l. Rainbow Over Sunnydale Chapter
By Joseph
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; this fic starts
right after 'Never Leave Me'.
Authors Note 2: If you see * then the speaker is speaking a foreign language. If you see {*} then it is the persons thoughts.
Notes to reviewers:
Ack: Glad to hear it. I was a little worried when I wrote Clark's soul searching, I was afraid people would say, "Clark wouldn't let a little thing like magic works shake him up."
David Morris: Thanks for the review. I'm glad you're liking the story so far. Worked on paper for seven hours today.
Taking break to release some tension.
Rickshaw: It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling when someone has a problem with my fic but gives it a fair shot, then
gives me some details about were they think I am going wrong, then leaves a method for me to
contact them so I can discuss what the problem they are having, or at least explain why I did
something the way I did.
JA Baker: I think you may be right, they are two guys with a lot of shared experiences. They will either bond or
strangle each other.
Dorothy: Glad to have made your day. Understand about bosses. The Peter Principle is alive and well.
John: Glad that you also are enjoying the story. I try to back story Clancy characters as I have gotten a lot of
emails like yours.
LMiC2001: I'll do my best to get chapters out.
jiliaeth: They will be trying to rescue Spike soon. Xander beating on Riley seems to have been reviewed as a
good thing, glad you liked how I did it.
Thanks to
all that reviewed. Constructive criticisms always welcomed. Flames cheerfully
ignored.
The Magic Box
512 Market St.
Sunnydale CA
26Oct2002
Ding pulled up outside the Magic Box and saw Anya, Dawn, and two kids he didn't know sitting on the curb. Dawn was talking to the other two kids while Anya was sitting glumly with her head in her hands.
"At a guess she got shot down by the insurance guy," Willow commented from the front seat.
"Who are those two with Dawn?" Ding asked.
"That's Kit and Carlos, they're friends of Dawn, sort of junior Scoobies," Willow explained.
Dawn waved as Ding pulled up. Anya got dejectedly to her feet. Kit and Carlos looked at Ding dubiously. Carlos turned to Dawn and asked, "I guess this isn't one of the clean-cut soldier types you asked us to look out for, huh?"
Ding looked at Dawn and shook his head, "Get in kids we need to talk."
Dawn looked a little uncomfortable as she climbed in with Kit and Carlos.
"What are we going to do with Andrew?" She asked.
"We're waiting for Pat right now, he's on his way," Ding explained. "Where is Andrew?" He asked.
"He's still inside," Anya explained, "I didn't think it was a good idea to go into there with out anyone else."
"This D'Hoffyrn has you seriously spooked," Ding commented.
"He wants me dead," Anya said practically, "He usually gets what he wants."
Ding nodded as Pat O'Day pulled up behind them.
Pat got out of his car and walked up to the group.
"Is Andrew still in where we left him?" He asked.
Anya nodded as she climbed into Ding's Suburban.
Pat went into the store and was just opening up the grate where Andrew was stashed when he heard a thump behind him. He turned and jumped back in shock at the huge figure behind him; it was at least nine feet tall and resembled nothing as much as a bipedal rhino.
"Anyanka," it intoned in a thunderous, gravelly voice, "D'Hoffyrn has sent me for you. Your time has come!"
"Shit!" Pat exclaimed jumping back and pulling out his gun. He tracked it over the huge…whatever it was trying to figure out where he could shoot it that it would at least notice.
The rhino squinted at him past the huge horn at the tip of it nose and said in a more normal baritone, "Oh, I beg your pardon, I was expecting someone else." He took a deep sniff and continued, "I smell that Ms. Rosenberg is outside so I think I will just take my leave. Nice meeting you," he finished and vanished.
Pat grabbed Andrew and dragged him outside still covering the back of the store with his pistol.
Ding was talking to the kids in the backseat when he saw Pat, dragging Andrew out of The Magic Box with his gun out. He jumped out of the SUV and got his own pistol out. Willow seeing Pat also got of vehicle.
"There was a…a…a… something in there looking for someone called Anyanka," he got out.
"What did it look like?" Anya asked casually, leaning out of the window.
Pat looked at her, "It was big and kind of like a two legged rhino."
"Crudge," Anya said.
"You know him?" Ding asked.
"Yeah, he's fun to party with, lots of great stories, he has this one were he was in ancient Mesopotamia and these priests thought they were summoning a fertility sprite and …,"
"Anya!" Willow said, nodding at the kids in the back seat with her.
Carlos looked disappointed that the story was interrupted.
"Is he still in there Inspector O'Day?" Willow asked.
