The Hell-er-Nator III: Tin Man's Alley

Part I: "In Durance Vile"


When You've Been Dealt a Losing Hand...

It's time to kick over the tables and deal yourself a brand new game.


Brevet Captain Michaela Reeves grinned inwardly like a she wolf. The suddenly panicked phone call that Deputy Doctor Walsh would be receiving around 1:35 to 1:45PM was just bound to increase her irritation and discomfort level...

The two people also standing with Walsh made Michaela's palm itch for the pistol grip of her battle rifle.

One male, one female. Both of them extremely well groomed, dark haired, fairly young, and attractive. Both of them wearing expensively tailored suits. Armani, her mental catalog supplied. Both of them had briefcases open on the table before them, pushed slightly to the side, and open laptop computers.

Lawyers. Wolfram and Hart.

"Miss," Mayor Richard Wilkins said. His eyes swept over her insignia, and he modified that slightly, "Captain. A pleasure to meet you, finally. I am a bit at a loss for the reasoning behind this meeting and press conference being called here now, especially on such short notice."

"Brevet Captain Michaela Reeves, United States Army, currently attached to the Ninth Infantry Division, sir," Michaela said, her tone and posture extremely formal. "I can assure you: the pleasure is all mine, Mr. Mayor. And as to the purpose of the meeting – "

Just perfectly on cue.

The deep rumbling sound of a pair of extremely powerful diesel engines coming up Main Street/Wilkins Boulevard from the west could suddenly be heard as they turned the corner leading to the Town Square. The noise increased in volume until it almost shivered the glass in the conference room's windows, and the various reporters headed that direction to look out and down. With the exception of Kolchak and White, who knew what was happening...

They, and Jain with a hand held video camera, moved there also, Kolchak and White speaking quietly into lapel mikes.

The engine rumble peaked, and then cut back abruptly to a low idle as the Bradley Armored Combat Vehicle and the 105mm Stryker variant took up stations at either end of the square. The pair of armed Humvees with their detachment of MPs were almost silent by comparison.

"The purpose of this meeting," Michaela picked up again and continued smoothly, "Is to inform you, the rest of the Civilian Administrative Heads of Sunnydale City and County, and the local citizenry that I am, by virtue of the powers, latitude, and the authority invested in me, declaring a state of Martial Law to be in existence in the City and Township of Sunnydale and the County thereof, as of this moment."

The babble of voices at the windows cut off abruptly as the words and their meaning sank into the various reporters, and then picked up again as a low murmur. From the corner of her eyes, Michaela could see Kolchak and White grinning like a pair of wolves.

"As of now, I am, in effect, the Military Commandant of Sunnydale and its environs," Michaela said, finishing.

She couldn't have gotten more effect with a cluster bomb, or that JDAM that Briggs had mentioned.


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Tin Man's Alley, Part I: In Durance Vile begins Thursday at a fanfiction site near you.

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