Rainbow Over Sunnydale Chapter 16
by Joe Black
Disclaimer: Red Storm and Tom Clancy own Rainbow and Characters. Joss Whedon owns Buffy and Characters. Anyone else belongs to me. I make no profit of the following except to have a little fun.
Spoilers: Buffy to present. Rainbow to Bear and the Dragon.
Authors note 1: I am adjusting the Buffy time line slightly; moving things back about a month. This fic starts right after 'Never Leave Me'.
Authors note 2: I can't seem to get Fanfic to accept any special formatting so anytime that you see '*' it means that the speaker is speaking a foreign language. If you see '[*]' it is the persons thought.
Authors note 3: Does anyone know what is going on with FanFic? It's getting annoying trying to get on after 6.
Authors note 4: I have gone back and updated Chapters 2, 3, and 15. If you are reading this after 6/3/2003, never mind.
Notes to Reviewers:
UNTALENTEDTKK: Thanks!
Pcody: Stretching might be too kind of a word. Unlike some of the action adventure series like 'JAG, or Magnum PI,' Clancy has never given the hint of the supernatural in his stuff. So I have to take a best guess as to how the characters would respond. I hope I haven't mangled them too much.
LMiC2001: I'm glad that I provided you with a treat. I always thought Joss missed out on some laughs by not dealing with what it would be like living with someone with superhuman strengths.
Dorothy: Hi Dorothy's Mom. (Hopefully.) I'm think that you may be right about Giles. I'm also glad that the back porch scene was so well received. I worked on that one for awhile.
X-lander: Thanks for the review. Here you go!
Marcus: Them and some other people.
Ack: Glad I could help you relax. As far as Willow learning of the conversation, now there is an interesting thought. And I know just the entity that would love to tell her.
Direwolf757: I went back and fixed it. Thanks for the heads up.
Thanks to all that reviewed. Constructive criticisms always welcomed. Flames cheerfully ignored.
Route 46
Outside of Sunnydale CA
26Oct2002
0900 hours.
Buffy disconnected from her cell phone and turned to the other two men in the car. Ding had allowed her to ride in the shotgun seat, so she needed to do that so she could see both of them.
"That was Anya. The Scoobies think that what's out there is called a Shadow Hound. The good news is that they are vulnerable to normal weapons. There is further good news that they are not really invisible, they are chameleons. The bad news is that they were summoned by someone, and depending on that persons power level we may be dealing with a large pack of them." Buffy explained.
"Are there any powerful magic users out this way?" Ding asked.
"None that I know of," Buffy replied.
"Andre' de Vries place is supposed to be out this way somewhere," Broadman supplied.
"Andre' de Vries?" Buffy asked.
"Head of the school board?" Broadman said. "He's usually considered top of the dark magic food chain around here since Mayor Wilkens went off to his just rewards. Though according to Stew, there was a black witch that was around for a couple of days last May that would have knocked him right off that pedestal."
"Damn," Ding said with feeling. "If he is the one who summoned these things then you only have that single shot crossbow." Turning to the Ranger he asked, "Ranger Broadman, would you loan Buffy your pistol?"
"Sure," The ranger said, "not a problem."
"Thanks for the offer ranger, but I don't do well with guns. Do you have something hand-to-hand in the truck though? I should have brought my sword, or an axe," Buffy said.
"I thought you were good with all weapons?" Ding asked her.
"I don't just pick it up and know how to use it Ding," Buffy explained. "I have to practice with it. I pick up how to use it quick though."
"Never had anyone to teach you how to use a gun then?" Ding probed.
"Never had the inclination," Buffy responded. "Most of the things that I fight are either not impressed by bullets, or bullets just bounce off of them. There are other weapons that have a much better success rate that I spend my limited time practicing with."
"General Billingsly and about twenty commando's are heading this way. You might think about making some time. Even if you don't end up adding firearms to your basic kit, it will help you work out tactics to use against someone with one." Ding replied.
"I'll consider it," Buffy said noncommittally.
"I have a machete in the back of the truck, I think I have some entrenching tools too." The ranger told Buffy.
"The machete will do fine," Buffy told the ranger.
"The parking lot for the campground is up around the next bend, I want to check something out before we head up," Broadman explained as he pulled his Jeep onto a pole road. Just in from the road there was a dirty pickup truck parked. Some camo netting was thrown over it, but not doing much to hide it. Broadman got out of the truck and lifted the netting. He read the license number and grunted. He walked back to the pick up and leaned against it.
Buffy leaned out of an open window and asked, "Friends of yours?"
"Not hardly. They were poachers by the name of Lloyd Crispen and his Brother-in-Law Don Shewer. I have been after them for two years now, but they were very careful, Looks like I don't get to arrest them after all.
