Chapter 1253
All Dessert Is Good
Cameron was pleased dinner went so smoothly. Now it was time for the best part.
The group waited to order their dessert.
Summer could see Gail didn't know what to pick. She traded places with Hanna so she could sit next to Gail. She wanted to help her out.
"You look confused." Summer said.
Gail looked at the choices.
"I am." Gail said. "I'm unsure what to get."
Summer thought it should be easy.
"What do you normally get?" Summer asked.
Gail told it like it was.
"Nothing." Gail said.
Summer didn't like it.
"Nothing?" Summer asked.
Summer didn't see Gail try anything at dinner either.
"I don't normally eat anything." Gail said. "You know what I mean."
Summer did know what she meant. She thought Gail would at least try a few things for the chemical breakdown to determine the harmful effects on Jesse.
"Not even a bite to try it?" Summer asked.
It wasn't anything Gail normally did.
"No." Gail said.
Summer looked over at Jesse. Jesse totally concentrated on her mother at this point. It made her wonder what Gail and Jesse did when they went out. She figured it was probably exactly what everyone speculated. They probably hunted future Scavengers. She decided to offer Gail a suggestion.
"You can try some ice cream." Summer said. "It just slides down."
Gail remembered when Savannah let her try some ice cream before. She only tried it because Savannah was the one who wanted her to try it. She figured if Savannah told her it was 'good', she wanted to know what 'good' was.
"Savannah gave me some once." Gail said. "I liked the color."
Summer wondered what kind it was. There were several choices on the menu.
"What flavor was it?" Summer asked. "If you liked it, they probably have the same kind here."
Gail originally selected it because she liked how it looked.
"It was pink." Gail said.
Gail's answer caught Summer by surprise.
"Pink is a color. It's not a flavor." Summer said.
Summer did realize the only color which was a flavor was probably orange. She also knew it was one of the few words which didn't rhyme with any other words.
Gail chose the ice cream because of the color, not for the flavor.
"I like things that are pink." Gail said.
Summer noticed Gail looked at Hanna when she said it. She knew the original name of 'Colton Overcast' was 'Pink Butterfly'. She wanted to redirect her train of thought. She wanted to stick with the ice cream.
"They have strawberry ice cream." Summer said. "It's pink."
Gail looked away from Hanna. She was willing to try some. She wasn't going to try more than a taste.
"I'll get strawberry then. I like the color." Gail said. "I can share it with you. I won't sample very much."
Summer wanted to make sure Gail actually tried it.
"As long as you try at least one bite we will." Summer said.
Gail was very pleased Summer wanted to help her.
"I will." Gail said. "I want to share with you."
Cameron looked over and saw Gail and Summer interacting. She listened to everything they said. She remembered Savannah and Gail having a very similar conversation. It was just over a week ago. It really made her wonder what Jesse and Gail did when they went out, besides each other. Well, she knew what it usually was.
John's voice brought her thoughts back to the table.
"What are you going to get?" John asked.
Cameron spotted something she liked.
"I'll try some chocolate ice cream." Cameron said.
John spotted a specialty flavor. It wasn't usually available at most of the stores.
"You don't want to try the butterscotch ice cream?" John asked.
Cameron thought maybe she would try something new and share it with John and Gail.
"I can try some." Cameron said. "I'll split it with you and Gail."
John looked over at Gail. He couldn't look away. He was intrigued by what he witnessed.
He could see how much more animated and happy Gail looked when she interacted with Jan and Summer. She looked the same way when Savannah was around her too. She looked like a human female during those times. It was a happy human female too. He thought about the way some of the human girls looked at times. There were times when they didn't look happy. The thought of his mother as he grew up over the years was in his mind. He glanced over at her next to Kyle. He was glad she looked happy now.
He really felt his mother deserved some happiness out of life for all of the sacrifices she needed to make. Most of them were for him. He hoped he could have as much devotion and loyalty as she did going forward. He was very grateful to Mrs. Weaver for sending Kyle back along with Derek and Jesse. It was what he asked her to do as a personal favor to him. He didn't explain why. He wasn't sure if Mrs. Weaver knew about Future Derek from Mr. Ellison or not. It was something he wondered about but didn't want to pursue. He didn't want to create any hard feelings on anyone's part.
John looked at Gail again. He thought about it some more. All the Terminators acted differently when they were around the girls, especially Savannah and Young Allison. Summer seemed to have the same effect as well. It seemed much more so than Jan did. He wasn't really sure why. He figured it probably had something to do with his mother. He knew she eased up over the years about her association with the other Terminators, especially the female ones.
He was pleased Cameron would try something new and wanted Gail to as well.
John looked around the table. This was his family. It was like his extended family. He would really like it for Savannah to have come along and been able to share the experience. He was aware why she didn't. She knew Cameron too well and what she would do. Cameron sort of did it anyway with Sheila's chassis. He was really pleased with the experience.
