Chapter 1013

He Would Know

Derek didn't like the tail running out on them, especially when they were about to lead them into an ambush. It was time to shake things up a bit.

"We're going to turn around and follow them." Derek said. "It will get their attention."

John didn't want any hostile activity. He especially didn't want Derek in combat if it could be avoided.

"Negative." John said. "We don't want to provoke an incident on a city street in broad daylight. I don't want there to be collateral damage of innocent people."

John Henry wanted to diffuse things somewhat and point out the obvious. They currently tracked both of the vehicles which were following Derek. He didn't like the way things could play out, the longer they were drug out. The goal was to keep the enemy guessing.

"Most likely they're trying to set up an ambush." John Henry said. "They're trying to set Derek up. They want him to come to them."

Derek didn't think the Syndicate thugs would be too big of a threat. He was used to dealing with Skynet, Grays, and Terminators in the future. He wasn't too worried about some local boys. The fact there was drone support, with a missile strike ready at a moment's notice, gave their team the upper hand. It didn't even take into account there were two Terminators with him and two more backing his team up.

He really didn't think there would be too big of a problem if they needed to mix it up. With the weapons his team carried alone, the cars could be destroyed. If they stuck just with gunfire, the Terminators could shoot very accurately with single shots. With suppressed weapons, the sound wouldn't be very loud at all. They could also disable the cars by shooting out the front tires. They would still need to worry about the individuals inside of the sedans carjacking someone else to continue the pursuit. They probably wouldn't be too selective on who was in the vehicle they wanted to take. There was a good chance they would be killed by the thugs. He wanted to make the encounter terminal for the enemy.

"We're ready for them." Derek said. "We can engage them in several different ways."

John felt the Resistance held all the cards, especially with two drones overhead. They didn't need to force things. He felt the Syndicate posed a major threat. The Syndicate thugs were armed and could still kill. They didn't know for certain it was the Syndicate yet either. It could still be another group of Grays, or the anti-Metal faction. He didn't want them to get ahead of themselves.

"We still don't know for sure who we're dealing with." John said. "We're working under the assumption it's the Syndicate, but we don't know for sure. We still have other options available to us. We can burn them at any time with a missile strike if we need to. We can wait for a while and see what happens. We don't need to push this with innocent people around."

John was worried about what the spin of a missile strike in the city would be, especially if they needed to do two missile strikes on two separate targets. They would both turn up to be related later on in the investigation which was sure to follow. If there was an attack in the city, they wouldn't be able to cover up what happened. The best they could hope to do was to put some 'spin' on it.

Derek wanted to finish what they started. He liked the plan of leading the Syndicate thugs into an ambush of their own. If they could get the two sedans to follow them into the remote canyon, they could be dealt with and made to 'disappear' without anyone ever knowing what happened to them. He wanted to try something to get their attention.

"I want to get them to follow me again." Derek said. "I can think of a few ways to do it without any shooting to start out."

John Henry received updated information from CamNet.

"It would be the best choice." John Henry said. "We want them away from witnesses when we strike. The original plan has the best chance of success and remaining 'off the books'."

John decided to take a page out of Cameron's playbook. He knew if the enemy wasn't dealt with now they would meet again on a different battlefield. Right now they possessed the option to meet the enemy on the battlefield they chose. It was a better option than having the enemy engage them on a battlefield of their choosing at a later date. He needed to learn the hard way the pirates were right. 'Dead men tell no tales.' It was Cameron's philosophy as well. He didn't agree with the concept for those who were innocent, but he did for the perpetrators.

"I believe it's the case." John said. "They remain a threat to us as long as they're still alive."

John learned from Cameron every Gray needed to be terminated. The Syndicate was no different. They were going to be dogged by them until something else drew their attention elsewhere. Either way, they were all a threat to the future as Grays or Scavengers.

If one group of Skynet already made some type of association with the Syndicate, it was bound to happen again. The Syndicate never knew exactly who it was they dealt with before. It was unlikely they would know going forward exactly who their alliance was with. It was doubtful they would care either. As long as there was money to be made, the Syndicate was an easy mark for Skynet. Money was the only lure which would be needed.

Samantha watched Riley work. She was pleased she was doing much better now. She was really able to get it all under control. The issue was what exactly was wrong with her body? It didn't perform as it should. She was sure there was an underlying medical issue.