"It was probably Lloyd who saved the family. Don would have run through the center of their camp and yelled 'bon appitite' over his shoulder at whatever was chasing him."
Buffy shook her head; she had met several of that type over the years. Most of them were supposedly human too.
Broadman took out his cell phone and dialed a number, "Dr. Sanchez? We are almost at the bottom of the trail and should be starting up soon. I want you to turn off your phone again and wait forty-five minutes then turn it back on and wait. I'll call you when we get into position," He listened to the phone for a moment and then said, "It won't be long now Doctor. we're almost there."
He hung up the phone and climbed back into the jeep. Pulling back onto the highway, the parking area that they were going to start from was only about three minutes down the road. There was a maroon pathfinder parked in it.
The three rescuers disembarked from the Ranger's jeep. He went to the back and opened up the tailgate and handed Ding his rifle. Buffy took out the crossbow and a quiver of quarrels that had a shoulder strap attached. She put the strap over her head and seated the quiver next to her left hip. She turned to the ranger who was taking his rifle out of its holder and said, "You mentioned a machete?"
"Right here," He said taking out the long, thick knife and handing it and it's scabbard and belt to Buffy.
"Thanks," Buffy said as she strapped it on.
"You mentioned entrenching tools," Ding asked the ranger.
"You want folding or straight?" The Native American responded.
"Straight," was the answer.
Buffy looked on with interest, she had no clue what an entrenching tool was, and was vaguely disappointed when it turned out to be a small shovel. Taking a step back though and looking at it from a Slayer point of view she could see that the shovel would make an effective weapon. Plus you could dig holes with it!
"Alright," Ding started, "I'll take point, Buffy you in the center, and ranger Broadman if you don't mind please bring up the rear."
Broadman nodded, but Buffy said indignantly, "Why do you go first? And why do I get stuck in the middle? You aren't trying to protect me because I'm a girl are you?" Her inflection indicating that that would be a very bad idea if that was the reason.
"I want you in the center for two reason Buffy. One, you have a single shot weapon. If multiple opponents jump you then you would have a limited ability to engage them at range. And two, I have more experience at walking point, so I am the logical one to do it." Ding explained calmly.
"How much experience do you have dealing with invisible or near invisible opponents? Have you ever been invisible?" Buffy countered. "Plus my senses are better than yours."
"How much better can they be Buffy?" Ding demanded.
"Behind me there is a tree, about twenty feet off of the ground and ten feet off of the trunk there is a squirrel eating a pine nut," Buffy said deadpan.
Ding looked where Buffy had indicated and initially didn't see anything. Then the squirrel twitched and Ding saw it. He took Buffy's word for what it was eating.
Ding sighed, "Okay, new marching order, Buffy goes first, I'm in the middle."
Buffy smiled at him sweetly and headed off into the woods.
Ding watched her go with a bemused look on her face. Broadman also watching said something in language that he didn't understand, "What did you say?" Ding asked the Indian.
"Something in Arapaho," He responded. "Roughly translated it says, 'And lo though she walks through the valley of death, she will fear no evil. Because she is the baddest mother in the valley."
"Are you two coming?" Buffy called impatiently from the woods.
1630 Revello Drive
Sunnydale, CA
26Oct2002
0930 hours
John Clark rinsed his mug out and placed it on the counter. He headed into the living room and saw that a commercial was on TV. "Andrew can I have the remote?" He asked.
Andrew handed it up to him, the expression on his face said, 'Like I could stop you from taking it even if I wasn't tied up?'
Clark turned on Headline News hoping to get some more information on the London bombing. They were just starting the story. "The British authorities are stating that the death toll from yesterdays bombing stands at forty-five, this number is expected to go much higher as it is reported that over one hundred people are still missing."
The anchor in New York asked the reporter on the scene, "Has anyone claimed responsibility yet?"
"No Joy, but I am told that in these cases many times they don't," The reporter said.
"Do we know anything about this club that seems to be the target? Or at least some reason it was the target?" Joy asked.
"The club has been around apparently since the 1700's, but I haven't been able to find anyone who knew anything about what went on there. So far the authorities don't seem to be able to come up with a motive either."
Clarks cell phone rang; he glanced at the screen and saw that it was the NRO calling. He tossed the remote back into Andrew's lap and headed for the front door. "Clark," He said as he answered the call.
"Please authenticate Papa, Papa, Richard," The voice on the line said.
"Richard, Papa, Echo," Clark responded.
"Thank you General. I'm Ross Martin, the dayshift supervisor at the NRO," The voice introduced himself.
"What can I do for you Mr. Martin?" Clark asked.