It was Cameron in what he considered a 'hot rod' chassis and she operated it as such too. Based on the Terminator chassis of Cameron and Sheila, he was sure Jesse would be better in bed than Allison as far as their bodies were concerned. When it came down to Young Allison or Young Jesse, he was sure all bets were off. Then there was Claire….
The thought abruptly ended in his mind. He looked over. Summer stared at him. He quickly looked away from her.
The waiter returned to the table. Cameron could see John was distracted. She ordered her two flavors of ice cream and a 'double fudge cake' for him.
The waiter moved on to Sarah.
"Thanks." John said. "I was having some trouble deciding."
Cameron looked squarely at John. She wanted to make her desires known.
"When it comes to dessert, I'll decide for you." Cameron said. "When I decide, it's what you'll have. I wouldn't pick it if I didn't want you to have it."
John swallowed hard. He was pretty sure he understood the reference.
"I'm always open to suggestions." John said.
Cameron looked at Jesse and Claire. She wanted more than suggestions.
"As long as I choose it for you, you can have as much as you want." Cameron said. "I like to see you happy."
John caught Cameron's glance and drift. He knew exactly what she meant. As long as she felt she was in control, she could live with the decision. He wasn't going to argue the point anymore. The next time when Cameron put someone else in his bed, he wasn't going to turn them down again. He did it too many times.
"You're the boss." John said. "You know what's best and when."
'I'll eat whatever you order for me.' John was about to say.
He didn't want to seem too direct. He didn't want to seem overly anxious, even if he was.
Sarah was done with her dessert order. She heard the last thing John said to Cameron. She leaned over to get close to his ear. She wanted to give him some advice. She understood Cameron's reasoning. She wanted John protected as well from assassination. She didn't see why it shouldn't be a pleasurable experience for him.
"Don't forget it." Sarah whispered. "Your life will be much simpler and happier."
John wanted to change the subject off of him. He wondered about the show in the main theater. He thought about the performance from last night and what might be available.
"Are we going to use the private box?" John asked.
Sarah wasn't done ribbing John.
"I think you already did, more than a couple of times." Sarah whispered.
John looked at Sarah.
"I mean to watch the show." John said quickly.
Cameron wanted to help John out. She heard everything Sarah said and agreed with all of it. She also remembered John's desire on where he wanted to sit if he could.
"We have front row seats or we can use the private box." Cameron said.
John was pleased to hear the news. He specifically wanted the front row seats for the 'British Invasion' show. He wanted to make sure they would be available.
"Are you going to have front row seats for us tomorrow?" John asked. "It's when they'll do the music and stage show again."
Cameron knew what turned John on. Maybe she should have CamNet offer extra money for any of the female performers if they didn't wear underwear tomorrow night and then concentrate on 'center stage'. It would give John a cheap thrill.
"Yes." Cameron said. "If it's what you want. It will be a good view."
Cameron looked at the Metal girls. She leaned close to John.
"All the 'up skirt' and 'nip slips' you want are right here. All you need to do is ask. None of them will say 'No'." Cameron whispered. "The Metal girls are yours for the taking. I should say, asking. You experienced a taste, quite literally. It will only get better going forward."
Cameron knew it for a fact. None of the Metal girls could say 'No' to him if he asked them. She knew at this point Jesse or Claire wouldn't either. She doubted any of the females would.
John tried to keep a straight face. He quickly looked around to see if anyone else heard what Cameron said. It was evident they did.
Holly, Hanna, and Gail all looked at him. Each one smiled at him. None of them seem to express a negative view of what would be 'required' of them if he did ask.
John was relieved to see the waiter return with the desserts. He thought there would be a little less 'ribbing' if there was something for everyone to try.
The waiter set the desserts down in front of everyone.
Cameron took a moment to look at Claire and Jesse as well as the Metal girls before she looked back at John.
"There's a lot of dessert to choose from." Cameron said. "Remember, all dessert is good, some of it is just better. Never be afraid to try what is served to you."
John's eyes flashed up at Claire and Jesse.
They returned to Cameron as he felt her hand slide along his inner thigh. He hoped it was Cameron's hand anyway.
Savannah wanted to follow Cammy and Cam into the drainage system. She didn't like the new plan to send Ed and Al in.
"I'm not sure it's the best choice." Savannah said.
John Henry thought it was the logical choice.
"How isn't it?" John Henry asked.
Savannah was honest about what she wanted.
"I'm not included." Savannah said.
John Henry pointed out the obvious. He wanted to be blunt but not rude.
"If there's fighting in the pipes, the Terminators will be better able to function, especially if there's Thermite smoke." John Henry said. "We don't have any breathing apparatus equipment at your location. The breathing equipment and the night vision goggles aren't usually compatible either. You would be at an extreme disadvantage one way or another."