She scanned her often. Riley said she didn't mind as it was always done multiple times every day when she was pregnant. She liked the closeness of having a Metal girl scan her and show concern for her. It was better than the cold shoulder she often felt was directed her way. At least it was better than when she arrived from the past. No one ever said it to her face, but she knew she needed to 'pay' for the sins of Future Riley. There was always the assumption John wouldn't be able to control himself and he would be all over her, which she would allow. At that point, history would repeat itself. She remembered she was highly intrigued by him when she first saw him. If she wouldn't have gotten the cold shoulder from everyone and learned the story about Future Riley, she would have pursued him and seduced him. What everyone feared already would have happened. It didn't.

One thing did bother Riley in regards to Samantha. She didn't like what happened during the in between times when Samantha wasn't actively needed.

"I feel bad you need to go into standby all the time." Riley said.

Samantha knew Cameron wanted her out of the way when she wasn't needed. She didn't want to disrupt Derek and Riley any more than necessary. She knew the rules, well, Cameron's rules. She was worried about being in close proximity to Derek and Riley. It was bound to lead to some type of further 'contact'. The contact would most likely be of a sexual manner of some type. She didn't want to be deactivated.

"It's not a problem." Samantha said. "I don't want to intrude."

Riley liked being around Samantha, she wanted to offer her some more options.

"Maybe you can help me with my education." Riley said. "I didn't have much official or proper schooling."

Samantha thought Riley was informed about a lot of things.

"You seem well versed and knowledgeable." Samantha said.

The thought made Riley smile. Cameron specifically worked with her to help her do things and better educate herself. When Cameron was away, she asked others to step in. It was usually Cameron who was there to help her when she needed help. Everything involved with Precious was another example of it. It was all due to Cameron. The fact there were others to help her nurse Precious also all went back to Cameron. Cameron was the greatest.

"Cameron worked with me a lot." Riley said. "The girls all helped too."

Samantha understood it was the way of the Resistance. They all needed to look out for each other. No one was a rock and could stand alone against Skynet.

"We will all help each other." Samantha said.

Riley felt she was ready to learn more complex things as well. She did know all the basics already.

"I want more advanced training on how to do things and help educate Precious myself." Riley said.

Samantha didn't think educational training would be a problem. It needed to stay as educational training though. There couldn't be a 'sex education' class as part of it.

"I'll work with you." Samantha said.

Riley saw this as an opportunity to improve herself. She wanted to surprise Derek with it too. She wanted to make herself better both educationally and as a person.

"I don't want Derek to know the full extent of what I'm doing." Riley said. "I want to be able to surprise him."

Samantha hoped Riley understood it would take a lot of hard work. There were a lot of things they could go over but that information needed to be retained. It was better if there was some way to apply what was learned as well. For some subjects it wasn't practical, for other ones it was. There wasn't any way they could make someone learn. The person who needed to learn was the one who needed to put the effort in to learn what they wanted to learn.

"You'll need to do a lot of reading." Samantha said.

Riley figured she was going to need to be forcefully encouraged. It was easy to slack off, or lose sight of the goal at times. Whatever there was a goal or something important, it seemed to give the individual more motivation to do things and stay with them.

"Push me a little." Riley said.

Riley wanted to be a better person for Derek and Precious. She wanted to be a better person for everyone in the Resistance. She most of all wanted to be a better person for Cameron.

John Henry checked the drone footage on the two Syndicate vehicles. It soon appeared to be what they anticipated it was going to be.

"They're setting up an ambush." John Henry said.

John wanted to hit them. They could blame it on 'terrorists'. There were enough nut jobs involved with terrorism so it shouldn't be too hard to spin the story. There were always fringe groups of extremists who were more than willing to claim 'credit' for any perceived terrorist activity. They somehow thought it bolstered their position. He wasn't going to take any chances with his troops.

"Get ready to burn them." John said. "We'll spin it as extremists who blew themselves up when their car bomb exploded prematurely."

Derek saw a different angle. It would go back to the original plan. He thought all he needed to do was rattle their cage a little bit. He wouldn't even need to use a stick. He wanted to look like he was about to play into their hands, but not actually get close to their ambush. He wanted them to follow him with a ferocity so they didn't back off or fall behind.