"I'm calling to let you know that we finished the run that you requested. I don't think that I have every seen that intricate of an underground system ever. I noticed that several of the cave systems exited the area that we mapped. I was wondering do you want us to track them to there conclusion, or are do you just want the main city area?" Martin asked.
"Since the satellite is already in the proper orbit if you could give me a complete map that would be best," Clark said.
"Yes sir, I'll send the new stuff over to the FBI as soon as we have it processed." Martin said.
"Thank you," Clark told the man at the NRO.
"Anytime General, Have a good day," He said.
"You too," Clark said as he disconnected.
Clark had just started back into the house when the phone rang again. Looking at the screen again he saw that it was The White House. "Yes sir," He said as he answered the phone.
"John it's Jack I have some news about London," Jack began.
"I have some news too Jack," John told him.
"Can it wait?" Jack asked.
"Sure," Clark responded.
"Okay, The building bombed in London was the HQ of the Watchers Council, according to Basil, British Intelligence says that they have been in some kind of fight with an unknown group for a couple of months at least," Jack began.
"Looks like they lost then," John replied.
"Yeah," Jack agreed, "Is Ms. Summers around? I'd like to break the news to her myself."
"No, She's out on a rescue mission with Ding and a forest ranger. Something has a family treed in a park." Clark told POTUS.
"She seems to have as full a schedule as I do," Jack commented.
"She does seem to keep her self busy," John said.
"Okay then, let her know that Rupert Giles seems to have survived the bombing. Someone was using his name on a flight out of Heathrow about three hours after the bombing traveling with three young women. The Brits are little suspicious of his surviving and would like to talk with him. They lost track of him at Kennedy though. So if he shows up there let me know okay?" The President said.
"Sure, the locals might not be too happy with it though," Clark warned.
"We'll have to take that chance. It would be a lot more dangerous if it turned out he had been doubled and we let him run loose." Ryan told him.
"Agreed," Clark said.
"What did you want to talk about?" Ryan asked.
Clark began, "I learned some stuff about Willow Rosenberg last night that I did not include in my briefing with Dan. I felt that this should be for your ears only." Clark then went on to lay out what he had learned about Willow trying to end the world, Riley's opinion of it, and his own conversations with Willow this morning.
"Damn," Ryan said. "What is your estimation of her threat level?"
"I think that she is very remorseful for what she has done. She seems to be handling the magic in her well. At least she doesn't seem to be using it at all. I haven't seen her cast a single spell. I think that as long as she can keep control of her emotions she should be alright."
"Do we have any options if she looses it?" Ryan asked.
"Riley believes that if that is case, Buffy will do her duty and end the threat." Clark said quietly. "Riley's only other option is to murder Ms. Rosenberg in her sleep."
"I don't think that's an option," Ryan said with finality.
Clark closed his eyes and said a silent prayer of thanks.
"Could you give me the names of Giles travelling companions in case anyone here knows them?"
Clark requested.
"Sure, they're Annabelle green, Molly Lincoln, Kennedy Loxley."
"Thanks, Jack, I'll see what I can find out." Clark told him.
"Okay then, keep an eye on things, and let me know if the situation changes," Ryan directed. "Now how 'bout telling me what went on in that graveyard last night."
As John was finishing up the blow by blow for Jack, Dawn came down the block, returning from her run. As she ran up the front porch she heard Clark saying, "Okay Jack, I'll let you know if anything changes," and hanging up his phone.
Dawn stopped with the door halfway open, "That was the President?" She asked excited.
Clark nodded, "He had some stuff he needed to pass on."
"So he just called you?" Dawn asked shocked.
"Jack Ryan is the President of the United States, I would hope that he can dial a phone," Clark teased her, as he went through the door she was holding open. Shaking herself she followed him in.
"Willow!" Clark called as he came in.
"Here," Came the response from the kitchen quickly followed by the redheaded witch.
"Andrew put Headline News back on," it was not a request.
To Willow he said, "I just got off the phone with the President. He told me that," nodding at the scene on the TV of the devastation in London, "was the Watchers HQ," He told her Grimly.
"Oh Goddess!" Willow gasped, along with everyone else in the room. "Giles!" She said a moment later.
Clark quickly reassured her, "We think that Giles is okay. Someone using his name left Heathrow a couple of hours after the bombing with three young ladies. Who ever it was pulled a disappearing stunt at Kennedy in New York, so we don't know if it's him or where he is going."
Willow took her hands down from her mouth. Was it Clark's imagination or did her eyes become a lighter green? "He's heading here. We have to call Buffy and let her know what happened." She continued heading for the phone.
"I wouldn't," Clark stated.
Willow turned, "Why? She needs to know."