Savannah was aware there was no way out of the system, other than the way in. Well, at least there wasn't before. It was a valid point John Henry raised. She knew it wasn't the main factor behind the decision. She was sure the decision actually came from the Young bunker. The mention of Thermite smoke was a valid concern, it was highly unlikely to be used again. She knew it was something which couldn't be ruled out either.
"Your decision will stand for now." Savannah said.
John Henry felt there was another important issue.
"They're also the closest team to the location." John Henry said. "It's how a normal response usually works with an operation."
Savannah didn't want to create a sour atmosphere.
"Thank you for explaining." Savannah said.
Savannah watched around them and the drone footage on her phone. She saw Al and Ed enter the outlet.
She turned to Tom and Steve. She was going to lay down a few rules of her own.
"I want both of you to be ready to assist them if there's gunfire." Savannah said.
Steve and Tom were going to protest.
Savannah wanted her wishes known.
"It's what I want." Savannah said. "I'm asking both of you, from me personally. It's a personal request. It matters to me."
They both knew it wasn't an 'order'. For all practical purposes, it was basically one anyway. Savannah wanted something done and didn't want to seem overbearing about it. She didn't ask for much. She always gave.
Tom felt he had a legitimate concern. He knew Steve felt the same way.
"We don't want to leave you alone." Tom said. "It was our assignment to watch over you."
Savannah touched him on the cheek. She wanted to remind him about some of the past events in the most subtle way possible. They didn't need to protect her. She protected them.
"I'll come for all of you if you need me." Savannah said. "You know I always have."
Steve and Tom looked at each other.
It wasn't what they expected to hear, nor did they doubt her.
Savannah could see they were still worried about her. She had a few cards to play and they were good ones too. She didn't think 'Coltan Overcast' and 'Cherry Bomb' would be very far from her at any point in time.
"I'll have drone support up here on the surface, if I need it." Savannah said.
Tom knew of the personal loyalty of the drones to Savannah and Young Allison. They would all back the 'Chosen Ones'. So would every Terminator and any other of the machines.
"The drones will not fail you." Tom said.
The drone prospect seemed to put Tom and Steve at ease.
"We're all a team." Savannah said. "Sometimes we need to make adjustments when help is needed in a certain area. Things can be rearranged as required."
Savannah was sure the drones would drop right down to the deck to provide her with direct fire support at close range if necessary. They would do the same thing for her as Young Allison instructed them do for Ally with the biker gang in the desert.
There was the sound of an air horn in the distance. A train was headed their way.
"It's the Coast Starlight." Savannah said.
She showed Tom her phone. There was an Amtrak schedule on it.
Tom ran a few calculations. He wasn't impressed with the timing.
"It is thirty three minutes behind schedule." Tom said.
Cameron previously told Savannah the Coast Starlight was always late getting into Los Angeles Union Station.
"I don't think it ever gets into Union Station on time, even with a padded schedule." Savannah said. "It's a long journey from Washington state."
Tom felt if it was computer controlled, there would be fewer problems.
"It would be more efficient if it was a fully automated system." Tom said.
It made Savannah think of another 'automated system', Skynet. It didn't work out so well.
"Would it?" Savannah asked. "Nothing is guaranteed to work a hundred percent of the time, all of the time, 'forever'. People have trouble. Machines have trouble. It's better when they work together."
They could hear the crossing gates go down in the distance. They broadcast a mechanical bell tone. It wasn't as pleasant as the actual bells used to be. The air horn sounded again. It was much louder this time.
The Coast Starlight thundered into view. The big four cycle, four thousand horsepower engines rasped out their 'muscle car' tone as they passed in the near distance. There were always two locomotives on the point of the Coast Starlight. There was usually a baggage car right behind them before the actual passenger consist.
Tom quickly calculated their speed.
"They're making track speed." Tom said. "They have a straight run across the Valley floor. Nothing can stop them now."
Savannah wasn't so sure about it. Past experience proved otherwise. There were unforeseen events which could occur at any time. She experienced one of them.
"I was amazed at how rapidly a passenger train could stop." Savannah said. "I was on the Coast Starlight when we hit a car once."
Tom was aware passenger trains possessed a superior braking system over standard freight cars on freight trains.
"They have a giant disc brake on the axles on most of the passenger cars as opposed to the standard brake shoes for the wheels." Tom said. "Some have both."
Steve wondered if Savannah went with Cameron or Cammy.
"Did Cameron take you?" Steve asked.
Savannah was very surprised when they arrived at Union Station.
"Yes." Savannah said. "She took me up the Coast Line all the way to Seattle. Most of it is actually inland. It took several days to do it all."
Tom liked to hear Savannah did other things, other than get shot at. He wondered what the purpose of the journey was.