"I don't think so. He smelled you and took off, well he vanished anyway," Pat finished.
"Okay Anya," Ding said, "You obviously know this D'Hoffyrn pretty well. Will this Crudge follow you back to the Summers house?"
"I doubt it, unless D'Hoffyrn is paying him a lot, He wouldn't want to tick off The Slayer by breaking up her house."
"That?" Pointing into the store, "Is scared of the little blond?" Pat asked incredulously.
Anya nodded, "Between Crudge and Buffy, bet on Buffy," she told him.
Pat just shook his head, finding it difficult to believe, "Are you sure he wouldn't pay him enough to do that?"
"Naw, among other things D'Hoffyrn is cheap," Anya supplied, "I don't think he wants me bad enough to pay for gold service."
Pat shook his head again, "Okay, now I believe," he said staring into the store.
"You didn't before?" Willow asked surprised since he had agreed to her being his back up.
Pat shook his head again, "Clark told me what was going on, but I just couldn't believe it. I said that I would want to see something supernatural before I gave in."
"You want to watch saying stuff like that around here," Willow told the FBI agent, "There are things out there that just wait for statements like that"
"I take it I should avoid the wish word around here too," Pat joked.
Dawn leaned out over Anya and out of the SUV's window and said emphatically, "Never use the 'W' word, ever."
Pat was leaning down to pick up Andrew and start him back toward his vehicle turned and looked at Dawn over his shoulder, "Personal experience?"
"Yes," Dawn replied. "I made a wish once and we all ended up trapped in our house for two days." She then leaned back into the SUV where Anya glared at her. Once Dawn had settled back Anya leaned back and closed her eyes.
Pat said his good byes to every one and loaded Andrew into the Explorer. Ding and Willow climbed back into his Suburban and headed pulled out.
"I need to pick some stuff up from the house," She told Ding, who obediently headed for Revello Drive.
Once they got to Buffy's house everyone headed inside. Willow went upstairs to get the stuff for the revocation ritual so Ding turned to the kids one last time. "I'm serious about this kids, the people who are coming are serious people. If they think you are a threat to them or their mission they will kill you or anyone else they feel they need to, so you will not only be putting yourselves in danger but you could be putting your family and friends there too. If you see someone suspicious I don't want you to try to follow them, or listen in on conversations, or even looking at them twice. If you do happen to spot someone then I want you to call Buffy, if you can't get a hold of her then you call Dawn. Dawn if they call you and you can't get a hold of Buffy then you call me. Under no circumstances are you to attempt anything on your own, this isn't a Disney Movie, they won't tie you up in some basement so you can be rescued, they WILL put a bullet into your skull and bury you in a shallow grave. Am I understood?" Ding finally asked.
All three kids nodded quickly.
"I didn't hear you!" Ding said sharply.
"We understand," they said in three-part harmony.
"Good," Ding said seriously.
Willow came down the steps then carrying a small plastic toolbox and a larger cardboard box. "Ready," she said. "Dawn, everyone, behave and listen to Anya," Willow said as she head out the door followed by Ding.
Once they were heading for the airport Willow asked Ding, "Do you really think they will listen to you?"
"Nah, they're teenagers. So I'm going to have a couple of the guys coming in with Allister wander around town a little and hopefully put the fear of God into them."
On the way out to the airport Ding and Willow exchanged information. Ding asked about magic, what it could do, how hard it was to use, and how many magic users she knew. Willow answered as truthfully as she could. She emphasized that magic always came at a cost. She skipped bringing Buffy back, but she told him about Jonathan Levenson and the demon that came along with the spell that elevated him. Ding nodded as he remembered the couple of weeks that Jonathan Levenson was every ones hero. "But that changed the whole world!" Ding exclaimed. "How powerful was the Levenson guy."
"For certain spells power level of the caster doesn't really matter. The power for that spell came from the demon that came along with it." Willow explained. "I never went up against Jonathan one on one, you probably want to talk to Andrew about what Jonathan was capable of, he would probably be able to give you a clearer idea."
Willow questioned Ding mostly about President Ryan; she wanted to get a feel for him. She was impressed by how much Ding respected him. Ding didn't give up any secrets but he told her that Dr. Ryan had saved his life and the lives of the men with him in Colombia. He also let her know a little about Jack's family and his relationship with them.
By the time they got to the airport, got through security and found the hanger that had been rented for their stay in Sunnydale, a plane was approaching the hanger. It looked like a commercial airliner, smaller than a 727, but larger than the Lear's that dotted the apron.
"I kinda thought you would use a military jet," she commented to Ding.
