DISCLAIMER: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and its characters are the propert of James Cameron and Fox. No infringement intended.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a sequel to my first ever story "Beyond All Reason" and although it's not really necessary to read that to understand this one there are minor references to past events from the other story. This is written purely for my own enjoyment and if anybody else happens to enjoy it as much as I did writing it then...yay! Any mistakes that exist are all mine...and I will selfishly keep them :p This story is dedicated to the love of my life, Gayle.
SPOILERS: Mostly AU but has some references to events in Season 1.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
FEEDBACK: To jojovee[at]gmail.com
Against All Odds
By JGirl
PART SIX
"Shit they got here faster than I thought they would, you have to get out of here Cameron." Walking swiftly towards the entrance door, Sarah peered out in between the cracks, seeing the rows of police and FBI personnel stationed outside behind open car doors, each holding an assortment of weapons pointed at the factory.
Giving Sarah a furious scowl at her words, Cameron walked over to stand beside her, already having scanned the exterior and noting the location of each person surrounding the building. "Sarah, I'm not leaving you behind."
"Cameron, we talked about this remember? It's part of the plan. You and I both knew that the FBI was going to be watching Sarah's house as well. They know I came in here so they're not going to let me go so easily. You need to go Cameron, they don't even know you're in here since you've lowered your body temperature like we discussed."
"Sarah…"
"Cameron please, we don't have time to argue, you promised that you would go along with this last night. Dump the machine in the fire pit and hide, I'll be ok. They won't harm me if I surrender, they're not terminators."
Turning to give Cameron a reassuring glance, Sarah gripped her arm tightly, willing the girl to listen to her for once and to not argue.
"Listen to me Cameron please. Just stick to the plan. They'll take me to the local police first for lock up and then transfer me to the nearest secure facility. Get John to find out when that occurs and come get me then ok?"
"Sarah Connor, this is your final warning, come out with your hands up."
Distracted briefly at the blared command, Sarah glanced outside again, seeing the armed men moving closer to the entrance, all wearing Kevlar vests and brandishing heavy weaponry. If Sarah wasn't so pissed and worried about Cameron, she'd be flattered that they required so many people and weapons to capture her.
"Cameron you promised." Turning pleading eyes onto Cameron at her refusal to leave, Sarah gripped the girl by the arm in desperation as she reached out to touch the diamond hanging around her neck gently. Sarah knew she was playing dirty but she didn't have time for Cameron to change her mind.
Looking down at the stone clasped in Sarah's hand Cameron's brows furrowed in annoyance at the memories of last night, "Sarah, you extracted that promise when I was distracted."
Sarah couldn't help but smirk at the remarkable resemblance to a cute pout on Cameron's face as she spoke her words.
"Cameron a promise is a promise, regardless of how I got it." Turning serious, Sarah's eyes became solemn, ", "Please Cameron, I love you. I don't want you to get hurt, you're not invincible to all those bullets they have out there. I…I can't live without you."
Seeing the pained look on Sarah's face, Cameron finally relented as she stepped closer and pulled Sarah into a tight embrace as if by holding Sarah as tight as she could Cameron could save her from the inevitable.
"I'll be back for you Sarah." Placing a soft kiss onto Sarah's lips, Cameron finally stepped back with an intense stare and then turned away back to the fallen terminator. Bending down and lifting him up easily, Cameron hoisted him onto her slim shoulders, heading towards the bubbling molten fire.
Turning back to glance at Sarah with one last resolute stare, Cameron turned and walked away, forcing her legs to do as her chip commanded. She had not wanted to agree to this part of the plan, had argued and railed against it all night but in the end she had promised Sarah and Sarah needed her to keep her promise.
"I know you will Cameron, I'm counting on it," whispering softly in reply knowing that the girl would hear her, Sarah turned away from Cameron's retreating back. Kneeling down, Sarah placed her weapons onto the concrete floor in front of her and raised her arms to put her hands behind her head. Clenching her entire body against the intense desire to get up and run, Sarah waited with bated breath for the armed officers outside to storm the building.