"No." Derek said. "I'll approach them, stop, wait for a little bit, and then 'run'. Once they're sure they have a target, they will want to pursue it."

John Henry thought it might be a better idea. He advised John to go along with it.

John and John Henry talked it over with Derek and laid out a plan. The drone strike was still an option if things didn't work out as planned, or Derek's team was endangered.

Derek followed John Henry's instructions and did exactly as he planned.

From the drone footage they knew where the first vehicle was at. It moved to an industrial track and into the back alley. The second vehicle drove at a moderate pace. They wanted Derek to follow them.

John Henry wanted Derek to use extreme caution.

"They're about to make the turn into the alley." John Henry said.

John didn't want to take any chances. He didn't want to accidentally spring the ambush ahead of time.

"Don't go into the alley at all." John said.

Derek wasn't about to get 'lit up'. He was able to get visual confirmation as to exactly where the target vehicles were from the drone footage. The drones gave them a big advantage in more ways than one. He knew there was a difference between taking a chance, and taking a big chance.

"I don't plan to." Derek said.

The second vehicle went into the alley and continued down it. It slowed down to make sure Derek followed. He didn't take the bait.

Derek stopped at the entrance to the alley. Al showed him the drone footage on his phone exactly where both of the suspect vehicles were at. He had a visual on the second vehicle and the drone image of the first vehicle.

He sat and waited for a full minute. He watched the second vehicle stop past the ambush point.

John watched the location the two vehicles were at.

"Both of those sedans are in a secluded location right now." John said. "The two drones could each fire a missile and take them out."

John Henry knew it was true.

"There wouldn't be any collateral damage if the option was used." John Henry said. "The goal is to get the two vehicles into the canyon so both vehicles and their occupants can be removed during the hours of darkness. The original plan will make the cleanup much simpler and thorough. The two explosions are bound to alert those in the area."

John reluctantly agreed to let the plan continue. If the canyon option was used, there would be a lot fewer questions.

Derek put the truck into reverse and hit the gas. He made the tires squeal as they spun. They produced a cloud of gray smoke as the truck shot backwards. He wanted it to be clear he wasn't going to stick around. As he put the truck into forward motion, he spun the tires again. He saw the first vehicle emerge from between two buildings and the backup lights on the second vehicle as it attempted to turn around. It looked like they took his bait.

Both of the Syndicate sedans now followed him again.

They were able to get a team of their Terminators behind them. A second crew was at the mouth of the canyon entrance. They 'borrowed' a 'Street Services' maintenance truck and blocked the canyon road earlier. As Derek and the others approached, they would let them pass and re-block the road after the four vehicles passed. No other vehicles would be allowed. They wanted to make sure no one else was on the road in the direction they were going.

CamNet already directed another one of their teams to do the same on the far side of the canyon road near the ocean. The plan was to prevent any other traffic on the canyon road or any potential witnesses. They also didn't want any collateral damage if it could be avoided.

"Everything is going according to plan." John Henry said.

John was a little worried about the disposition of the two sedans after they would be disabled and the occupants terminated. Someone was bound to see the Blackhawk flying away with two vehicles underneath it at some point. He thought they needed a staging area until it was dark and the vehicles could be retrieved unseen during the night. The 'Witching Hour' was normally the best time for such activity.

"Is there a spot where we can shove the vehicles off the road after we hit them?" John asked. "We can retrieve them after midnight again, like we did before."

John Henry reviewed past satellite images of the canyon. There were more than a few places where the vehicles could be stashed if they were covered over with some camouflage netting. He wanted to take another precaution to avoid any type of scrutiny in the location the take down would occur.

"There are several locations where it's possible." John Henry said. "We should use the minigun to avoid road damage from a missile."

John was aware of the risk it presented. It wouldn't be the first time they would need to deal with someone making reports of unidentified aircraft which were generally considered to be a UFO. He was aware the majority of the people thought all unidentified flying objects were extraterrestrial. All the term UFO meant was there was an object flying which was unidentified. It didn't need to be from outer space.

"It means one drone is going to have to come in low and risk being spotted." John said.

CamNet indicated there was a possible different plan for the dilemma.

"I'm working with CamNet on a solution." John Henry said.

