Imhotep's Key Chapter 4

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 just after "Never Leave Me", moving things back about a month.

Authors note 2: I can't seem to get Fanfic to except my special formatting.  So anytime you see this '{*} anything inside is in a foreign language.  And if you see this [*] it's some ones thoughts.

Authors note 3:  This is a continuation of the story started in 'Rainbow Over Sunnydale'.  It would be helpful to read that fic first.

Authors note 4:  I want to apologize to my English readers.  In the last chapter I used Whales, instead of Wales.  I had the mistake pointed out to me and have fixed it.

Notes to Reviewers:

Catlimere:  Thanks; I've always felt that the Watchers Council needs to be an independent organization.  I think that the governments who know of its existence would also feel that way.  Of course I'm sure that the council knows where a lot of bodies are buried too.  Yeah that would be an interesting wrinkle indeed.  Hank presented a problem for me.  I never really liked the way they handled his disappearance in the show.  I don't know if Joss did it on purpose or if the actor wasn't available to do the multiple shows that would have been required if he had shown up at Joyce's funeral.  So I needed a reason, and Shelia provided it.   As far as girlfriends go, no one tops Xander in that department.

LMiC2001: I needed to pretty Hank up a little.  If you add in some of the things that happened in the Clancyverse like the Ebola attack with him abandoning them at Joyce's death he would really be a complete unredeemable slime.  So I gave him and excuse.

Ueshiba: Thanks for the review.  And peace to you too.

Dorothy:  I agree with what you wrote about father figures.  On the bathroom issue, it would have got down right ugly in that house considering the training that those girls were being given.

Harry:  I'm planning on sending updates into Wanderverse every five chapters.  Yeah I think Hank is going to get his worldview altered more than a little bit.  And at this time I am have no plans for having that certain Time Lord put in an appearance.

Ed: Thanks.

John: Thanks; I'll try my best to update as often as I can.

Warren:  Don't now if I could see Faith babysitting.  On the other hand she did a decent job of watching after Oz that time.  Sam will be showing up later in the week.

Fastpilot:  Thanks for the review. If I can keep you guessing on plot points then I am doing my Job.

Thanks to all that reviewed.  Constructive criticisms always welcomed.  Flames cheerfully ignored.

Buffy glanced around her side of the table and saw that only Clark and Riley seemed to know what The President was talking about.  "Who?"  She asked for the benefit of the Sunnydale crew.

"Elizabeth Elliot was President Fowlers National Security Advisor.  She was the liaison between The White House and the Initiative when it was first put together.  She had a bad breakdown the night they nuked Denver and she couldn't handle the situation.  She's was being treated at a federal institution in Southern New York till earlier tonight.  Someone broke her out and killed a couple of the staff doing it.  According to what I was given it looks at first blush that it was a Special Forces operation."  Ryan explained.

Clark thought about it, "It had to be Billingsly's people.  What would they want her for though?"

Ryan looked over at the Initiative representative here and asked, "Riley?"

Riley considered for a minute then said, "Dr. Walsh and Dr. Elliot were friends, Dr. Walsh mentioned her to me on several occasions.  Dr. Elliot had already had her breakdown by the time I was brought on board so I never met her.  I know that Dr. Walsh would send her recorded messages from time to time.  It was never about what we were actually doing, but I think they might have been using some form of personal code because some of the comments seemed to be too inane for Dr. Walsh to be making."

"So you think that Billingsly might be looking for something that Liz might have been told?" Ryan questioned.

"It's possible.  There is another thing though," Riley went on thoughtfully.

"After Dr. Walsh was killed they did an audit of her files and equipment.  They came up empty on a bunch of prototype equipment.  Dr. Walsh said she destroyed the stuff but there was no official record of it actually being destroyed, instead it was listed as disposed of," Riley postulated.

"What sort of prototypes?"  Andrea asked.

"I was UA when they did the audit.  Graham was there and he told me the story.  I think he mentioned that about ten of the blaster's where missing and a bunch of early control chips. Also some of the other equipment like our pheromone detectors and stuff like that."  Riley finished.

"Blasters?  Like Star Wars?" Ryan asked.

Riley shook his head, "They were basically tasers without needing the wires.  They were good for stunning things. That was about it."

Andrea scowled, "What kind of range are we talking about for these things?"

