Sarah held out her hand for Enrique's cell phone. "Here, let me try this time."
Rosanna said, "Do you have a computer I can use?"
"Sure," Franco said. "I've got one in my trailer. Why did you want it?"
"These people took a disk of mine, back in Colorado. Maybe I can do some work." She looked at Jade, then Anton. "In fact, I was hoping to get some help."
Franco shrugged, but stood up to lead her to the right trailer.
"It's in my backpack," John said. "The disk, I mean." She'd had it when they'd gone to her house in Colorado Springs to try to talk to her about Skynet; she'd responded by attacking them.
"I know where it is," Rosanna said. "Don't you think I've been keeping track? That disk has some important data. I took it home to work on before you guys and your T-XA dropped in."
"It wasn't our T-XA."
She simply laughed at that.
"All right," John said, "so what kind of data is it?"
"You'll see in a minute." She gestured for Franco to lead.
John hadn't thought about the disk since they'd left Colorado. "Well, how important is it?"
"That depends," she said. "Do you think your species is important?"
Sarah keyed in a number on the cellphone, saying at the same time, "We'll do this — me, and Enrique, and Yolanda." She put the phone to her ear, and the number must have answered. "Wait just a moment," she said into the phone. "Yes, it's Sarah." She looked up again at John and Rosanna. "Do what you have to do."
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Oscar sat in the back of the car, with one of the big, silent government men. Another drove, while Jack sat beside him in the front.
Oscar huddled up against the door, wondering how to escape. Thanks to the T-XA's reprogramming, he had an aversion to human contact; that had been the worst thing about the flight from Washington. Even with plenty of space between himself and the guard, he felt claustrophobic in this small vehicle with three other people, and had to make a conscious effort not to panic. He thought about other things: their plans for tomorrow; the fact that, sooner or later, the car would stop. He wouldn't be trapped forever.
Charles and Samantha had taken the other car. Whatever was worrying the government people, they were taking no chances, actually keeping Oscar and Charles apart. What could have caused that reaction? It seemed so extreme.
He wondered just how hard it would be to overpower Jack and the two others. With the neural wiring that the T-XA had given him, it wasn't out of the question, but he'd probably be killed if he tried it — and then he'd be useless to Skynet Everyone here was doubtless armed. Much better to wait. He and Layton would work out later what they should do. Whatever Jack and Samantha suspected, or had been informed, they probably didn't know much, certainly not what Layton was now capable of.
They headed north, out of the city, forming a convoy: The car with Oscar went first then the other one, with Layton it. The two police cruisers that Oscar had seen picked up their tail and followed all the way. He let the miles pass without bothering to speak, just taking note of landmarks on the way. Surely Jack would level with him, but not like this, cooped up in a moving vehicle. An explanation would come soon enough. Jack had mentioned Terminators — as if he'd suspected that he and Layton were really cyborg organisms from the future. Well, that was ridiculous, but not much more so than the truth. Jack must be onto something, so where did he get his information?
Only one person could have contacted him with such a wild story; at least there was only one whom Jack might trust: Someone who was obviously not a crackpot, and knew what she was talking about.
Rosanna. What was she up to?
After an hour, they pulled off onto a long paved driveway leading into some kind of anonymous complex, surrounded by a stone wall twelve feet high. As the car went over a bump, the headlights lit up a roll of barbed wire along the top of the wall. The driver pulled up at a checkpoint gave a signature, then drove through, crossing into a dimly-lit courtyard created by the space between several low-rise buildings. At the far end was a row of parking bays, marked by yellow painted lines. The complex was almost deserted, though a five-ton army truck was parked behind them, back at the checkpoint where they'd entered. Beside it was another civilian-looking car, a white four-door compact.
"Don't worry," Jack said as the driver parked, and the other car — the one with Samantha and Layton—pulled up alongside.
"What should I worry about?" Oscar said.
"Well, whatever. It's very comfortable here, and we're going to treat you like royalty. Don't think of yourself as a prisoner."