"What did you do in Seattle?" Tom asked.
Savannah smiled as she thought about the trip.
"We went to the 'Space Needle' for dinner. We caught the train back the next day." Savannah said. "It was a beautiful trip, except for when we hit a car."
Tom previously observed drivers going around the crossing gates. He wasn't sure if they fully understood the consequences of their folly. Most of the time, they could beat the train to the crossing. If it was a tie, the car was going to lose. Each locomotive weighed over two hundred tons. A vehicle weighed approximately two tons. It was like someone stepping on a cockroach. He thought maybe it should be something Steve and him should look into. There might be some further action required for the trouble it caused Savannah. Maybe they could re-educate the individual involved if they weren't terminated by their foolish action.
"Where did you hit it at?" Tom asked.
Savannah was always a little concerned about the circumstances of the collision.
"It was a few miles before Glendale." Savannah said. "It was a stolen car some vandals left on a crossing. There were no injuries."
It was actually something she was sure Cameron 'looked into' further later on. She strongly doubted the individuals responsible for stealing the vehicle, would ever steal anything else again. It was clearly a purposeful attempt to derail the train. It could have led to the injury of a number of passengers if the train ended up 'on the ground'.
Savannah tried to pass the time and not worry about Cammy and Cam. It was one of the ways to do it. It kept her mind from dwelling on everything which could go wrong down in the drainage system. Based on her past experience from a few hours ago. She knew it could be a lot of them. When she needed to act, she needed to act. She knew the Terminators would do the same thing.
Cam finished her check in with John Henry and proceeded to check out the other branch feeder pipe. There were footprints in the silt. They appeared to be one set going in both directions. It was clear someone specifically checked it out. She needed to crawl to the end of the pipe. There was nothing there or anything which appeared different than it was before.
She made her way back in the direction she came from. She was almost back to where she left Cammy earlier. She slowed her approach to listen. It was dead silent. She called out to Cammy with the same low decibel communication tone they used on the way in. There was no answer. It wasn't a good sign.
Cam pulled her Taser out.
She reached the spot where Cammy should be.
Cammy wasn't there.
She quickly checked the silt to see if Cammy went back to the outlet in the flood control channel or if she went on further into the drainage system. The tracks in the silt didn't give her a good indication. There could have been movement in either direction.
Now Cam needed to worry about anyone behind her as well as what was in front of her. Cammy may have heard someone coming and moved in her direction to let them pass so she could see what they were up to without alerting them. Cammy would have figured the teams on the outside would intercept anyone who exited the drainage system. More than likely the team on the outside would want some answers as to what occurred inside the drainage system. If they were humans, she knew they would be questioned mercilessly in the usual 'Terminator Style'.
It left a big unknown for Cam without any clear indication as to what direction anyone may have gone. Unless she went back to the same inlet where she communicated with the surface before, it was going to take her some time to reach another spot where she could communicate. She was sure when she reported Cammy missing, it was going to create a mini panic. There were only so many places Cammy could go, as well as out. She may not know what it was, but it was certainly something to trigger it.
Ally was a little apprehensive when she was with Sheila. She told herself Jesse would have gotten everything 'squared away' when she was with Sheila earlier.
She noticed right away Sheila's kiss was a little different. It was a little more passionate and not as forceful. It was a better kiss. She wondered if it was learned from Jesse being with Claire so often or something left over from 'Cameron'.
Everything else was about the same. They only spent fifteen minutes with each other. It was enough time for several finishes.
They remade the bed after they changed the sheets. There was nothing wrong with them. Metal girls never left a mess, at least with each other. It was simply company policy everything in the luxury suites would be refreshed with new linen and towels whenever the guests left. Sheila wanted the bed perfect for Cameron and John later on.
Ally figured it was because Sheila hoped to be there again.
She wondered about what Sheila said. She should try it the same way she did. She thought it was very selfish of Cameron to do it the way she did. She didn't want the same thing. She wondered what Holly, Hanna, or Gail would do. Holly was free since Allison wasn't on board the ship. Sheila or her could watch Jan and Summer if they wanted to go somewhere on the ship.
Ally was willing to bet Cameron would target Holly next. She wondered if she would ask Claire or Jesse anything about Hanna or Gail. She didn't know if it would be for their 'approval', or to prompt them to do something on their own in their place.
Sheila and Ally put their dresses on over their naked figures.
"You look Hot." Ally said.
Sheila wanted Ally to appear the same as she did yesterday. Ally looked like Cameron last night.
"Not as Hot and Tight as you'll look." Sheila said.
Ally always felt she fell a little short.
"You'll need to help me." Ally said.
Sheila was in a playful mood.
"I thought I just did…." Sheila said.
It made Ally smile some.
"We helped each other." Ally said.
Sheila worked on making Ally look Tight. She thought about Ally's earlier hesitation. Maybe it was more apprehension than hesitation. She wanted to find out.