"We normally fly commercial going on a mission, British Air, or some other commercial air carrier. Our basic kit doesn't include anything that needs special transporting capability so we can sneak in and be set up before the bad guys know we are around," Ding explained. "In this case it was especially important to come in quietly because we think that the Sunnydale base is on the other side. This way they won't know another military unit is on scene."
Willow nodded understanding.
Ding opened the door to the hanger when the jet's engines shut off. By the time Ding and Willow came in two men dressed in slacks and sport coats where climbing down the steps that had been rolled up to the jets door. The lead person was the older of the two. Both were taller than Willow, something she had long ago become use too. The older of the two had black hair and brown eyes, the younger man's were both brown. The older man was in good shape, much like General Clark, the other one reminded her of Ding.
"Hi Colonel, Pete,' Ding said to the two men. "This is Willow Rosenberg; she's one of the locals that will be helping us. Willow this is Colonel Allister Stanley, the 2IC of Rainbow, and Major Peter Covington, the Team One Commander."
"Pleasure to meet you ma'am," Colonel Stanley said.
"Ma'am," Covington said.
Willow smiled, more English, at least Giles wouldn't get home sick.
Other men started coming down the stairs of the plane, all where supremely fit. They reminded Willow of the Initiative troopers, she hoped they listened better.
"What's the plan Ding," Stanley asked, "John told me you would fill me in."
"Pete and a couple of his men should pick up some vehicles from Avis and meet up with John at the local FBI office. One of our contacts is supposed to do a recon of a situation. If that pans out then we will have a mission tonight. Ms. Rosenberg, you and I will be seeing about arranging some local lodging for the group."
Colonel Stanley nodded and turns to Pete, "Major take a couple of men and see what you can rent. Try to get stuff with four wheel drive, pick up one regular car though in case we have to do some unobtrusive recon."
"Very well Colonel," Covington replied, "Sgt Maj Benton, select a couple of Americans, or men with an international drivers licenses and fall in over by the door."
Willow watched as the tall soldier called out a couple of soldier's names and motioned them over to the door. The man didn't quite fit Willow's stereotype of what a British sergeant major should look like. He had a pleasant face, and looked easy going, never raising his voice, just calling out names and pointing at the door. She noticed that he got instant obedience though.
"Okay let's get going," Colonel Allister Stanley said.
In Air Force One
On the tarmac of Andrews AFB
Washington DC
26Oct2002
1707hrs
Bob Holtzman had barely made the flight. He had boarded just ahead of the security shutdown as President Ryan and his party came in on Marine One, the modified HS-53 that they used to move him around in. The press area of AF One was only half full; apparently most of the Washington Press Corp had been caught flatfooted. Bob Holtzman was going over some of the facts he had downloaded about Sunnydale again when a familiar voice said, "Arnie looked pissed."
Holtzman looked up, standing there was John Plumber. John had been the evening anchor on one of the major networks when Ryan had been so explosively elevated to the office of The Presidency. He and his partner had managed to get a two on one interview with Ryan. The interview had gone off without a hitch. Tom Donner, his partner had then come into some information on Ryan. Donner had decided to lie and say that the original tape had been damaged and they needed to do the interview again. On live TV the two of them had grilled the president on several stories, including the defection of a Russian sub and the Head of the KGB, plus the invasion of Columbia by a group of US soldiers. Ryan had not denied any of the stories; he had refused to answer them on security grounds. The interview really made Ryan look bad, which had been the intent of Edward Kealty, the former VP who's job Ryan had taken when Kealty had been forced to resign after a rape allegation.
After young Katie Ryan's day-care center had been attacked in an attempt to kidnap her Holtzman had managed to convince Plumber that Ryan was a decent man who Plumber and
Donner had wronged, and worse they had allowed themselves to be manipulated into being a weapon against Ryan. Plumber had agreed to do a joint story with Holtzman and Plumber had gone on national TV and exposed what they had done. Soon after, the effects of the first biological attack on the US began manifesting itself with cases of Ebola popping up all over the country. Plumber had gone from someone who had stabbed his friends and colleges in the back, to the most trusted anchor on a major newscast. The honeymoon had not lasted of course and Plumber had not been overly surprised when five months later it had been announced that his contract would not be renewed. He had been clued in the week before and had seriously had been contemplating retirement. It was rumored in the industry that the press conference that announced the network's intent to release him had not even finished when Plumber's phone had rung with a call from the President of the 'Fair and Balanced' network with a job offer. While it hadn't actually been that quick, the call had come in before the close of business that day. Plumber's first instinct was to turn them down, but the man on the phone had been very persuasive. He wasn't offering Plumber an anchor job; rather he wanted to use Plumber's rep as the most honest reporter in America to his network's advantage. For the show he wanted Plumber to search out stories and report on them, the only catch was Plumber had to be sure of his facts before the show saw air. Plumber had told him that he wasn't interested in doing a show that sugarcoated what the right did while hammering the left, he had learned his lesson. The president of FOX had replied that neither was he. He told Plumber that his value was that people believed him to be above the petty partisanship that was so much a part of the news today. Instead what he wanted was for Plumber to choose his own stories, research them carefully so what made air was the truth of the situation rather than the opinion of those involved.