This was the only way to protect Cameron.
"Why didn't you tell us Cameron? Tell me, so we could come up with another plan?"
John's voice was raised in anger as he paced the living room, his frustration clearly evident as he shot an angry glare towards the girl who was standing rigidly in the centre of the room.
"We should have been told." Derek's voice was low as he agreed with John, the barely concealed anger also lacing his words as he shot daggers towards Cameron.
Cameron glanced towards John and then at Derek who was standing in front of her, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.
"Sarah made me promise."
John sighed at hearing the words and the tone of Cameron's voice and stopped his pacing to study the rigid girl in front of him critically. Since arriving at their location, her movements had been stiff and heavy; her face a mask of blandness that John knew was hiding the inner turmoil she was feeling over Sarah's capture.
Knowing that Cameron would have put up one hell of a fight against the idea of letting his Mom get captured, John let the anger towards Cameron dissipate as he relaxed his hunched shoulders slightly. It wasn't Cameron's fault, she would've never readily agreed to the plan; it was his mother's relentless stubbornness that had probably worn her down.
"So, what now?"
"We're going to get her back." Cameron's tone was firm, her expression leaving no choice for any other option as she tried to hide her upset at not having Sarah standing beside her safe and sound.
"How?"
Shooting Cameron an annoyed glare Derek's stance had relaxed marginally as well, seeing the girl's hidden distress at not having Sarah here with her.
"In the morning John you will need to see if you can get into the police station computers, get us some information in when they're going to be transferring Sarah. Right now you both need sleep."
Turning to give them both a blank stare, Cameron walked out of the room clenching her fists to steady her fluctuating systems. Sarah needed her, she did not have the time to hesitate and panic over Sarah's safety. The only thing that was stopping her from storming the police station at this particular moment in time was her promise to Sarah and the fact that the terminator that had been hunting her had been destroyed. The FBI would not harm Sarah, of that Cameron was sure.
Opening the front door and heading outside, Cameron scanned the perimeter taking note of the large expanse of empty space around the house that had no shrubbery or buildings to hide sneaking intruders. Nicely located down a long driveway with no neighbours within walking distance, Cameron was satisfied that Derek had found a relatively decent new location.
Circling around the exterior of the building, Cameron came to a stand in front of the house again, noting the wide veranda that circled the entire building and the front porch steps that led up to the front door. Looking up towards the second storey, Cameron could see the lights on in John and Derek's bedroom, avoiding the blatantly obvious darkened window at the other end of the house.
Knowing that Sarah was not going to be in her room waiting for her, Cameron was reluctant to enter the house, unwilling to face an empty room that would make the pain in her chest that much more unbearable.
At a loss as to what to do without Sarah here, Cameron lifted a hand to touch the warm diamond resting in the valley of her breasts, gripping it tightly in her fingers. Feeling the smoothness of the stone soothing her jumbled and chaotic insides, Cameron conjured up the memories of startling green eyes and a warm and loving smile.
Tomorrow she was going to get Sarah back, there was no other option. Without Sarah's comforting and loving presence beside her, Cameron was lost; a machine that wasn't a machine and one without any meaning to her existence.
"So tell me Sarah, where is the man that ran after you into the factory?"
Sarah stared back at the agent sitting opposite her, her face a mask of indifference as her hands gripped her thighs tightly to hide the tenseness in her body.
"You tell me Agent Ellison since you've probably read my file already?"
Raising an eyebrow Sarah glanced around the room, taking note of the bare white walls and the camera hanging from the ceiling in the corner. Apart from the table, the folder in front of Agent Ellison and the two chairs they were sitting on, there was nothing else in the room.
"Ah yes, your file." Reaching for the folder in front of him, Agent Ellison flipped it open and slowly read through the contents, glancing up to stare at Sarah now and again. "Institutionalised at the Pescadero State Hospital for the criminally insane, lost custody of your son John for ten years because you were too mentally unstable to look after him and then there's…the machines. Tell me about the machines Sarah."
