Imhotep's Key Chapter
By Joseph Black
Disclaimer: Red Storm and Tom Clancy own Rainbow and Characters. Joss Whedon owns Buffy and Characters. If you recognize any other character they belong to their respective owners. Original characters belong to me. I make no profit off 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'd like to thank everyone for your patience. School however is over. So I should be picking up the rate that I post.
Notes to Reviewers:
John: Sorry I took so long.
WBH21C: Thanks
Lindiel Eryn: Thanks. Yes Jonathan O'Connell's grandmother is Evie from the movies.
HectonchiresLM: Thanks, I tried to limit what the cops would know by what was happening on the streets.
Ed: Sorry for the delay, but I have graduated so I will have no excuses for not getting chapters out quicker.
Dorothy: Thanks, I think they will keep that info close for a little while longer.
Antonio: ONU? She's getting there. But she is head of an international intelligence service.
Joe: That's a good question. I'll have to do some research.
Majin Gojira: Majin, you can't have it both ways. In point 4, you argue that O'Connell seems to have too much information, then in point 5, you're complaining that O'Connell misidentified Glory's portal opening. I enjoy your reviews but please don't pull me in opposite directions!
Paladin Steelbreaker: Paladin, in this case 'Mary' is short for Marion. which is a boys name. Clancy for unknown reasons hung a female nickname on the character of Maj. General Marion Diggs. He says it's an army thing, I wouldn't know I was in the navy. Considering the rep we have after long sea voyages I'd hate to see the response if we started giving each other female nicknames.
I'll check out that detectives name and correct it if needed.
warren: Thanks. What would a Mummy story be without an O'Connell? Glad you liked the bail fund. As far as Holtzman goes you'll have to wait and see.
Krismarief: Thanks. I think Buffy will give them the chance, of course if they abuse that chance….
Thanks to all that reviewed. Constructive criticisms always welcomed. Flames cheerfully ignored.
Giles looked thoughtful, "Right now there isn't much you can do, but soon we might need some assistance."
Buffy looked at her Watcher, the shock plain on her face. Turning to the SPD representatives she said, "Could you excuse us for a second?" Turning to Giles she said, "Lets take this outside."
Xander had just spotted Riana coming out with their food when Buffy said this and started to get out of her chair. Sighing he got up and followed the other two out.
When he got outside Buffy was already facing Giles and was saying in an angry voice, "You don't want to accept help from the President of the United States, but you're willing to jump into bed with the SPD?"
"Yeah," Xander chimed in. "At least with Jack Ryan we have some proof that he's competent. Unlike some of the people inside," nodding his head at the diner.
"And as soon as the President found out about us he came looking," Buffy pointed out heatedly. "He didn't need for me to confront him about it."
"We only have his word for that," Giles replied. Then seeing Buffy's face darken he held out his hand to forestall her outburst and went on, "Granted I doubt he was lying about it either.
"Besides I have no more interest in crawling into bed with the Sunnydale Police than you do. Clan O'Connell on the other hand is another thing entirely."
"Who are they?" Buffy wanted to know.
" Lt. O'Connell's family. They are in a similar line of work as us, however they specialize in things Egyptian. The Council originally used them when our Egyptian specialist was killed and we needed someone to fill in. Dame Evelyn and her two sons assisted with the problem and were instrumental in solving it. She was offered a seat on the council but she hadn't got along with Bernard Travers who was in charge at the time so she declined," he explained, "You have to understand Buffy, if things had been different, then of the O'Connells could have been your Watcher."
Buffy looked a little troubled by someone other than Merrik and Giles being her Watcher, she rallied quickly though and said, "That still doesn't mean he's worth anything."
Giles nodded in agreement, "No it doesn't, but even if he's not, he would still have access to the family archives. While the O'Connell library is nothing like what the Council had, it may well have some other volumes on The First that we can use.
"Finally, I hope that O'Connell is still in touch with the Medji."
"To save Buffy from saying it. Who?" Xander asked, hoping this conversation was done before his food got cold.