Plumber had been intrigued by the notion and when his contract ran out had signed with FOX. He wasn't required to have stories out in any certain time frame so he could take his time with them. He had so far done six; they had all been well received with one in the running for an Emmy.
"I would bet he was," Holtzman replied. "My sources said that Ryan originally wanted to go after Kincaid but Arnie talked him out of it. Looks like he went around his back."
Plumber leaned over his seat and said quietly, "One of my stringers saw you hanging around the White House yesterday snapping pictures, get anything interesting?
Holtzman cursed silently to himself, "Just some background on a story I'm thinking of doing."
Plumber nodded knowingly, "I got some information on your buddy the player if you're interested," he told the other reporter.
"Which one?" Holtzman replied.
"The Koga one," Plumber said. "Wanna trade?"
Bob Holtzman sighed, "You first."
Plumber nodded, "You know what he has been up to the last two years right?"
Holtzman nodded.
"He was in town for the last week or so, they were having a conference on whether to expand his group or not. His group got put on alert after that London Club got bombed and the word over there was that he was heading home. But something else came up and he and one team headed somewhere else." Plumber looked at Holtzman expectantly.
"How good is your source?" Holtzman asked.
"Senior law enforcement," Plumber replied. "I've gotten some good stuff from him before."
"I got a call from a source I have in the White House, one of the senior cabinet called an emergency meeting. I think I got a picture of the briefers as they were being escorted in. If they were the briefers with Joe Spano bringing them in, that probably means that Tony Brentano called the meeting," Holtzman explained.
"Who were the briefiers?" Plumber asked.
"Never saw them before," was the reply.
Plumber smiled, "I got the call from my source because he was irate with some of things the US Government had done. Originally the Brits managed to hold onto some of your buddy's men, I'm not sure how big these teams are, or how many of them they have, but someone high in our government prevailed on the British Government to send the rest along. Then to make matters worse The Brits manage to identify a survivor from the club who had skipped out a couple of hours after the explosion and managed to get to the US, where he promptly disappeared. They asked if we could keep an eye out for him and apparently got assurances from the highest levels that we would. About a half-hour before he called me, he had been told that we knew where this guy is but are refusing to give him up, instead we want the Brits to send someone here to talk to the guy."
"Do you have a name for this guy?" Holtzman asked.
Plumber just smiled, the ball is back in your court.
Holtzman composed his thoughts for a second then said, "The briefers were a man and woman. I found the guy in a West Point Year Book, his name is Riley Finn, he graduated with honors from a couple of the Army's toughest schools then drop out of sight."
"Any idea which black-ops group he got sucked up by?" Plumber asked.
Holtzman shook his head and went on, "The woman was his wife Samantha, and you might remember her as Samantha Weber."
Plumber thought for a second, but shook his head; the name meant nothing to him.
"She was the only survivor of a village in Mexico that was attacked by bandits when she was in the Peace Corps." Plumber then nodded that he remembered the story. "They supposedly met when he escorted her home." Holtzman then looked expectantly at the other journalist.
Plumber nodded and pulled out his notebook, "His name is Rupert Giles, his family was in this club for generations. He was formally an assistant curator of the British Museum specializing in myths and legends. He speaks numerous languages and is considered a world-class expert in his area of expertise. His early life seems pretty ordinary until about eight years ago when he suddenly quit his job and moved to Sunnydale CA, where he became their high school librarian."
Holtzman looked up and said, "Wait, this guy was an assistant curator of one of the most prestigious museums in the world and he quit that to move half way around the world to become a high school librarian?" The name of the high school suddenly sunk in, "Did you say Sunnydale?"
"Yeah, it's a town on the edge of Edwards Air Force Base north of San Bernardino. I had to look it up, it's odd because I must have driven past it a couple of dozen times." Then seeing the look in Holtzman eyes he asked, "What about it?"
Bob sighed. He had his laptop case on the seat next to him as a sign he wanted a little space. He picked it up and slid it under the seat and motioned Plumber to have a seat, they had another collaboration to negotiate out.