John Henry could tell CamNet's current solution would all come down to timing. As of now, all of the players weren't on the field yet. Things would need to happen in a specific manner to get the timing right.

Savannah lifted off effortlessly in the Mitchell and climbed from the small airfield. She didn't push the take off, but it was pretty aggressive. She found out Cameron was right about the power available. The aircraft was designed to take off with a full bomb load which normally added a couple of tons to the weight of the aircraft. She awaited further instructions from Cameron.

Cameron gave her a heading.

The B-25 gained altitude and flew under 'VFR conditions'. VFR or Visual Flight Rules, are weather conditions which allow a pilot to navigate visually, clear of clouds, and fog, with the ability to see and avoid other aircraft.

CamNet made sure there weren't any other aircraft anywhere near them.

Anna watched everything in a 360 degree circle around them from the top turret. Steve and Tom searched the sides and below them from the waist gun positions. Cameron watched in front and to the sides. The tail gun position was unmanned, but Anna could look any direction around them, including in back of them from the top turret.

Cameron kept an eye on Savannah, but it was unnecessary. She was in total control of the aircraft. Her flying was flawless.

"You're doing great, Savannah." Cameron said.

Savannah was more than a little nervous. She was however highly thrilled by the adventure. The plane was larger and heavier than anything she flew previously, it was also powerful and responsive without a payload.

"This is a handful for my first time." Savannah said. "I don't want to mess up."

Cameron wanted Savannah to follow her instincts and fly by the 'seat of her pants'. It was the way a Terminator flew. It was also the way Savannah, Young Jesse, and Young Allison learned to fly. She decided to give Savannah some reassurance and made a few minor suggestions.

"You're doing great. Watch the manifold pressure and lean out your fuel." Cameron said. "Check your trim."

Savannah soon got the 'feel' of the plane and things started to happen more naturally for her. She was a quick learner and flew by the 'seat of her pants'. She became very comfortable with the performance and handling of the plane. It was like any new event in someone's life. It took a little time to get used to it but once they were used to it, it all became automatic and second nature.

The B-25 thundered across the sky.

Savannah wondered what Cameron may have picked out as a destination. She checked the map and the heading Cameron gave her. There were a dozen places which could be the destination.

"Where do you want to go?" Savannah asked.

Savannah was aware the range of the plane was over thirteen hundred miles with a standard fuel load. It gave them a pretty good reach. They could fly to Texas, South Dakota or Canada without the need to land for more fuel. She understood why the B-25 became an aircraft of choice for early drug smugglers from Central America and lower. It could carry a good payload and fly a very long distance. It was much more so than contemporary aircraft with twin engines.

Cameron wanted to give Savannah the choice of the destination. She thought she would throw a few things out there which weren't that far away.

"You're flying. We can go to San Diego, Las Vegas, Reno, San Francisco or fly along the coast." Cameron said.

Savannah determined Cameron wanted to stay a little closer to home. The destinations were all an easy round trip for the Mitchell. They were all places they could reach and return from on the fuel load they carried. She wanted to see which destination Young Allison would pick. For some reason she thought she would pick some place like Las Vegas or Reno, so she could attempt to enter a casino. She was pretty sure she would want to visit a Syndicate controlled casino. It would probably be to make some type of 'statement' for what happened previously with the Metal girls in Las Vegas.

"I'm good with any of them." Savannah said. "You pick one Allison."

Young Allison already contemplated the destinations as Cameron named them off earlier. There was one which stuck in her mind as to where she would like to go. It was for a specific reason.

"I want to go to San Francisco." Young Allison said. "I want to fly under the Golden Gate Bridge."

Anna didn't think it was a good idea and it would attract too much attention. It was her duty to protect Young Allison and she needed to voice her opinion.

"NO." Anna said. "We should stay close to home. You shouldn't take any flying risks either in any aircraft."

Savannah didn't want any discord among the girls. She checked her map and heading.

"We can circle Santa Catalina Island and the other Channel Islands." Savannah said.

Cameron was aware two of those locations among the Channel Islands were off limits.

"Stay away from San Nicolas Island and San Clemente Island." Cameron said. "The military uses both of them."

Savannah actually saw it as a plus. It meant there were air strips on three of the Channel Islands in case they developed an in flight emergency. She didn't look forward to a water landing in any aircraft.