"I'd like to know if you would have been with me now, if Jesse wasn't with me earlier?" Sheila asked.
Ally knew what Sheila referred to. The truth was, she loved Sheila.
"I don't know." Ally said. "No. I do know. I would have. I still love you no matter what. Love is about sacrifice."
Sheila smiled.
In a few minutes both of the Metal girls were Tight and looked like they did yesterday.
Sheila pulled her dress tight over her perky breasts.
"Can you see my rings?" Sheila asked.
Ally could clearly see them through the material.
"I can see them perfectly." Ally said.
It was what Sheila wanted to hear.
"It's what I like." Sheila said.
Sheila knew everyone looked at least twice whenever they spotted them.
Ally wondered about what they would do afterwards.
"Are we going to get Hanna and play some Rockabilly tunes later on?" Ally asked.
Sheila could tell Hanna wanted to share with John.
"I'm in." Sheila said. "Well, unless Hanna is with John. Then John will be in."
Ally frowned slightly. She thought it would be cold for Cameron to use Hanna's chassis in front of Claire.
"How's it going to go over with Claire?" Ally asked.
Sheila didn't see it as a problem. She was pretty sure Claire's attention was currently focused elsewhere.
"She'll be busy with Jesse. They're totally in love." Sheila said.
It was hard to tell who picked who to start with. Maybe it was both of them. Normally she would think Jesse would be the one who made the first move. She knew the way Claire always looked at her. Maybe Claire made the first move. It didn't really matter at this point.
Ally knew 'fresh' love was always special.
"I think we can all see it." Ally said.
The two girls looked at each other and then in the mirror.
"We look HOT." Sheila said.
Ally was pleased with how both of them looked.
"We look picture perfect." Ally said.
Sheila saved several images of them in front of the mirror.
"Yes we do." Sheila said.
Ally felt they still had some responsibility. They needed to make sure everything was in order.
"Let's check in with Jim and then head out." Ally said.
They were both aware Jim paid more attention to them sexually.
"When he sees us, he'll want to 'head in'." Sheila said.
Ally and Sheila giggled as they headed to the Control Center. They were very happy in the company of each other.
Jim was pleasantly surprised when Sheila and Ally entered the Control Center. They radiated beauty.
"You two look impressive." Jim said.
Both of the Metal girls smiled at him.
"Thanks." Ally and Sheila both said.
Sheila wanted to get down to business.
"Fill us in." Sheila said.
Jim got them up to speed where everyone was at on the ship.
"They just finished dessert." Jim said.
Sheila looked at Jim with a straight face.
"We did too." Sheila said.
Jim tilted his head slightly.
Ally quickly looked at Sheila.
It caused both of them to giggle.
Jim nodded his head slightly. It was clear he caught their drift. He filled them in on what Cam and Cammy were up to.
Ally knew things could go bad for Cam and Cammy in an instant. She was displeased to hear how close to the action Savannah was again.
"It sounds risky." Ally said. "Savannah needs a break from some of this. She should be on the ship."
Jim was aware Cameron tried several times.
"Cameron invited her to come." Jim said.
Jim's statement was too good for Sheila to pass up. She immediately turned it into a sexual innuendo.
"I do every time I see her." Sheila said.
Ally ignored Sheila's joke. She wanted to address the real issue.
"You know why she didn't." Ally said.
Sheila felt she benefited from it.
"Her loss was my gain." Sheila said.
Ally looked at Sheila but didn't say anything. She still didn't see it the same way. She saw it more as Sheila's loss, quite literally, was Cameron's gain.
Jim could tell the girls were about to head out. He wasn't exactly sure what they were going to do. It actually bothered him some because he was sure where they would end up at, at some point. He didn't want to ask directly.
"Are you going to meet up with the others?" Jim asked.
Sheila wanted some options. She wanted to let Jim know some of the things they could do.
"We can, or we can hit the casino." Sheila said.
Jim didn't want Sheila to bring trouble down on herself.
"You can't cheat there." Jim said. "You caused a minor uproar yesterday."
It didn't seem to be a big deal to Sheila. Everything was resolved. They didn't leave the casino with any money.
"Bob fixed it." Sheila said. "Using my 'natural ability' isn't cheating. We would have given the money back anyway. What are we going to do with it? If anything, it probably encouraged the other gamblers to spend even more money to see if they could win as big as I did. I believe CamNet should actually thank me for adding to the coffers of the casino."
It wasn't something Jim wanted to debate. He thought it was more about the principal.
The girls thanked Jim and departed.
Jim watched them until they entered the elevator. He then went around and double checked all the rooms. Everything was perfect except in the Owner's Suite.
Sheila forgot her maid's outfit. It was hanging in front of the closet. It was in plain sight.