"It seems awfully close. This place doesn't look much like a hotel."
"You might be surprised when we go in."
"There are laws against this, you know."
"Not really." Jack opened his door and stretched his legs from the trip. "It looked to me like you came here of your own free will. Not only that, you can go whenever you like, and wherever you like-honestly. But we'd like you to cooperate. If you don't, we'll have to rescind your contract, that's the only problem. Clear enough? And as long as you're with us, we'll take precautions."
"But why, Jack? Why are we suddenly so dangerous?"
"Why? Because a goddamn little birdy told me so." Jack stepped out and walked to the nearest door. "Come inside, and we'll talk about it. Don't ask so many questions."
They all entered a plain brick building with small barred windows. Layton refused to meet Oscar's eyes, keeping his thoughts to himself. His face was red with embarrassment or anger. He seldom showed emotion— when he did, though, his nose lit up like a traffic light.
Just inside the building was a small foyer, which led to what looked like a training room, big enough for thirty people. Several armchairs were scattered round the front, with three rows of plastic molded chairs facing forward. In one corner was a sink, with a wooden cupboard built-in overhead. Beside the sink was a small refrigerator. Several tastefully framed prints decorated the yellow | walls: stark country landscapes with mountains, rocks, and pine trees. Jack signaled, and one of the blue-suited goons found a kettle in the cupboard, and started making coffee. Oscar looked for a chance to attack, but the others were watching too carefully. The odds were not good enough. Perhaps they could pull off an attack, but the risk was just too great Better to calm Jack's fears for now, and then find an opportunity.
Samantha gestured to the armchairs, and they sat around in comfort. Three of the goons took up positions leaning against the wall. The fourth brought mugs of coffee on a brown plastic tray. He'd also found a pack of chocolate chip cookies, and placed a dozen on an ivory-colored plate.
"See how civilized this is?" Samantha said. "We haven't brought any torturers with us."
"Yes, I'm very flattered," Layton said sarcastically.
"I'll get to the point," Jack said. "I had a call from Rosanna." He held up his hand before Layton or Oscar could speak. "She warned me that you two are dangerous."
"That's preposterous," Layton said."Of course it is. Aren't you going to ask me how she sounded?"
"Well," Oscar said, "how did she sound? Did she seem frightened, like someone was threatening her?"
"No, not really. What she was saying seemed crazy, but she didn't sound scared-more frustrated, angry."
"So that's why we're here? This is pretty strange treatment, Jack. If she's with the Connors, she might say anything they want. Surely you don't give it any weight."
"I know it's strange, and you're right about the Connors, perhaps they've threatened her. . .or she's joined their cause. Stranger things have happened. But it's not just Rosanna. She had someone with her who claimed to be you, Oscar. The thing is, he sounded just like you."
"What? Where were they calling from?''
"It sounded like a public phone. We didn't get a location."
"Well, I never made any phone call."
"Of course you didn't. Why would you warn me about Yourself?"
"And I haven
't seen Rosanna."
"No, of course not."
"But there are things you're not telling us, Oscar," Samantha said, speaking up at last. "It's time to come clean. You can't go on keeping us in the dark."
"What's all this about us being Terminators?" Oscar said. "You realize that's ridiculous? You can do whatever kind of tests you want, if there's any issue."
"No, we don't think that is the issue," Jack said. "I've already told you that. Now, please, let us ask the questions." He sighed heavily. "We need to get some sense out of this; I want to understand why people are calling us with warnings about you."
Layton caught Oscar's eye. "We'd better tell them everything we know. You take them through it-whatever they need."
Oscar had expected to be questioned when he came to Washington, but not like this. He'd prepared answers to almost anything they could throw at him, though he'd never expected a call from Rosanna to add to his problems. As for a voice imitating his, could the Specialists do that? It wasn't an ability he knew about, and the less said the better. Once Layton got an opportunity to reprogram these people, it wouldn't matter what they knew, but that might not happen tonight He would need to be careful
He asked where they could find the bathroom. That gave a few extra seconds.