Sarah sighed wearily and ran a hand through her hair, despising the calm and stoic face of FBI Special Agent Ellison, knowing that this was all useless, that he would never believe her, they never believed her.
"What do you want to know Agent Ellison? Doesn't my file already tell you everything? Would you believe me if I told you the truth?"
"Why don't you try me?" Closing the folder, Agent Ellison leaned back into his chair and folded his arms over his chest, waiting patiently for Sarah to continue.
Leaning back in her seat as well Sarah studied the Agent silently as she placed her hands on top of the table to grip them lightly together, the clinking of the handcuffs around her wrists reverberating softly in the bare room.
"There are machines sent from the future to kill my son who will one day lead the survivors of mankind against a creation called Skynet who destroys the world on April 19 2011, which we call Judgement Day. The 'man' that was chasing me, he was one of them and I destroyed it."
Reciting the words as if by rote, Sarah placed her hands on her lap and slouched down in her chair, "Do you believe me Agent Ellison?"
"It doesn't matter what I believe Sarah. In the eyes of the law you are a criminal. You have blown up buildings and killed a man."
Still eyeing Sarah critically, Agent Ellison could see that Sarah's supposed nonchalance was an act. The tenseness of her body, the constant tapping of her feet, it all showcased a woman on the edge, one who hated being locked up in a confined space.
"So the man chasing you was a, what did you call them? A Terminator?"
Giving Agent Ellison a smirk in reply, Sarah settled herself more comfortably into her slouch, knowing that he wasn't fooled by her act.
"That's not the question you should be asking me Agent."
"Oh? What question should I be asking then?"
Rubbing her chin in thoughtful silence, Sarah remained silent for a second, contemplating her answer, "If you don't believe me, does it matter?"
Agent Ellison seemed baffled by her question for a minute but then shifted his features into a stoic mask again.
"Does what matter?"
"This whole thing. Why am I wasting my breath repeating things that you've already read in my file?"
Leaning closer to the table now, ignoring the clinking of the handcuffs, Sarah's face was intense as she let her anger bubble to the surface, "Do you know what it's like Agent Ellison to have doctors poke and prod at you, labelling you insane? Do you know what it's like to be separated from your son and everybody telling him you were mentally unstable?"
Taking a harsh breath to steady herself, Sarah continued, "All this," sweeping her hands around the room, "doesn't matter. If I can't stop judgement day, you're all dead anyway."
The room fell silent except for Sarah's heavy breathing, Agent Ellison remained studying her critically from the across the table, unmoved by her words.
"I just want to help you Sarah. I can't help you if you won't let me."
Sarah snorted at the words, the disbelief evident on her face, "Help me? How? By locking me up? By making everybody think I'm crazy and insane? With that kind of help Agent Ellison, I think I'll pass."
Another studied silence, this one longer as Agent Ellison continued to stare at her intently. Finally, dropping his gaze to the folder in front of him again, the Agent opened it and brought out a photo, placing it in front of Sarah face up towards her.
"Do you know who this woman is Sarah?"
Sarah glanced down at the photo of the other Sarah Connor staring back at her but remained silent, her face impassive as she turned her gaze back to Agent Ellison.
"We had no leads for three days since after her abduction but then early yesterday evening, she walks into the local police station out of the blue, giving us a bizarre story about being saved from a strange man who wanted to kill her, but had no idea why."
Reaching into the folder again, Agent Ellison pulled out another photo, placing it beside the first one in front of Sarah.
"What about this woman Sarah? Found dead in her house, neck broken," pulling out another photo, the Agent placed it beside the other two, "Or this woman? Found dead in an alley doorway, neck also broken."
Sarah's face was a frozen mask as she stared at the two dead women in front of her, feeling the guilt of their deaths weighing heavily on her shoulders. Rubbing her eyes tiredly, Sarah leant back in her chair, the familiar clinking of the handcuffs following her movements.
Masking her face into neutrality again Sarah shrugged her shoulders lightly. "I don't know any of these women Agent."
"I would tell you their names Sarah but we both already know that you know what their names are, don't you?