Jim was about to remove it when he realized it was left there on purpose. It was a reminder to John or Cameron, or both of them, Sheila wanted to 'come back'. She basically left her calling card. He didn't plan on leaving one of his uniforms there. He straightened the maid's outfit up so it looked perfect.
He reviewed a number of videos online where two males were involved in various sex acts. He made sure Sheila's uniform was very visible. It was the image he wanted in Cameron's mind
"Better you than me." Jim said as he walked away.
He really hoped some more of the girls would get on the ship at the next stop in San Diego or the one afterwards in Catalina. He quickly deleted the images he viewed earlier. He certainly didn't want to picture himself in the same scenario.
Earlier:
Dan and Frank watched the ship depart with Ken and Lou.
They were to wait and see if the street punks were released from jail before they needed to depart for San Diego.
They were to follow them back to wherever they went and terminate everyone there along with the street punks. They were told it didn't matter who anyone was at the location. Everyone was to be terminated with extreme prejudice. It would send a message going forward to other individuals involved in the same type of activity.
They saw the street punks were transferred to a prison bus in handcuffs, along with some other prisoners.
They were headed from a local jail to the equivalent of a county jail. They didn't have a 'get out of jail' card. Staying incarcerated saved their lives tonight. They weren't so sure how well the street punks would fare in the prison system. More than likely they would either be abused or end up in one of the prison gangs. It would probably be both. It seemed like something they should have thought about before they chose a life of crime. Termination would come to them soon enough if they didn't reform their lives.
The four Terminators headed out from Ensenada in the van for the border. They would be waiting in San Diego for the group to arrive. Since it was dark, they hoped no one was foolish enough to attempt to stop them for anything, especially a robbery.
Young Allison was pleased Savannah was still in her SUV.
"I was afraid Savannah was going to make a battlefield decision and change the plan." Young Allison said.
Anna knew Savannah could use her own prerogative.
"It appeared she might." Anna said. "John Henry used the line about the 'Thermite smoke' you asked CamNet to tell him to use. He finished everything up by mentioning they were the closest team as well. I know you moved Al and Ed in closer earlier."
Young Allison knew it was more than a 'line'.
"It's a valid concern." Young Allison said. "She could have died if she couldn't have gotten out of the storm drain earlier. All anyone needs to do is think about it for five seconds."
Anna saw the trauma Savannah suffered. She wondered if there was any permanent damage to Savannah's lungs.
"It could have ended poorly for Savannah earlier." Anna said.
Young Allison wasn't too happy with the term 'ended'.
"It didn't." Young Allison said.
Cam and Cammy were about to receive some back up. She hoped they didn't start to shoot at each other.
"Al and Ed are in the drainage system." Anna said.
Young Allison was afraid Savannah was going to send Steve and Tom in soon. She was actually surprised she hadn't already. She knew it was her prerogative since she was on the battlefield. She was sure she would make the same decision herself if she was there in Savannah's place. She hoped to find out soon enough once she can enter combat operations.
"Savannah will send Steve and Tom next." Young Allison said.
She figured more than likely Savannah would accompany them as well.
Anna didn't think it was wise.
"It will leave her unprotected." Anna said.
Young Allison knew the drones were overhead.
"She'll have drone support." Young Allison said. "CamNet won't allow anything to get near her."
A short time later they heard Savannah tell Tom and Steve exactly what Young Allison said a few minutes before.
"You called it." Anna said.
Young Allison looked at Anna. She wanted to remind her what the future held.
"We think alike." Young Allison said. "We'll be as 'one'."
Anna smiled. It is what she was, more or less. She was 'one' with Cameron's program and Savannah's weekly updated 'Neural Interface'. In reality, Young Allison had everything she wanted, right in front of her.
Hank and Larry watched the drone image of the female Fanatic move into the property along the side of the target location. She was now in a position where she could view what was going on as well as listen.
They knew the drones operated at a much lower altitude. They didn't operate low enough where they could pick up any audio on the ground. They could clearly zoom in on any of the images and even do a thermal scan of the building. They couldn't go too low because they didn't know if there was a Terminator present.
The female Fanatic moved up to the side of the fence on the target property. She could hear several angry voices as she approached. She wasn't going to be able to look over the fence unless she found something to stand on. She wasn't going to attempt to pull herself up and hold on in such an exposed position to see what was happening. It left her too vulnerable. If she could stand on something, she should be able to use her pistol if necessary.
She quickly looked around her location. She noticed there were several pieces knocked out of the top of the block wall between the two properties. It appeared as if something fell against the wall at some point in time from the other side. No one bothered to fix it. She moved up to the small gap. It still wasn't low enough for her to see. She spotted two of the big bricks from the block wall on the ground. One of them was broken in half. She quickly put them on top of each other. She stood on them and peeked through the gap. She thought it gave her better cover anyway. The angry discussion continued on the other side of the wall. It seemed a little less heated at this point.