"About twenty-feet," Riley responded.  "In a fight between people with blasters and people with guns, bet on the guys with the guns.  I doubt that they will come after us with them."

"What about the control chips?"  Ryan asked.

Riley shook his head, "I'll contact Graham and find out about them.  If they were what we used on Spike then I can't see how they would be of use."

Giles frowned, "Could they have been the kind used on you?"

Riley nodded.

"Okay Major, see what you can find out," Ryan told him.

"Uh, I'm a captain Mr. President," Riley corrected him uncomfortably.

Ryan smiled, "Since Rainbow One and Two are run by Majors we thought that a promotion was in order for you so that you will be on an equal footing with them."

Riley smiled, "Thank you sir."

"Congratulations Riley," Clark said.

Riley just nodded.

Ryan smiled, and then got back to business, "Since I have some stuff I need to look at before I can get to sleep and Ms. Summers has to do her patrolling lets wrap this up.  I would in the future like to have a longer meeting but we'll have to see how things work out.  Before we call it a night though what about the local law enforcement community?  Will they be on our side, or Billingsly?"

Riley thought about it for a minute then said, "Probably neither on their own, they seem good at ignoring things."  Xander snorted his agreement.

"I wouldn't be too sure on that count Mr. President," Clark cautioned.

Turning to his old friend Ryan ordered, "Explain." 

"I talked to Pat last night while we were waiting for word on Andrew Wells.  He said that when Lt O'Connell of the Sunnydale PD showed up to question him he came loaded for bear and that he seemed to be aware that Willow might be a serious threat."

Buffy nodded also, "I hate to admit it but I think he may be right.  Ranger Broadman said that he found out who I was through the local police.  I think they might know a lot more about what happens around town than we ever gave them credit for."

Ryan nodded, "Okay, lets make contact with them and get them on our side."

Riley looked glum, "I shouldn't be the contact person then Sir.  Dr. Walsh used me for that and she and they did not have the best of relationships.  In fact if possible it might even be a good idea for them not to know that I am even back in town."

POTUS looked over at the newly minted Major and asked, "She did that good of a job alienating them?"

Riley nodded at his Commander-in-Chief, "When we first arrived they were still largely disorganized after the corruption investigations in the wake of the high school blowing up.  They didn't seem to be that useful.  Once they got their acts together Dr. Walsh feared that there was still a lot of corruption in their ranks so she wanted them to have nothing to do with us.  She threatened their federal funding if they interfered.  Things got really strained when Adam got loose and started his killing spree with a twelve-year old.  They rapidly figured out it was something to do with us.  I think if things went on much longer they would have gone public."

"What can you tell us about them?" Ryan asked.

"When Gideon Scott was elected Mayor in a special election he made a point to not interfere in any of the corruption investigations.  He let the state and federal investigators clean out the rotten apples.  He appointed Stewart Donaldson as Chief of Police.  Donaldson had been a detective second class before the blast and he came through the investigations with pretty much flying colors.  Anything he was guilty of was sins of omission rather commission.  Donaldson promoted anyone within the department that he felt was worth it then went looking for outside help. One of his first hires was Jonathan O'Connell.

"O'Connell has duel citizenships with the UK and the US.  He went to the NYC Police Academy where he graduated somewhere in the middle of the class.  He didn't work for NYPD though; instead he got picked up in New Orleans.  The one interesting thing is that he seems to only work the nightshift.  He rapidly rose through the ranks and made detective in New Orleans within five years.  He was the second in command of their nightshift when Chief Donaldson offered him the position to run the nightshift in Sunnydale.  I've had a couple of run ins with him, he likes to pretend that he is a dunce but don't let the act fool you.  He is a tough and able investigator."

Ryan digested what Riley had told him, and then turning to Clark he said, "Why don't you do the contact then, or if Pat is still in town let him introduce you.  These sound like they may be people we can work with.  If they aren't then we need to know."  Clark nodded that he understood.

"Can I ask a favor?"  Buffy questioned.

Ryan glanced over and said, "Sure."

"Could you hold off talking to them for a couple of days?  I'd like to talk to them first.  I think they owe me an explanation as to why they didn't make contact with me for the last seven years.  Well the last four anyway.  When they worked for The Mayor I doubt that I would have liked to talk to them."