"The Medji are a secret organization that in many ways are similar to the Knights of Byzantium," the watcher explained.
"And we should be asking them for help because?" The Slayer asked dubiously.
"I said they were like the Knights, not that they were an off shoot. They have no interest in the Key, if they even know it exists. Their obsession is keeping a high priest that they cursed some three-thousand years ago from getting free."
"They still have to worry about this guy after 3000 years? Must have been some curse," Buffy replied. Xander nodded his head in agreement.
" They don't come more powerful, it's called the Hom-Dai, in it a persons soul is bound to their body and they are buried alive," Giles explained.
"Okay sounds kinda gruesome, but how much damage could he do? I mean after 3000 years in the grave wouldn't he be kind of dusty?" Buffy asked.
"Unfortunately the Medji were not wizards. The power for the curse came with a rider on the spell. If ever the high priest were freed he would be indestructible and have command of the biblical plagues of Egypt."
"Now there's job security for yah," Xander quipped.
"If they are so secret how did the Watchers learn all this?" Buffy pressed, thinking she was going to have to sit down with Giles soon and have it out about all of these organizations floating around.
'Two Medji women have been Chosen over the years. The Medji would not allow them to go off with the Council representatives by themselves and sent a body guard."
"Okay, I'm liking these guys more," Buffy stated.
"I imagine you'll like them even better when I tell you that when the Council attempted to perform The Cruciamentum on the first one her bodyguards removed her from the Councils control and returned to Egypt. She was able to convince them that she had a sacred duty and turned to the world to act as the Slayer, but she remained outside of the Council's control till she died. She was the longest lived Slayer, she lasted 12 years."
"Okay, now I really think I'll like these guys," Buffy said confidently.
Sunnydale Airport
Sunnydale CA
28Oct2002
1930 hrs
Amed Bey walked off of the plane stiff and sore. He had been in the air for something like twenty hours and wanted nothing more than to take a long walk and work the kinks out, but that would have to be put off. Waiting for him at the security checkpoint were three men. Like him they were of Mediterranean decent, tall and fit, with long dark hair, trimmed beards and mustaches. They were dressed in t-shirts and jeans, while he had on a white polo shirt and khakis. The leader of the men came forward and gave Ahmed a warm hug, "Welcome to Sunnydale," He said, he noticed some of the locals giving him a long look but he ignored it, Americans didn't know how to properly great an old friend.
"Thank you," he said warmly, "The others will be here in the next two days. We must locate her and what she seeks before then."
"Do we know what 'it' is?" The man who greeted him asked as they started down the concourse. The other two silently falling in behind Ahmed and the speaker paying much more attention to what was going on around them than following the conversation.
"Yes," Ahmed said quietly, "We intercepted a message. We must find and destroy 'The Key' before she can use it to raise the creature."
Interstate 95, on the beltway
Washington DC
28 0ct 2002
2240 hrs
Libby Holtzman sat in silence and thought about what her husband had said outside the club. "You can't really mean that you took anything Pedro said seriously?" She finally asked in a confused voice.
Bob thought for a minute, then said, "How many people do you think Andrea Price would hesitate to shake hands with?"
Libby shrugged, "None off the top of my head."
"I saw her hesitate to take the hand of a woman who matches the description of Riley's Slayer. I think I might hesitate to take the hand of someone like that."
"You're basing this theory on a handshake?" Libby looked over at her husband with a bemused shake of her head.
Taking his eyes off of the road for a second he gave her a look that portrayed that he understood exactly how stupid it sounded. "It's not only the hand shake. Why would Ryan want to meet with a high school student councilor, her sister, a construction foreman/carpenter, and a former high school librarian? Throw in that the librarian in question is currently number one on England's most wanted list, he is associated with a group that apparently manages The Slayer, and the blond matches the description of one, and that they were escorted to the meeting by Riley and Clark, I think we have some questions that really need to be answered."
Libby went back to studying the road. She didn't like were she thought her husband was going to ask those questions.