Three men stood in front of the vehicle which passed her earlier and inspected the damage to it.
"I'm telling you, man, nobody made it out alive." The first voice said.
"Did you go in and try to help them?" The second voice asked.
"I already told you, the building exploded." The first voice said.
"It must have been booby trapped." The third voice said.
"I don't see what else it could have been." The first voice said.
"We must have got some bad intel." The second voice said. "It wasn't supposed to be those SkyMaster nut jobs."
"We've lost some good people in the last few days." The third voice said.
"We know the hillside complex was completely destroyed." The first voice said. "It may have been an inside job the way it went down. There was no indication of an external attack."
"There were two other locations which were attacked as well." The third voice said. "We've lost all of our inside people."
"It happens." The second voice said. "It's part of the job."
"We need to find all of the machines so they can be beaten into scrap metal." The third voice said. "Everyone who helps them in any way needs to be killed. They're just as responsible as Skynet is for what happens because they propagate the problem. Machines always go bad at some point, nobody knows why."
"The only good machine, is a destroyed machine." The second voice said.
The female Fanatic quickly realized the group was part of the Resistance. There seemed to be several factions in the Resistance. There was one group who wanted to work with captured Terminators. There was another group who didn't want to work with any machines at all. This appeared to be the latter group. She planned to use her bomb against the group inside of the building. They just disrespected SkyMaster in every way possible. Their sentence was now death.
"Maybe we should go back and see if any of our people got out." The second voice said.
"Nobody got out of the building." The first voice said. "I already told you it exploded."
"We need to get rid of this car." The second voice said.
"I'll take care of it." The first voice said.
"Bring back something nicer." The third voice said.
"Something with more room would be better." The second voice said.
"I'll bring back an SUV or a van." The first voice said.
"Just make it a clean pick up." The second voice said. "Don't leave a mess for someone to look into. We need to stay off everyone's radar as much as possible."
"Do you want me to bring back anything else?" The first voice asked.
"We're not Scavengers or Grays." The second voice said. "We pay for anything we use. There's plenty for sale. Everyone has a choice, even if it involves money. It's their choice to earn it."
"It's what I meant." The first voice said.
"Make sure it's only one." The second voice said. "Make sure she knows it will be six of us. Make sure whatever is asked for is what is paid."
"It should have been nine of us." The third voice said.
"I already told you what happened." The first voice said. "I'm out of here as soon as I use the can."
The female Fanatic watched as the three men went back inside of the building. She saw she was just presented with several opportunities. She could either allow herself to be 'picked up' to 'service' the men inside of the building, or try to have the man take her van. She was pretty sure she could make one of the two things happen.
She took off running back to her van. She had a little trouble getting over the wall. You thought maybe she should have brought one of the bricks with her. She made it on the second try. She needed to get back out to the main street and see where the man with the damaged vehicle went. She would try to offer the van or herself to him depending upon the situation.
She thought about it a little bit more. Even if she allowed herself to be 'picked up', she was going to kill the man. She didn't think it would raise an alarm when the van drove alongside of their building to the back. The man said he was going to bring back an SUV or a van. She was going to drive right up to the building in her van and use the bomb on it.
Hank parked a block away from the location as they watched the drone video.
"If we move in now, we can take all of them out." Hank said.
Larry wanted to see things play out a little bit.
"We might get lucky and have the female Fanatic take them out along with herself." Larry said.
Hank wondered how the group knew about the other building. They were clearly there to attack it.
"It may be a better option." Hank said. "We don't know who has eyes on any of these locations. We don't know exactly who anyone is for sure other than the female."
Larry looked around them.
"None of the drones have picked up any suspicious activity regarding us." Larry said.
They watched the female Fanatic hurry away from her observation point. They saw the three men returned back inside of the building.
"She may be about to make her move." Hank said.
Larry thought the same thing.
"You may be right." Larry said. "Let's see what she does."
They both constantly checked around them and reviewed the drone images. They didn't want to become inattentive and be attacked. It didn't even need to be a group from the future. It could be a group of street punks, or some homeless individuals.
The female Fanatic returned to her van. She got into it and headed for the main street. She would wait for the man to leave. She went over her options. She decided she would only let herself be 'picked up' as a last resort. She would attempt to get the man to steal her van and then kill him.
She could also follow him until he dumped the vehicle and acquired a new one. If she allowed herself to be 'picked up' then, she would already have a new vehicle. She would kill the man and transfer the items she took into the new one She would move it close enough to where she could return for her van and use it against the building. She would be able to get away before she detonated the bomb. She touched the remote control in her pocket. She should be able to investigate some of the other leads she came up with.