Ryan nodded, "Fair enough.  John, hold off to Tuesday or Wednesday to talk to the SPD." Clark again nodded.

Ryan then stood indicating the meeting was over.  Everyone else stood and Buffy wasn't sure of the protocol at this point.  Ryan moved over by the door and seeing everyone standing on the other side of the table smiled and said, "It's going to be hard to shake you hand and say goodbye with you on the other side of that slab of wood."

Buffy smiled embarrassedly and followed Giles and Xander out from behind the table, faithfully being followed by Clark and Riley.  When Buffy got to Ryan he handed her a small card with a phone number on it.  "If at anytime you need to get a hold of me that number is to the duty desk at The White House.  Someone there will be able to get in contact with me day or night.  If you need anything don't hesitate to ask."   Buffy nodded in thanks and slipped the card into her bag.  While Clark was shaking his hands Ryan gave him the signal that he wanted him to call him tomorrow.  Clark indicated that he understood.

As he was being escorted to his rooms Ryan turned to Arnie and asked, "What do you think?"

Arnie considered for a second and then said, "I think she has potential.  The Xander kid is someone I would want in my corner, he didn't say a lot in there but he was sure paying attention. "

"What did you think of Rupert Giles?" Ryan asked

"Is it too late to give him to the Brits?"

Ryan smiled, "Yeah, I think so.  Plus I don't think the damage that it would do to our relationship with the Sunnydale crew would be worth it.  He's scared Arnie.  He was at best a mid-level supervisor; he suddenly had the whole thing thrust on him.  Believe me when I say it always looks easy from the outside.  You learn how hard it is when your there and it's suddenly your call.  He's so scared of doing the wrong thing that I'm afraid he might frighten himself into inaction."

"You didn't do to bad when it happened to you."  Arnie pointed out.

Ryan gave his friend and advisor a 'look', "Thanks."

Arnie smiled, "No Problem."

Ryan reached his door, turning around before he went in he said to his Chief-of-Staff, "If Giles moves thru an area that I am in and we can arrange a quiet meeting set it up.  Hopefully I can talk some sense into him."

Van Damm nodded.

"Okay Arnie, go hit the sack.  I won't be too far behind you.

"Good night Jack," Arnie said as he headed for his own room.

Orange County Correctional Institute for Women.
Los Angeles CA
28Oct2002
0134

Faith was screaming, she was sure of it. She couldn't hear it though with what sounded like a hundred jet engines roaring around her.  She had her eyes closed because with the abuse her hands were taking she was pretty sure that if she opened them she would be instantly blinded.  Her hands were around something that felt like a metal pipe that she was holding onto with a death grip.  Her body wasn't on the ground but was suspended by the force of the wind on it.  She tightened her grip on the metal pole, but it felt like her hands were being sandblasted.  As suddenly as she found herself in this situation the wind was gone and she found herself slammed to the ground.  She rolled onto her back and opened her eyes. 

Looking around the first thing she saw was a retreating wall of swirling debris.  Suspended inside of it she saw boards, trees, and occasionally she thought she saw an old tractor flying around in it.  Glancing behind her she saw that what she had been gripping was an old manual water pump like they had used in the Old West.    She could see where she had been holding on because she had left indentations in the metal. Seeing the indentations reminder her about her hands.  When she thought about them they started burning.  Glancing down she saw that they looked like they had been dragged across asphalt.  She was just starting to look around to figure out where she was when something slammed into the small of her back.

Faiths eyes snapped open and she looked right, then left.  She saw she was still in her prison cell.  Lifting her hands she saw that they were unmarked, but they still had the ghost of the burning pain from the dream.

"Shit Faith," Sheila, her cellmate and the occupant of the lower bunk who had provided the kick that had woken Faith up said, "Could you F'en keep it down?  I got to be up at Three-Thirty to help with breakfast."

A flashlight suddenly illuminated the cell, "You okay NLN?" a voice asked.

Faith rolled her eyes.  Brannigan insisted on calling everyone by their last names, since Faith refused to give hers she was listed as NLN or No Last Name.  "Yeah, just a dream."

Brannigan growled, "If this is going to happen often then I want you to get something from the Pharmacy to help you sleep.  If you don't, I will."

Faith nodded that she understood.

After Brannigan left Sheila whispered up, "I hate to agree with that prick Faith, but if you're going to be doing that much I'd F'en appreciate it if you would."

