk away. She wasn't going to stand for the same type of behavior.

"It's a good thing the female wasn't savaged." Young Allison said. "Allison told me some of the things which occurred in the Wastelands. I'm glad this wasn't one with the same ending."

Actually, Young Allison knew what happened in the Wastelands was way worse.

"John Henry can deal with Cameron's teams for now until something else happens." Anna said.

Young Allison wasn't sure what would happen at the port facility. There was another current problem she needed to deal with. She already put her plan into motion through CamNet.

"We can focus on the sedans at the old supermarket now." Young Allison said.

Anna kept track of what occurred at the old supermarket and the cryogenics lab.

"The operation is already underway." Anna said. "It will proceed as you planned it."

Young Allison's plan involved minimal personnel. She was able to use a few Terminators who did the cleanup work by removing the bodies from both of those locations. She would need to rely on drone support and the use of the Blackhawk which was on its way to the rendezvous point.

She needed to send the Blackhawk with the MIKE Force to the port first, before it could be used for her other plan. She was a little disappointed they weren't already in place the way she anticipated before the action started at the port facility. It was a reminder things could go wrong fast, or not play out the way they were planned or anticipated.

Her other plan was already initiated.

"We'll see how it turns out." Young Allison said.

The refrigerator truck which collected the bodies from the port location, drove back toward the old supermarket. It was to rendezvous with the Terminators who cleaned up the bodies at the old supermarket and the cryogenics lab. There was a 'borrowed' delivery van which was used for the purpose. It left only minutes before the first black sedan arrived. It was close to being discovered. There was no indication it was.

The sedan from the cryogenics lab drove to the old supermarket and joined up with the one already there.

The occupants of the two sedans felt like they were waiting for hours. Actually it was only an hour since they first arrived. They thought about checking out the building when they spotted a delivery van at the end of the alley. The delivery van looked like it turned around and took off when it 'spotted' the two sedans. The sedans immediately followed it.

The delivery van drove slightly above the speed limit and used some evasive maneuvering. It was just enough to keep the two sedans hooked. The delivery van led the two sedans with their communications blocked towards one of the canyon roads which led to the ocean in the northwest area of the city.

Once they were in an isolated section of the canyon road, the delivery van stopped. The sedans did too. They weren't sure why their target stopped ahead of them on the deserted road. The men in the sedans all looked around and then up to see what the increasing whine sound was from. Two drones dropped down and strafed both of the sedans with short bursts from their miniguns.

The delivery van backed up to the two sedans and collected the bodies and any intel.

The Blackhawk arrived a short time later and dropped a cable down. It was run under the roofs of the two sedans and secured back to the bottom of the helicopter as it hovered.

The helicopter slowly lifted the two shot up sedans and headed out towards the ocean. Its cargo was headed for Davy Jones' locker.

The delivery van drove away with the bodies. They linked up with the refrigerator truck from the port. All of the bodies were transferred to the refrigerator truck. It headed for a remote spot to dump its cargo. They needed to 'borrow' a skip loader to dig a big enough grave. CamNet was able to provide them with the location and equipment they needed.

None of the people or vehicles was ever found. It was as if all the people who were involved simply vanished from the face of the Earth. It sent a message which was heard loudly by the owners of the black sedans. They knew their people didn't run off and disappear. They knew it was something much deeper. It appeared as if someone wanted to send a message to them.

Earlier:

At the Young residence they followed the events on the canyon road.

"It went better than expected." Young Allison said.

Anna felt it was because of Young Allison's plan why it was a success.

"It went as you planned." Anna said. "It was a sound plan and well thought out."

Young Allison didn't have many Terminators to work with.

"It was low risk to our personnel." Young Allison said.

Anna knew what made it all work.

"CamNet is very responsive to you." Anna said.

Young Allison didn't want to seem as if she was operating on her own, even if it's exactly what it was.

"She was supposed to be working with John and John Henry." Young Allison said.

Anna was aware before anything actually happened, they were notified in the Command Center. She was also aware they didn't have much notice on what was about to happen. They did have the opportunity to put the brakes on it, even if what they learned was only seconds away from happening.

"Everything was run through John Henry in its entirety." Anna said.

It sounded to Young Allison as if John was bypassed.

"Do you mean it was run by John Henry, but not by John?" Young Allison asked.

CamNet thought it was best if only John Henry knew of all the details in their entirety. There were some things which might be viewed as questionable.

"The details were left out, the operation wasn't." Anna said.

Young Allison was glad the father and daughter were away from the immediate danger. She silently communicated with CamNet she didn't want anything to 'happen' to the father and daughter. She was aware Savannah communicated directly to the Terminator who took them away with the same message. She wasn't so sure going south of the border would be much less risky. Most of the countries were run by the Cartel. They were a very ruthless group. There were incidents which often made the news when they involved US citizens. They were Scavengers by any other name in the current time period.

Things were set in motion and would need to play out. She let out a slight sigh and turned her attention back to the drone footage near the port facility.

"Now we need to worry about what's happening around Cameron." Young Allison said.

Anna saw things a little differently. She was responsible for Young Allison's well being.

"I need to worry about you eating, getting cleaned up, and sleeping." Anna said. "I know everything you're doing is very important and your contributions were monumental, even if they were from the shadows."

Young Allison knew her personal responsibilities. She also was aware there was someone else who couldn't do those things right now. It was something she worried about. It was something which always bothered her.

"What about Savannah?" Young Allison asked. "I worry about her doing those same things. Who will look out for her?"

Young Allison hoped it prompted CamNet to relay her concerns. She knew how to play the system to get things done and make her wishes known without having to express them directly. She knew no one liked a nag.

Cameron was contacted by CamNet a few seconds later with Young Allison's concerns. They were legitimate concerns too. She quickly looked over at Savannah. She realized once again she neglected Savannah's needs.

"We can get some food or you can rest for a while." Cameron said.

Savannah started to doze off a little. She was surprised at Cameron's statement.

"I'm fine, Cameron." Savannah said. "I can hack it."

Cameron looked at Savannah's lower mid section. There was something more important involved than just Savannah. She decided to do something for Savannah anyway. She knew Savannah would never say anything about her personal needs. It was time to act anyway. She quickly contacted the Command Center.

"Team One will be out of the operation for a short while." Cameron said. "Notify us if anything important happens. If you can see something is imminent, we need to know before it actually happens."

Cameron started up and drove off.

Savannah was more than a little surprised.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Why Would You Fix Me ?

Fix me ?
Why would you fix me ?
There's nothing wrong
I'm bouncing with esprit

Can't you see I'm happy
Can't you see I'm having fun
There's nothing broken
For once I feel like I've won

Everything is beautiful
What's there to fix
Upon my very spirit
You've dropped a ton of bricks

I don't know you
Why are you in my face
Please don't disturb me
Or make me feel disgrace

It pains me greatly
In my gut it kicks
As if who I am now
Would need some type of fix

Nobody