Author's Notes: The following is an AU ending to Season 3. I wanted to write a story where Tony didn't go to prison for treason, the scenario here is one I believe to be plausible enough for the situation.

Disclaimer: Max Blake is the only original character, all others belong to 20th century fox and the 24 creators.

PART ONE:

Chapter 1- "Saunders' Ploy"

Max Blake took a bottle of mineral water from the fridge and walked over to the table where he had set down his sandwiches and the book he had been reading. After taking a drink from the bottle, he started to read the next paragraph in his book, when he heard his cell phone ring. Max fished it from his pocket and put it to his ear. "Yes?" he said.

"Max, it's Stephen Saunders. I need you up here" came, the crisp suave British accent that had now become so familiar to Max.

"Fine Stephen, I'll see you in a minute" Max sighed closing his book up and downing as much of his water as possible. He picked up his sandwich took a large bite out of it, and chucked the remainder into the waste basket as he left the room.

Max had been working for over two years with the group of Ukrainian scientists, who had engineered a level three pneumonic virus. Stephen Saunders had shown interest in buying the biological weapon and over the course of several months had been meeting with the scientists on a regular basis. Max's employers had assigned him to Saunders as a liaison about a fortnight ago. He had been following Saunders ever since. Today Stephen Saunders was planning to hold the United States to ransom by threatening to unleash the virus all over the country if his demands were not met. Max didn't like him much; he felt he was too unstable and unpredictable. Quite frankly, Max often worried for his safety around the disturbed Englishman in the event he said or did the wrong thing.

"I'm here Stephen what did you want?" Max asked as he walked into the room.

Saunders turned around, his tall; six foot three form towered over Max, who was just over five foot five. He fixed Blake, with his deep dark, but frighteningly cold eyes.

"Ah, Max… Yes" Saunders began "I need you to go out and help me with something" he added.

Max couldn't help but be curious; there was something different about Saunders' tone, a little on edge, a little unsettled. This was unusual as Stephen was normally cold and detached and his voice often had no emotion at all. "Why was he sounding a little shaken now?"

"What is it you'd like me to do?" Max asked

"My daughter Jane has just called me, she's been held by Jack Bauer" Saunders informed him.

"And, what do you expect me to do about that?"

"Orstilind here has hacked the NHS database, he has managed to find out that Federal Agent Michelle Dessler, has been uninfected with the virus. She's going to have to leave The Chandler Plaza sometime within the next hour. When she does, I want her kidnapped."

"For what reason?"

"Jack Bauer and his band of Merry Men have discovered our location. He is in all likelihood on his way here now to take me into custody. Obviously, I can't allow that to happen. Dessler's husband is Tony Almeida, Director of CTU Los-Angeles. I intend to use his wife to coerce him into giving me an escape route. I also intend to use her to get my daughter back."

Max took a deep breath, he really didn't like where this was going.

"Stephen, I've only been assigned to you as a liaison whilst you obtained the virus. I don't think I'm…" He was cut off by Saunders.

"Do you want to come back in and we can start this again?" Saunders said making sure to draw attention to the HK .45 he was holding.

"I'm sorry Stephen, I just don't know if I could do this for you" Max replied trying to not to let the fear creep into his voice. He was more convinced than ever now that Saunders was an unhinged maniac.

"Max, you can either leave here with the others and kidnap Agent Dessler, or remain here as a dead-man" Saunders growled, his eyes filled with aggression walking up to Max and placing the gun hard against his forehead. The subtle click of the safety being removed seemed to be thunderous to Max who was struggling to keep his terror in check.

"I'm quickly running out of time. I need you, Kevin, Paul and Theodore here to leave immediately" Saunders said indicating to the three men stood in the room.

"Fine" Max replied.

"Good! Now Go!" Saunders snapped in his cold tone.

Max joined the other three men, Kevin a Skin-Head with a pock marked face, Theodore an African-American and Paul a Sandy Haired German.

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Michelle Dessler, the beautiful CTU agent who had been commanding a team inside the Chandler Plaza Hotel, stepped into the van provided by NHS. The relief she was feeling was overwhelming, she'd been one of the lucky 10 who had a natural immunity to the virus. She was on her way back to NHS and after 18 hours in quarantine she'd be able to go home to her beloved husband, Tony.

Michelle took out her cell-phone and sent Tony a text message

"Hey Sweetheart, I'm just leaving now to NHS. In 18 hours we can go home together honey. I love you with all of my heart, Curly-Head."