Jack gave directions, pointing through the door they'd entered, and round a corner to the left — the other end of the lobby that they'd walked through. "Do you need it now?" he said.
"No, not yet. But it's nice to know these things." What Oscar did not want was for Jack and Samantha to spread information further, to people that Layton could not get to quickly. That might create endless complications. In time, Jack and Samantha could know everything, but not now, not tonight. "You don't want to question us separately?" he said.
"No," Samantha said. "It hasn't come to that We haven't declared you the enemy."
"All right. Ask, and I'll try to answer."
Samantha and Jack started asking questions about the raid, how they'd been tipped off. Oscar took them through his prepared story, that he'd had an anonymous call saying the Cyberdyne site was going to be raided by the Connors and a group of accomplices.
"Did you recognize the voice?" Samantha said.
"It was a female voice. No, I didn't recognize it. I've seen videotapes of Sarah Connor, I know what her voice sounds like. I'm sure it wasn't her." He gave what he hoped was a disarming shrug and smile. "I wish I could help you with that. I'd recognize the voice if I heard it again."
"Old or young?"
"I couldn't be sure. Not a child's voice. Not an old woman either."
"Any accent?" Jack said.
"Nothing that I noticed."
"How did you know that the raid was going to be on such a scale?"
"I can't remember the exact words. I made a file note, but I don't have that here." He had, in fact, made a note about a fictitious phone call to his home the evening that the T-XA had visited him. The telephone company's records would eventually show that there'd been no such call, but Jack and his people would never get that information in time to do anything with it. "She spoke about a commando raid."
"Nothing about Terminators?"
"Why are you asking that? No, nothing about Terminators, just a commando raid."
"But you must have thought about it"
"Well, we all know the theory that there was a Terminator involved in 1994. I suppose that was why we took so many precautions. Terminators or no Terminators, we knew what the Connors were capable of, however exactly they did it."
"We're going to have to go right back through this stuff about the Terminator theory and the 1984 remnants," Jack said. "From where I sit you're still holding out on us. There are things you people know that we still don't."
"Who do you mean by 'you people'? Us at Cyberdyne?"
"Yes, that's about the size of it"
"Is that why you've dragged us here? Just because you think there's something we haven't told you? This is pretty heavy-handed."
"No, it's not" Jack said with a touch of anger. "Now, please, answer our questions, and we might get somewhere."
Oscar told the story exactly as he would have done two nights before, immediately before encountering the T-XA. That story had its own oddities, but there was nothing in it that they'd ever tried to keep secret.
When he was finished, Jack gave him a long look. "All right, two more questions."
"Yes, please."
"First of all, why would I get a telephone call from someone who claimed to be you, telling me I was in great danger, at the very time that you were high in the air on a plane between Los Angeles and Washington?"
"Honestly, Jack, I have no idea. That I can't explain."
"Okay, last question."
"Please."
Samantha asked it this time: "What are we going to see on the surveillance tapes?"
"What do you mean?"
"What's there that you know about and we don't?"
"I have no idea. I haven't seen them either."
At last the questioning came to an end. Oscar felt very calm. Even if their story fell apart, it wouldn't matter. Soon, they'd be in control, here in Washington. If it had known what they were doing, Skynet would have been very pleased.
"All right" Jack said. "Tomorrow's meeting is canceled. We'll talk to you again when we've made some more inquiries, maybe tomorrow night. Stay in Washington; one of us will call you." He nodded at two of the blue-suited goons. "Philip and Steve will take you back to your hotel."