Grendel's Pub
325 Wilkens
Sunnydale CA
28Oct2002
1955 hrs
O'Connell decided not to wait for the Slayer and he companions and started with a Texas Weiner. He had discovered them when he had gone to the NYC Police Academy, most of his classmates had liked Coney Island Dogs, but he found his love in Texas wieners and hamburgers. They were covered in a sauce that was like chili, but the meat was ground finer and it didn't have any beans in it. They were served with chopped onions and mustard and were very good. Tom was justifiably proud of them. O'Connell didn't have the heart to tell Tom that he had tasted better on the East Coast, but only in one or two places.
The conversations had restarted in the pub, they were much more subdued though, as if the people in the pub didn't want to interrupt what was going on outside.
Rachel also started in on her salad when she saw Lt. O'Connell start in on his meal and was thinking about what she just had heard. She also wondered what Harris had been kept from blurting out. She decided there was no harm in asking, "What do you think Harris was kept from saying?" Maybe O'Connell would know.
Jon thought as he chewed. He'd noticed of course when Giles stopped Harris from initiating his tirade. Running over in his head what they had been talking about at that point in the conversation he swallowed and said, "Buffy must have been hurt in the fight, it couldn't have been too bad though because like I said I talked to her later in the summer."
Rachel nodded.
"So what do you think?" He asked her.
"I haven't seen definite proof yet. But it's impressive how everyone seems to know what's going on," Rachel replied. While part of her said it to mollify her dinner companion, Rachel had never heard of a delusion with this strong of an effect on groups of unrelated people. She was starting to worry that maybe she'd stayed in town to long herself.
"If Buffy doesn't convince you, then before tonight's over I'll show you something supernatural," O'Connell promised. He was really hoping that Buffy would come through here. He could always introduce her to Clem he supposed. The problem was that Clem often passed himself off as someone with a skin condition and he had a sneaking suspicion that Rachel would believe that was what was going on. He really didn't want to introduce Rachel to a vampire, at least not by himself. He could easily end up with a dead psychologist that way.
Conversation stopped in the bar again as the three from outside came back in. Xander simply sat down and grabbing the ketchup bottle put some on his burger and fries. Buffy grabbed it off of him when he was done and did her burger. Giles was pleasantly surprised to see a bottle of malt vinegar with his meal.
Buffy took a bite out of her burger, chewed and swallowed. She then looked at the representatives of the SPD and said, "Okay, we'll see how this works. As far as Riley goes it's going to be different this time."
"You got that right," Carlos Menendez snarled.
"Mendi!" O'Connell said sharply.
"Pardon," the other cop said apologetically.
Buffy waved it off, "He's got orders to cooperate with you this time. Last time he was under orders to be tough with you."
O'Connell narrowed his eyes, "I talked to him a couple of times when he came through. He didn't seem at all reluctant when he was issuing orders."
Buffy shrugged and took another bite out of her burger. It was really good, so she took another bite before she answered, "He has orders to be pleasant this time. I was there when he got them. I doubt he'll go against these, no matter how much he enjoyed it before."
O'Connell waited for the punch line. It wasn't long in coming.
"Jack Ryan hates it when people ignore his orders."
"Jack Ryan, as in President of the United States Jack Ryan?" Rachel asked incredulously.
Xander had demolished one of his cheeseburgers already and had a fork full of his Grendel Fries, which were simply French fries covered in the Texas wiener sauce, half way to his mouth when he said, "Yeah, he wanted to meet with us last night and discuss what was going on." He then finished shoving the fork full into his mouth and chewed with a blissful expression on his face.
"And what exactly is going on?" O'Connell asked.
Buffy noticed that many of the uniformed officers were leaving. While she was uncomfortable with the audience she thought they would stay for the whole meeting. She looked at O'Connell for an explanation.
"They came to give some moral support for me and my men, and to see if you were going to quit. The day shift stayed over so they could be here, they're just going out to relieve them."