"Good, we have a choice of several airstrips if we need one for an emergency." Savannah said.

Cameron knew it was a good idea. She didn't look forward to having to walk on the seafloor of the Pacific Ocean to get back to land. She specifically made contingencies for anything of an emergency situation before it could develop.

"We have parachutes and life rafts." Cameron said.

Young Allison understood the need for safety, but it wasn't the kind of conversation she really wanted to hear. She didn't think it would be necessary either.

"It sounds really encouraging." Young Allison said. "Flying on one engine shouldn't be a problem, even if it takes a lot of rudder. With four Terminators on board, I don't think there will be any difficulty applying the rudder and holding it as much as necessary.

Cameron turned and looked back at Young Allison.

"I like to cover all the bases." Cameron said. "You should know it by now."

They could hear the top turret rotate.

Anna picked up a contact in the sky.

"There's a boggy at three o'clock high crossing from the southwest." Anna said. "The range is twelve miles out. It's two thousand feet above us."

Cameron quickly looked in the direction Anna indicated. She confirmed the contact.

"I have it." Cameron said. "We're fine."

It was a small commuter jet.

Young Allison moved down into the nose and strapped in. She thought the view was fantastic. She plugged in her headset.

"Savannah, when I fly, I want you to come and check out the view from the nose." Young Allison said.

Savannah felt comfortable enough about everything to mess with Young Allison a little.

"Will I have room for my parachute?" Savannah joked.

Cameron didn't catch what Savannah indicated. It was really a verbal jab at Young Allison. She thought it was a legitimate question.

"Yes. You would be able to fit fine with your parachute on." Cameron said. "There's also an escape hatch on the rear port side window in the glass of the nose. It would be used only if we ended up in the water or needed to belly land."

Young Allison was aware of the emergency escape feature. She also didn't like the joke Savannah made. Even though it was done in jest, she didn't like her flying ability questioned. She flew by the 'seat of her pants' and thought she would do very well when it was her turn to fly. There was some question earlier it would only be Savannah flying. She still kept pushing to get in some stick time, well, wheel time, on the Mitchell.

"It's not funny…." Young Allison said. "You can make a comment or suggestion after I actually fly the aircraft."

Young Allison was unamused by the entire incident.

Cameron rethought what Savannah said after Young Allison's comment.

Savannah was more comfortable with the bomber as each minute passed. She wasn't going to do any aerobatics, especially with Young Allison aboard, but she wanted a better feel of everything. She did a few more things to better understand all of the characteristics of the aircraft. She thought about what Young Allison mentioned as far as the capability of the aircraft went.

"I can tell single engine flight would need a lot of rudder." Savannah said.

Cameron previously practiced flying on one engine. She'd done it on both the port and starboard engines.

"Yes. One engine flight does take a lot of rudder." Cameron said. "It's no problem for me, but you would have your hands full."

Savannah wasn't going to take any chances in the event it occurred. She didn't want to endanger anyone on board, or inadvertently do some type of damage to the aircraft. There was a simple solution to any problem if it arose.

"If it happens, I want you to take control." Savannah said.

Cameron was sure of her aircraft. She personally worked on both engines as they were rebuilt to better than factory specs. Everything was ported and polished in the intake and exhaust system. The engines easily produced ten to fifteen percent more horsepower than a stock engine.

"It won't. The engines are in top condition." Cameron said. "Don't worry about it."

Savannah could see Cameron look at her phone. She knew Cameron was also in communication with CamNet and John Henry. She would have received any pertinent information through her com. If she checked her phone, there must be a visual image she needed to see. She knew operations enough to know when there was something going on in the background. It was usually with another team, or teams.

"Is there a problem?" Savannah asked.

Cameron was updated on the situation which involved Derek. Her earlier assessment of the situation was it was under control. Now she wasn't so sure. Derek purposely engaged the two vehicles which trailed him. They attempted to lead him into an ambush. The drones spotted the event for what it was. They returned to their original goal to have the two sedans pursue his truck. They were both in hot pursuit of his truck at this point.

"I don't know yet." Cameron said.

Cameron was sure there was a problem. She wasn't sure yet how it was going to affect them. The fact Derek was involved and actively being pursued didn't sit well with her. She wanted to attend to the matter personally. It was a little difficult being in the air in a B-25 Mitchell, or was it?