Shrugging again in feigned nonchalance, Sarah was wondering where the Agent was going with this interrogation.
"Are you going to explain their deaths on a machine from the future as well?"
"I didn't kill those women Agent."
"Then who did?"
Eyeing the Agent across from her, Sarah could feel the weariness settling inside her body. Since her capture the night before, she had barely had two hours sleep, thoughts of Cameron and John's safety swimming in her head all night and even Derek making an appearance in her troubled thoughts.
"Ok, how about this woman then? A Mrs Beatrice Clarkson, grandmother of four and great-grandmother to one little Lucy Herbert, suffocated in her own house while she was sleeping. What does she have to do with all this Sarah?"
Sarah closed her eyes as a rush of overwhelming guilt invaded her body at the old woman's face peering up at her from the photo Agent Ellison had placed on the table. Sarah's neighbour, the one Derek had visited the other morning. Cursing inwardly at dragging another innocent victim to their death, Sarah could feel the walls closing in on her.
Chafing at the handcuffs around her wrists, Sarah could feel the edginess inside fighting for control, feel the throbbing of her repressed energy surging through her limbs making her want to leap across the table to overpower the Agent.
Glancing towards the camera in the corner warily Sarah suppressed the desire, knowing that if she did anything rash or stupid to hurt herself, Cameron would never forgive her. She just needed to wait this out, wait until she was transferred so Cameron could come get her. Knowing that there was nothing more she could say, or anything that the Agent would believe, Sarah glanced away from the photos in front of her.
"I'm tired Agent. I've told you all I know and I've given you the answers to your questions. Whether you choose to believe those answers is entirely up to you. I'm done talking."
Crossing her arms over her chest defiantly, Sarah tilted her chin towards Agent Ellison belligerently, her face masked into a firm scowl.
Standing up from the table casually, Agent Ellison leant over and picked up the scattered photos to place them back into the folder flipping it closed as he pushed his chair back. Staring down at Sarah's scowling expression, the agent quirked an eyebrow in response.
"This isn't over Sarah."
Giving the Agent a weary look in return, Sarah's face turned bleak as her thoughts turned to all the people that had died in trying to stop judgement day.
"You're right Agent, it never is."
Sitting in the stolen SUV next to Cameron, Derek could see that the girl was tense and worried although her features were masked into its usual blandness. Her hands were clenched tightly in her lap as she stared resolutely out the passenger window, her gaze directed onto the passing cars with an intensity that made her seem like a statue, her body and face so still and silent in her focus.
Since having come to terms with the girl's relationship with Sarah, Derek had been surprised at how noticeable a change Cameron had gone through. Being in love with Sarah had made the girl seem more…human and less machine. Studying her daily interactions Cameron had actually surprised him demonstrating a capacity to feel human emotions that a machine should have never had the ability to grasp.
Derek had been wary at first, the very idea of Sarah being intimately involved with a machine sticking in his throat. His hatred for the very things that had caused so much death and destruction making him suspicious and wary of the girl that had been foisted into the Connor's lives from out of nowhere. But now, sitting next to her in the SUV Derek felt sorry for the girl, which again surprised him as he would have never thought he would ever be feeling anything but hatred towards her.
Looking up towards the rear-view mirror Derek caught the distinctive police van ambling slowly forward and tensed in readiness catching John's worried frown who was sitting in the back seat in the process.
"It's here, coming towards us."
Cameron glanced in the rear-view mirror at Derek's words as he started the SUV, Derek's eyes remaining on the above mirror as he waited for the van to pass. Easing the electric window down on her side, Cameron waited patiently until Derek eased away from the curb to follow the van.
Following at a safe distance behind the police van, Derek waited until it turned down an empty street that was straddling the road running alongside the harbour before gunning the engine and pulling closer behind it.
Easing her body out of the window, Cameron climbed out slowly to settle into a squat onto the hood, her feet placed firmly and flatly to steady herself on the moving car. As Derek eased the SUV closer behind the van, Cameron tensed and with a leap forward, flung herself onto the back of the van, her hands and feet clasping for purchase on the now weaving van as the guards maneuvered the moving vehicle to evade the following SUV behind them.