Buffy indicated she understood. She finished her burger off and then began explaining what was going on. She didn't go into detail just stuck to generalities. She did mention that there was going to be a stream of young women coming to Sunnydale and that things that wanted to hurt them would probably not be far behind. O'Connell told her if she could give the SPD a heads up they would be glad to make sure there was a car in the neighborhood when one arrived and would do their best to help out.
Once Buffy had finished her explanation O'Connell asked, "Rachel here is the SPD's Psychologist. She just found out about things that go bump in the night earlier today and she doesn't really believe them yet."
Buffy nodded, "Got a quarter or fifty cent piece?" She asked the psychologist.
Rachel replied, "I think so." She then rooted through her purse and came up with a 50-cent piece.
"Can I see it?" Buffy asked. Rachel handed it over.
Buffy took it from her, bent it into a right angle, then handed it back to the open mouthed woman.
O'Connell smiled, "I was hoping that we could accompany you on your patrol tonight. I promised that I would show Rachel something supernatural tonight."
Buffy frowned, "I'm going to be taking some other guys around. General Clark is paying me to do some training with them. If he doesn't care I don't. Of course I can't guarantee that we'll run into anything with the parade that this is turning into."
"I'll take my chances. How do I get in touch with him?"
"I'll call him on the way back to my place. Why don't you meet us there."
1630 Revello Dr.
Sunnydale CA
28Oct2002
2008 hrs
Dawn was getting a taste of what the house was going to be like when the potentials started arriving and she wasn't liking it. Ding showed up about five minutes ago with the people he was going to be taking with Buffy tonight. He had Riley, Kenshin Hiedoki, and two new guys, an Italian named Ettore Falcone and an Englishman whom he introduced as WO Edward Price, though she noticed everyone called him Eddie. They weren't wearing their commando garb; rather they were in civilian clothes. Though the presence of the five of them in sport coats on a warm California night would attract a little attention. Dawn assumed that they were carrying pistols only, untill Kenshin turned around took a long thing pack off of his back and set it down at his feet.
She asked if anyone would like something to drink or if they needed anything and when they declined she looked around and found Willow at the entrance to the living room hugging herself. Concerned she slid over and asked, "What's wrong?"
Willow was staring at Kenshin, "I don't know, I'm getting a bad vibes off of him. Like he really doesn't like me."
Dawn frowned, "He hasn't said anything too you has he?"
Willow shook her head, "We haven't even talked, I just get the vibe. I'll be up in my room if you need me." She turned and left.
Dawn frowned and headed over to Kenshin to see if she could figure out what Willow meant. She hadn't taken two steps when the phone rang. Annabelle being the closest answered it with, "Summers residence." Who may I say is calling?" Turning the brown haired potential spotted Dawn and called, "Dawn? There's an Angel on the phone for you."
Dawn smiled and headed for the phone.
In the dining room Ding and Riley had been going over a map of Sunnydale with Riley pointing out hot spots and places they could duck into if things got out of hand. When Riley heard 'Angel' he frowned. Ding saw it and asked, "One of Buffy's old boy friends?" Riley nodded tightly.
"We don't get along."
Dawn picked up the phone and said, "Angel! You need to call more."
On the other end of the line Angel was trying to figure out who answered the phone. Shaking it off he asked, "Dawn, I need to talk to Giles, do you have a number I can get a hold of him at?"
"He's off with Buffy right now, I can tell him you need to talk to him when he gets back," Dawn said as she reached for a pad of paper next to the phone so she could leave a note.
"Giles is in town? What's going on?" Angel asked concerned.
"I don't think I can talk about it over the phone. What do you need Giles for? Maybe I can help?" She said getting more excited.
"Not unless you can help interpret a Slayer Dream," The vampire told The Key.
"You had a Slayer Dream?" She asked confused, "I thought you had Cordelia for that kind of stuff."
"Cordelia's out of commission right now. Faith called me today, she says she had one last night. I looked into it and couldn't find anything. I'm hoping that Giles might be able to," Angel explained.