The small group of Resistance females reached the park without any incident.

Hanna scanned the area for any threats as they approached and after they arrived. She didn't look for just Skynet related threats. She looked for threats which involved future Scavenger type activity.

Sarah looked at Claire and saw she was beautiful. She was still a young woman. She was younger than Vanna or Jesse. She sure hoped Cameron knew what she was doing. It was obvious Claire was a passionate woman. If Cameron got Claire too close to John, Savannah, and Young Allison would probably not be able to get him back. She would have to mention something to Cameron. She knew of Cameron's worries, but she didn't want Cameron to create a new one which would be much harder to control when it involved people's personal feelings.

She wasn't a big advocate of any of it, but she also didn't want John assassinated in the future. She didn't always like the way Cameron did things, but she knew Cameron was trying to do what she thought was best.

Sarah knew the girls didn't want to hurt Cameron by being with John, but for Claire it was something different. She was 'protecting' her child and would do anything to make it happen. She knew the determination.

The issue of love could become a very powerful influence in the relationship as well. She was sure Claire would be able to provide John with love which he never experienced before in the same way or manner. It wouldn't just be the physical aspect of it either. It would be the emotional and mental parts which were sure to flow out of Claire like no other.

The girls played on the swing set now.

Sarah saw Hanna look up and back. She felt a twinge of fear. She checked all around her.

Claire seemed unaware of any danger.

Sarah checked where the girls were in case they needed to grab them and run. She asked Hanna for the specifics of the threat.

"What is it?" Sarah asked as she touched her M9 and Taser.

Hanna noticed Sarah was primed for combat.

"Relax." Hanna said. "I'm sorry to alarm you. It's a Warbird."

Soon Sarah could hear the thunderous roar. It was unmistakable for any other sound.

Sarah scanned the sky and spotted the plane.

"I can see it has twin engines." Sarah said.

Claire looked up now as well.

"It sounds powerful." Claire said. "What is it?"

Sarah was pretty sure it was like an aircraft they flew on previously. She knew there was one aircraft buff among those in the Resistance.

"If Derek was here, he'd know what the plane was." Sarah said. "He knows all the different aircraft and everything about them."

Hanna was about to answer Sarah's question when someone else beat her to it.

"It's a B-25." A small voice said. "It's often referred to as a Mitchell."

Sarah and Claire looked down. It was Summer.

Hanna wasn't surprised even if Claire and Sarah were.

"She's right.' Hanna said.

Sarah and Claire looked at each other.

Summer's knowledge caused Claire more than a little worry.

"How do you know it is?" Sarah asked.

Sarah beat Claire to the question.

Summer knew a lot of things. She decided to choose her answer carefully. She saw the concern her mother expressed and didn't want any issues to develop from her knowledge.

"I saw Allison, you know which one, reading a book one time." Summer said.

Claire was worried about what Young Allison read the book for.

"Why was she reading it?" Claire asked.

Hanna knew she needed to end the conversation quickly.

"I gave her some books to read." Hanna said. "She watched some YouTube videos and asked to learn more about it. She saw it was used in one of the first attacks against an enemy in the Second World War. The bombers took off from the deck of an aircraft carrier. It was the novel approach at the time. It made history. She knew Cameron flew in one once."

Sarah knew about it too. She was there. It was a good day for all of them and a special treat for Derek. She could now clearly see the twin tails and it was a B-25. It was almost overhead.

"It looks like fun." Claire said. "I bet Allison would love to do it. She's learning how to fly. She would probably really like to be on a powerful airplane."

Sarah was sure she saw the wings wag a little. She hoped Derek could see it. She knew he was out in the field today. She certainly knew he would look up if he was outside when he heard the thunderous roar.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

He Would Know

What do people reveal
What do they hide
Does anyone ever see
What's really inside

Does one ever dare
Their soul to bare
Maybe what's within
Will make others scare

Maybe it's of oneself
That they're actually afraid
What lurks there deep
Is sure to chafe and abrade

The content of character
Is what should matter
Actions speak louder
As they break and shatter

Every trauma is a blow
Filled with doubt and woe
Things can't remain hidden
Sooner or later he would know

Nobody