Clark moved closer to her, "I agree that she needs to know, but being that there is nothing that she can do about it now it would only serve as a distraction to what she is doing. Dealing with things that are for all practical purposes invisible I'm thinking that the last thing she needs to be is distracted."
Willow nodded, clearly not happy, but agreeing with what Clark said. "Well I can try to find Giles anyway," she said firmly, heading for her laptop.
"Do you have the names of the people with him?" Willow asked. Clark nodded and gave them too her.
Clark went back into the living room and recovered the remote from Andrew and began going over all the news stations seeing if anyone had anything new.
Willow after 5 minutes said, "Okay I found them. Now lets see if I can figure out where they went."
Clark handed the remote to Anya who smirked at their captive and started surfing. Clark went up behind Willow and looked on over her shoulder as she went through the various passenger lists for the airlines at Kennedy. She was staring at the three names intently and then smiled. She began typing furiously.
"What did you see?" Clark asked perplexed.
"Green, Lincoln, and Loxley," Willow smiled.
"I don't get it," Clark said.
"Well how about Lincoln, Green, Loxley," Willow replied.
Clark almost slapped his head, "Robin Hood! But that's not how his last name is spelled." He stated.
"But it sounds the same," Willow said.
Dawn came down stairs. She had changed into a T-shirt and jeans, and was combing her hair out after a shower. "What's up?"
"We're trying to find out where Giles is. He's travelling with a couple of girls and I think I figured out who they are travelling as." Willow told Dawn.
Two minutes later she said, "And wa la." Looking at the screen she frowned, "Well three of them anyway. Maybe they split up?"
Clark looked the list over and realized that he was looking at a boarding list for Delta at Newark International. "Did you hack in here?" He asked the redhead.
"If I say yes am I in trouble?" She returned, scanning the plane to see if she had missed the third girl.
Dawn came around the table and looked at the highlighted names, "Frances Tuck, Annabelle Dale, and Joan Little?"
"Giles seems to be using a Robin Hood motif for naming people," Willow told her.
"Here is the third girl," Clark said pointing at the screen.
"Marion de Havilland?" That's not how her name was spelled Willow protested.
"Yeah, but it sounds the same, well almost. Plus Olivia de Havilland played Maid Marian in Errol Flynn's version.
"Score one for the old guy," Dawn said enthusiastically. Then seeing the look that Clark gave her she appended quickly, "I meant old in a good way, like lots of experience an stuff. Willow, bail me out!"
Willow just shook her head and smiled, "You can get your own feet out of your mouth Dawnie," she told the teenager.
Clark smiled at her to show no hard feelings. Turning back to Willow he asked. Where are they bound, and when do they arrive. I'm afraid that there are some people who want to talk to Giles."
Dawn was shocked; "You can't arrest Giles! He couldn't have done what you think he did! Err what do you think he did?" She finished.
"Someone blew up the Watchers Council Dawn. Giles looks like the only one who made it out. That looks suspicious enough that the British Government wants to question him."
"Oh sure like coincidences like that never happen, Mr. I work for a guy who got his job when some Japanese guy crashed his plane into The Capitol." Willow said hotly. "I'm not going to help you if it means that Giles is going to end up in jail somewhere."
"I doubt that it will come to that. You may need to consider though that he has gone over to the other side." Clark said conciliatory.
"If Giles was going evil trust me when I tell you I would have felt it over the summer." Willow assured him.
"Willow, If its and conciliation I trust you. I doubt that the guy is evil either, just by the amount of loyalty you all show him. It doesn't change the fact that people want to talk to him. If something is chasing him, being around other people might be the safest place for him." Clark explained.
Willow just nodded and went back to her laptop. "They arrived at San Francisco International about a hour ago. I don't see any rentals under the names they used on the plane.
"Let me see," Clark said. Scanning the list it took him a minute to spot it, "There Regina Lione."
Willow looked up at him, "Okay now I don't get it."
"Regina Lione, is close enough to 'Regina Lion', or 'Queen Lion.' He explained.
"King Richard," Willow agreed.
"It's a cute dodge, but he over did it." Clark said as he straightened up. "He just got lucky that know one else tweaked onto the Robin Hood angle.
"Tell me Willow have you ever thought about a career in Intelligence?" He asked.
"What do you think I do now General Clark? Oh wait, a career implies that you are paid for what you do." Willow said, a slight smile on her face.
"If you ever have the urge to lose your amateur status, let me know. I have a couple of people who I know would just love to talk to you."
Willow nodded as she decided to check her e-mails. Going down the list she frowned and opened one. She scanned the contents then looked over toward Clark who was heading back to the living room and the news. "General Clark? You live in the DC area right?"
"I lived there, I'm stationed in England right now. Why?"
"Do you know who Bob Holtzman is? He sent me an e-mail." She responded.