Hearing shots ring out into the silent street, Cameron grabbed the handle of the back door and with a quick jerk of her wrists, pulled the door off its hinges and flung it carelessly to the side as Derek sped past and slammed the SUV against the side of the moving van.
Hopping inside and spotting Sarah wrestling with Agent Ellison on the floor, Cameron quickly stepped forward, placing her hands against the side walls as the van rocked violently to the left, the squeal of tires ringing loudly in her ears as the driver tried to keep the van on the road.
Picking up Agent Ellison almost casually by the scruff of his neck from on top of Sarah, Cameron threw him against the front of the van, watching dispassionately as he landed with a loud thump.
"Thought you were going to stand me up for our date for a minute there girlie."
Seeing Sarah's smirk and hearing the familiar flippancy to her tone, the tension in Cameron's body started to ease slightly. Balancing herself against the still weaving van, Cameron grabbed a hold of Sarah's arm firmly to help the woman stand, breaking the handcuffs on her wrists and the chain bound around her ankles in the process. Knowing that they didn't have time for a lengthy greeting, Cameron allowed herself a brief caress of Sarah's cheeks softly before pushing her to stand in front of the open doors.
Feeling the solid kick of a foot against her back, Cameron stumbled slightly as she was taken unawares, knocking Sarah in the process as the woman grappled desperately at the side wall to prevent herself from falling out of the still moving van. Catching a hold of Sarah around the waist to steady her, Cameron could see Derek pulling up behind them as close as he could, John's body half outside the passenger window as he tried to aim at the van's tires.
"Sarah, jump." Giving Sarah a slight push, Cameron watched briefly as she landed with a soft thud onto the SUV's bonnet, Sarah's hands and feet splayed out in a star fish pattern to steady herself from falling off. Seeing the SUV slowing down and relieved that Sarah was okay, Cameron turned back towards Agent Ellison who was now holding his gun tightly in his hands.
Hearing Sarah's hoarse cry shouting out her name, Cameron ignored it and charged the Agent knocking the gun out of his hands in the process as he thumped heavily against the wall and slumped over in a dejected heap. Seeing the front panel opening and the barrel of a shotgun easing out from between the partition, Cameron reached out and with a quick jerk, pulled the shotgun and the guard still holding onto it through the partially opened partition. Raising her other hand Cameron placed a light hit onto his chin, enough to knock him out but not to do any serious damage. Crushing the shotgun in her hand, Cameron threw it carelessly onto the floor as she strode forward to the driver's side.
Stepping back quickly as a gun suddenly appeared in front of her face, Cameron just barely managed to dodge the bullet. Reaching her hands back around the partition, Cameron grabbed a hold of the drivers shoulder and flung him across to the passenger's side. Feeling the van swerving wildly out of control with no driver present, Cameron quickly hopped into the driver's seat trying unsuccessfully to get the van under control.
Flinching slightly as something hard landed onto her right shoulder, Cameron turned her head around to see Agent Ellison swinging the shotgun again. Dodging the blow, Cameron's hand jerked on the steering wheel, swerving the van to the left suddenly. Watching through the windscreen as the road barrier came into view, Cameron let go of the steering wheel as she tried to clamber up onto the side window. Feeling the Agent's hand grasping on to her ankle, Cameron gave one last vicious kick making Agent Ellison go flying again back into the left wall.
Holding on desperately to the open driver's window ledge to get purchase so she could scramble out, Cameron suddenly felt the van go airborne as it crashed through the barrier and flew over the side of the road. Feeling the desperation to get free rushing through her systems as the water below came closer and closer at an alarming speed, Cameron hoisted herself up through the window to sit on the ledge. Before she could get her body out any further, Cameron felt the impact of the van hitting the water below and then…nothing…her body catapulting in reaction to the impact and her head hitting the roof with a resounding thump.
Dropping bonelessly onto the window ledge, Cameron's body draped half in and half out of the open window, the van continued its relentless descent into the murky depths below.
To Be Continued