"I doubt it'll happen again," Faith assured the other prisoner.  Sheila just grunted as she rolled over to try to get back to sleep.  Faith leaned over the bunk and said, "If it does don't kick me."

Sheila rolled back so she could look at her cellmate, "Kick you? Faith I've watch you do reps with five hundred pounds on the bars.  You start doing push-ups when I leave for to help with breakfast and are still doing them four hours later.  Believe me Faith; I nudged you with my foot, that's all.  You got some other preferred method of being woke up let me know."

Faith grunted and rolled onto her back. She could not fall back to sleep though, she was sure that the dream she just had was a Slayer dream.  The last one had sent her after Kakistos, which had started her little odyssey that had led to her current lodgings. 

Ordinarily when a Slayer had one of these dreams they would go to their Watcher and tell him about it.  But the last time that she had met with her Watcher she had beat him, kidnapped him, and then tortured him over several hours.  She doubted that he would be interested in explaining this dream to her.  She supposed she could call Angel and ask him to pass it on, but she had heard that Angel and Wesley weren't exactly on speaking terms.  Sitting in the dark staring at the ceiling for about twenty minutes, the dark-haired Slayer decided that she would have to call Angel.  He could then maybe get in touch with either Buffy or Giles and maybe they could figure out what it meant.

Having reached a decision Faith rolled over and tried to go back to sleep.  If that had been a Slayer dream and she had been awakened before the finish. She hoped that if it restarted it would skip the first part and just start where it had left off.

The Pentagon

Arlington, VA

28Oct2002

09:34 hours

Major General Marion Diggs got out of the staff car and waited for his Operations Officer Colonel Duke Masterman to catch up with him before continuing into the huge building.  "Find anything else out?"

Showing their ID's to the guard at the entranceway they were waved thru the metal detectors inside the door.  Once they were past the security checkpoint and heading to where the briefing was supposed to be Masterman shook his head and told his commander, "Bernie couldn't find anything else out.  The only thing going on that he can find is that bombing in London last week.  He says that those anti-terror guys that helped us in Russia got called somewhere, but no one knows where."

Diggs frowned; he had a bad feeling about this.  He had been dubious when he had received orders to come back to the US from his command of The First Armored Division in Germany to evaluate some of the first efforts to beat the Individual Vehicle Information System that US vehicles had onboard that allowed them to share information about what was going on around them and to coordinate with their fellow soldiers much easier.  Diggs had been in command both times that it had been used in combat.  It was first used in the Persian Gulf during the Bio-War, then in Russia against the Chinese earlier in the year.  In both cases it had been a major asset that had helped his forces triumph.  The encrypted note from the Mickey Moore, the JCS, ordering him to expedite his return had convinced him that there must be something more to it. While his orders didn't say to bring anyone with him he was a two-star general so could basically bring who ever he wanted.  So Duke Masterman his G-3 got a free trip to DC out of the deal.  He had set Col. Bernie Torpon his new intelligence officer to looking to see if they could figure out exactly why he was being summoned.  So far there had been no luck.

"I'm being transferred," Diggs told Hamm about two minutes into the walk.

"For what?  You performed beautifully against the Chinese. Between us and those Air Force weenies with those Smart Pigs we set 'em up and Ivan knocked them flat."

"I think that's the problem.  I'm the best we have," he said with little modesty. "There has to be something going on somewhere that we can't see."  While he was speaking they arrived at the door of the briefing room. Being a major general Diggs opened the door and went in.  He was surprised to find that aside from Masterman he was the junior officer present. 

Waiting for him was General Mickey Moore the Joint Chief of Staff, also present was Tony Brentano the Secretary of Defense.  "Pull up a chair Mary we got some things we need to go over," The JCS said.

Looking at the brass Diggs and Masterman sat down.  "I guess this means that I'm not going to be evaluating the IVIS decoys eh?"

Pouring a mug of coffee from the carafe on the table, and motioning for the new arrivals to do the same Tony Brentano began, "No General, you will be doing that too.  That will be the cover, we need you in that area though," The JCS told the black officer.

"If that's the cover, what's the job?"

Brentano looked grim when he said, "How does CinC-CONUS* sound?"

*CinC-CONUS: Commander In Chief-Continental United States.