They locked up the conference room. Jack and Samantha drove off in the Honda with two of the goons. The one called "Steve" unlocked the doors of the older vehicle. "It's a nice drive back," he said, almost placatingly. He was the one who had taken Layton's Beretta. They most make sure to retrieve it, Oscar thought
Layton glanced around the empty courtyard. "Just a moment," he said, stepping closer to the man. He moved suddenly, striking Steve down with a swift blow aimed at the throat. The other one, Philip, moved, but not fast enough. Layton pivoted on his heel, and kneed him sav-agely under his ribs, then smashed down with both hands on the back of his neck. Philip went down like a sack of potatoes.
Oscar checked that they weren't being watched. There was no movement from the checkpoint.
Layton turned back to Steve, who lay against the car's side, choking. "Don't worry, don't try to fight me. Everything will soon make sense."
PART FOUR
SKYNET'S
WORLD
CHAPTER
NINE
COLORADO JULY 2029
Juanita Salceda was still a beautiful woman: tall and athletic, with dark hair, white teeth, and strong features. John had known her so long now. He remembered her as a child, as a skinny teenager, as a fierce warrior in her twenties. Had he always loved her? It felt like it had been forever. They'd become so close, over the years, yet never in the way John would have wanted—if his world had allowed time for love and softness.
He watched her fondly as she spoke about the war, the campaign, leaning over a table of trestles and boards in John's tent, tracing routes with her finger, jabbing at strategic points near Skynet's mountain.
"Juanita," he said.
His tone stopped her. "John? What's wrong?"
Facing her, he put both hands out to take hers. "Please. Tomorrow." He faltered. "Please be very careful. Too many people have died..."
So many of the people they loved most had fallen to the machines. Worst had been the day in 2012 when John and Juanita had fought side by side in the shattered streets of Buenos Aires, the day that Sarah had died, and with her Paco Salceda, the youngest of Enrique's kids. In that same battle, the T-800 Terminator that had protected John so well since 1994 had been destroyed by laser cannon from one of Skynet's Centurion gun-pods. And so many others. . .all the Resistance families had lost loved ones: husbands, wives, lovers; sons, daughters; brothers and sisters. After Sarah, other leaders had died: Fernando Alvez, GuillermoTejada, Howard B
ellow.
John's close friend, Juanita's older brother Franco, had died in Los Angeles, just two years before. It was a terrible roll call of death. It had been almost too much.
Juanita stepped into his arms. She held him tightly, just for a moment, then stepped away. "I know," she said. "I'll be careful. You, too."
Tomorrow they would break through Skynet's defense grid, then penetrate its mountain fortress. He had to send his father back in time. A terrible anticipation rolled in his stomach, tearing him. He wondered if they'd truly end it tomorrow. What other tricks might Skynet have in store?
"Get some sleep, John," Juanita said finally. "There's a long day ahead of us."
"Juanita..."
"Yes...?"
He couldn't say it—not in so many words. "Just take care.
After she'd left, he made some notes in the faded yellow exercise book that he'd kept for over two decades, the same one he'd used to interrogate the T-800, back in 2006. It had many of his private thoughts, expressed in a cryptic shorthand. He knew some passages by heart.
Tonight, he did no more than underline some sentences, then consult a checklist toward the end.
Not everything had turned out as he'd planned that day in Argentina. They'd met the first hordes of killer machines with tactical nuclear weapons, but their enemy had come in greater numbers than John had thought, wave after wave of them. Still, John and his soldiers had fought back: they'd attacked factories and supply lines; freed the prisoners in the camps; recruited soldiers and given them hope. His militia had fought its way northwards to join other Resistance forces here in the U.S. Now a combined army was marching on Skynet. They'd converged from south, east, and west, ready for a grand assault.
He ticked several items, then stopped at the last, the issue of programming a Terminator. Partly, that had been a disappointment. He'd never been able to assemble the computer lab that he'd wanted, never obtained much intelligence that way. . .but still he'd learned. Howard had known a good deal about the Skynet system. John had achieved some successes with damaged CPUs from Terminators and endoskeletons, reading off data, making changes. He knew as much as he ever would.
T2 - 02 - The New John Connor Chronicles - An Evil Hour Page 15