"What's up with Cordelia?" Dawn asked concerned. It wasn't that she ever particularly liked the willowy brunette, but she didn't like to hear about anyone she knew getting hurt.
"It's to complicated to go into over the phone," Angel explained, "Lets just say she's not her old self."
"Okay, why not ask Wesley then, he is Faith's Watcher isn't he?"
"Wesley isn't someone I'd go to with something like this," Angel said tightly. Dawn could hear the anger in his voice.
Deciding to quit while she was behind Dawn promised to pass his message on and said her good-byes. She decided to go up and tell Willow about the call and see what she thought. She was heading for the stairs when the doorbell rang. She altered course and checked outside and saw General Clark standing there in a sport coat and gray pants. Smiling she opened the door for him and he came in, getting used to the non-invite-invite.
"Hey General," Dawn said, "What's up?"
Ding heard the greeting and looked up. Mr. C was supposed to be staying at the base to help judge how good their communications would be when they started to patrol.
Clark smiled at Dawn and nodded when he spotted Ding, "Buffy's talk with the SPD went well. O'Connell has asked if he can tag along with one of his people and I said sure. I thought it would be a good thing to be here when they arrived to set up a more formal meeting later in the week."
Riley looked uncomfortable and started to get up. "Maybe it would be better for me to leave. O'Connell and I never had what could be described as cordial relationship. We probably don't need this for an initial meeting."
Clark pointed at the younger officer, "Sit," he ordered. "We can't dodge this forever so we might as well get it over with now. If O'Connell can't let bygones be bygones then I doubt we'll be able to work with him. That would make our job tougher, but not insurmountable."
Riley nodded and sat back down. He then turned back to Ding and the map.
A movement in the kitchen caught Clarks eye, he turned and saw Spike coming unsteadily out of the kitchen. The blond vampire actually looked better than he thought possible. He was still a little shaky, but he was surprised he could move considering the damage that Ding said had been done to him. The vampire nodded at Clark went and leaned against the wall just inside the living room.
The sound of the door opening behind him kept him from saying anything to the vampire. Clark turned and saw Buffy, Giles, Xander, then two strangers coming through it.
"General Clark," Buffy greeted. When he glared at her she smiled and said, "John."
"This is Lt. O'Connell, and Rachel Frazer," she introduced the other two.
Clark smiled and offered his hand to the SPD officer, 'Pleasure."
O'Connell was a little slower but took the offered hand, "I hope it will be for me too sir," he said.
"We'll try our best," Clark promised.
Buffy at that point spotted Spike and with a frown on her face headed for him. Rachel had taken a step away from O'Connell into the living room to get a better look at the various people in the house. Like everyone else though she followed Buffy's movements.
"What are you doing up?" She asked.
"You're going out tonight with this lot Slayer?" The blond asked with an English accent.
Buffy nodded, "Yeah this is what John is paying me for."
"You're going to need someone to watch your back then. Remember what happened last time Captain Cardboard and his Space Rangers came through."
"Spike you can barely stand, I doubt you'd be a whole lot of help," Buffy retorted.
Rachel watched the exchange with interest. There was defiantly some feelings there on behalf of the Englishman and there was something with Buffy as well she could see it in the reflection in the mirror behind them, concern and maybe a little more…. Wait, she shouldn't be able to see Buffy's face, the one she called Spike was right in front of the mirror and all she should be able to see in it was his back. She walked up to the two of them and ignoring their arguments took the mirror off of the wall. Everyone in the house was now looking at her as she flipped it over and looked to see if there was any electronic hook ups or some kind of a plug. Finding none she held it up so she should be able to see Spike and herself in the mirror, but saw only her own reflection. She walked around both Buffy and Spike watching the reflection seeing if it rotated with her, whether there was any wavering or distortions. Finally she turned the mirror upside down. When it remained steady throughout she stared at Spike and asked, "Are you a vampire?"
"Yeah," Spike told the psychologist.
"Oh," Rachel said in a small voice. She then handed the mirror to Buffy and when she had taken it from her, promptly fainted.