A few minutes later she saw the damaged sedan pull out onto the main street. She hoped it would go in her direction, but it didn't. It went the other direction. She let one oncoming car pass. She made a left turn in pursuit of the damaged vehicle. She wasn't sure how far he would go. She didn't want to wait too long to enact her plan.
She decided to accelerate the timeline.
Moments ago:
The man who drove the sedan passed alongside the building. He didn't like how he was treated. The others could have gone on the mission as well as him. He didn't like the implication he should have 'done more'. Maybe he should have checked Jacoby out after he slammed into the window. It looked to him as if his head was split open. All he would have done is get blood on himself and not be able to help him anyway.
He paused before he pulled out onto the main street to make sure no one paid him any attention. They didn't, there was no one there at all. There was one vehicle approaching. It was going the opposite direction he was going to go. He made a left hand turn. He pulled out in front of it.
He was a little upset about all the questioning he received from the station chief. He was going to go back to the location where the explosion was, after he obtained the new vehicle. He wasn't sure what would to happen with the one body he left in the street. Maybe he should have stopped and made sure Jacoby was actually dead. He realized they could have only been knocked unconscious by the blast and wondered what happened to him. No. His head was split open. What if it wasn't as bad as it looked?
Maybe they were on their way back to their location now. How was he going to explain things if they showed up and told their story? He thought it was doubtful they would remember they were thrown against the hood and smashed into the windshield. He thought maybe he should stick to the side streets for now so he didn't get pulled over.
He decided he was going to dump the tub he was in now and boost another car. He would drive it about five miles across town and pick up a van or an SUV. He would leave the newly boosted car there. It would make it harder for anyone to track his actions.
He sat at the light pondering what he was going to do.
"Excuse me. Excuse me." A female voice said.
The man looked over to the side. There was a van next to him. There was a female leaning out the window. She was pleasant to look at. She quickly caught his interest.
"Hi. I hate to bother you." The female said. "Do you know how to change a flat tire? I picked up a nail a couple of blocks back. I don't live around here. I don't know where I can get my tire changed. I have a spare and a jack. I just don't know what to do. I don't want to get stuck."
The man thought two of his problems were just solved. It looked like he just acquired a van, and it wasn't going to be reported stolen. He was also going to be able to get a little 'trim'. He planned to leave the female's body in the trunk of his car. He wasn't some stuck-up idealist like the rest of the others. He knew how things worked in the future. He could still pick up a broad and bring her back for the others. He would do her first as well. He smiled at the thought. Maybe being a messenger boy wasn't so bad after all.
"Sure I can help you." The man said. "Just pull onto the side street up ahead. I don't want some car to run into us while I'm helping you change the tire. It won't take long at all. You'll be back on your way in no time."
The female flashed him a smile.
"You're a lifesaver." The female said. "Thank you so much."
The man laughed to himself. He wasn't sure if 'lifesaver' was really going to apply in her case. Once the tire was changed, he planned to tie her up and 'do' her in the back of her own van. He decided he would 'do' her twice. He thought the best way to kill her would be to strangle her. There wouldn't be any blood on the inside of the van. There wouldn't be any blood on him either. He decided he was going to strangle her as he 'did' her for the second time. He wanted to make sure she was dead before he finished. He always wanted to be a 'double veteran'. Now was his chance.
He didn't hold himself to the same high moral standards the rest of those in his group did. He figured it was probably why he drove off and left the other man behind. If he saw him when he went and checked out the location, he would offer him a ride and then kill him too. As far as everyone else knew, he was already dead.
The man laughed out loud as he followed the van around the corner. He laughed even harder as he stopped behind it.
The female Fanatic turned around the corner where the man indicated. She pulled over to the curb and watched him pull up behind her. Things were going to be a lot easier than she thought.
Moments ago:.
Hank and Larry watched everything go down. They watch the man with the damaged sedan drive by them. Thirty seconds later the female Fanatic in the van followed him.
"I think he's going to get a different vehicle." Larry said.
Hank thought about the bomb in the back of the van.
"I think he's going to find one a lot quicker than he thought." Hank said.
Larry wasn't sure what the female Fanatic was going to do.
Hank and Larry followed the van. They remained approximately a quarter of a mile behind it. They let the drones do the actual surveillance work. They were a little surprised when they watched the van pull up next to the sedan and then turn the corner at the next street and park. The sedan pulled up behind it.
It seemed the female Fanatic was as full of surprises as she was resourceful.
Closing monologue by Cameron:
All Dessert Is Good
Save the best for last
The ending is great
It's especially so
When one is first rate
Some things more than others
Can be viewed as superb
When the balance is set
No one should disturb
When one is true and virtuous
They're honorable and gracious
Things should be held in check
Nothing should be audacious
Everyone likes it more
When someone is pleasant and nice
To share and be around them
No one ever needs to think twice
To share true love
One thing is understood
To finish is the goal
All dessert is good
Nobody