Michelle gave a slight smile as she ended the text message, using Tony's favorite nick-name for her. She pocketed her cell and closed her eyes, leaning back against the side of the Van. She felt worn out; this had undoubtedly been the worst day of her life.

Tony Almeida was in the break room at CTU, when he received the text message. He smiled to himself, and for a moment had to hold back some tears of joy that Michelle, or "Curly-Head" as he so loved calling her, was alive. Just then he was called back to the floor, Jack was getting ready to get in the helicopter and go to Saunders' hide-out. Tony took a final drink of Tea, pocketed his cell, and headed towards the bull-pen.
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Max was getting very unsettled and restless. He didn't like this one bit. He didn't want to be part of a kidnapping. All of the time he had spent with Saunders, had made him question his resolve for this job. He was sat with Kevin, Theo and Paul; they were now parked in a Tahoe, outside the Chandler Plaza Hotel, waiting for Agent Michelle Dessler to leave.

They knew that she wasn't going to survive; Saunders was going to kill her if Almeida didn't co-operate, and even if he did would end up killing both her and Almeida once the exchange for his daughter had been made.

Max squeezed the bridge of his nose, trying to relieve some of the tension headache that was forming.

"That's the Van she's in" Kevin suddenly broke the silence.

"Then let's go" Theo replied.

Kevin started the engine and set off after the white-van that had just driven up the ramp from the Hotel's basement.

They followed it for some time, until it was the only other vehicle on a wide stretch of road. They floored the gas bringing the Tahoe up alongside the van and broad siding it.

The two men in the front of the NHS van were completely shocked as the Tahoe that had been following them for a while hit them full force. "Jesus Christ!!!" The driver yelled swerving to try and escape the Tahoe.

In the rear of the van the half a dozen or so people, including Michelle, who had left the Chandler Plaza Hotel were wondering what on Earth was happening.

"What's going on up there?" Michelle yelled towards the driver.

"Some crazy son of a bitch is ramming us!" the driver's companion answered.

Michelle knew that this wasn't good and reached behind her where she had her gun tucked into her pants. She was just checking the chamber when the van was hit again. The force of the jolt made Michelle lose her grip on her gun and it went clattering across the floor of the van.

This time the vehicle went careering of the road, hit a mail box and a fire hydrant, before smashing into a lamp-post and coming to a sudden stop.

In the Tahoe Saunders' men watched as the White NHS van ploughed across the sidewalk and hit the lamppost.

"Everyone out!!" Kevin yelled whipping out his Uzi machine pistol and clambering from the Tahoe.

"What the hell have you gotten yourself into Blake?" Max thought to himself, reluctantly taking out his Desert Eagle handgun as he clambered out of the back of the Chevy SUV.

"Come on, let's get the bitch and carry out Stephen's instructions" Kevin said to the others as they advanced on the wrecked van.

They approached it, Paul headed to the front and Kevin, Theo and Max headed to the back doors.

Paul opened fire through the driver's window, killing him and his colleague instantly. Blood and brain matter splattered onto the windshield and seeped down over the dash and steering column.

Inside the van people were becoming frantic and scared. Michelle looked at the man sat next to her, one of the hotel employees, who had lost his bladder from fright as the gunfire kicked off. Urine trickled from his leg and across the floor.

"Easy, it's okay, everything's going to be alright" Michelle tried soothing him despite not being overly sure of it herself.

Suddenly the back doors flew open and daylight flooded in.

"Don't Move!!" Kevin bellowed. He climbed into the van, followed by Theo, who kept his gun trained on everyone.

Kevin moved toward Michelle who was just reaching for her Glock 9mm underneath the opposite bench. She was just about to pick it up in her right hand, when Kevin stamped on her fingers. Michelle yelled with pain, and tried to counter attack with a ridge hand to Kevin's throat. However, Kevin just ducked in time and delivered a hard blow to Michelle's stomach knocking the wind out of her. "Don't try your luck, bitch!" Kevin snapped holding his Uzi in front her face.

He motioned to Theo to send everyone else out, and kept his own weapon trained on Michelle, who was now back in her seat, giving him a look of defiance, but terrified for her life underneath it all.

The others were all hurried outside the van and forced into a kneeling position. Kevin gave a silent nod to Theo, who proceeded to fire a single round into the back of each person's head.

"Paul, put the bodies into the Tahoe and take it to a secluded spot and dump it. Max, you help him load the bodies then come back here" Kevin shouted over to them.

Theo climbed back into the van and set down a black laptop bag. Opening the main compartment, he removed the laptop. He then proceeded, to open the side-pockets of the bag and remove a web-cam, a USB cable and a wireless router.

Michelle watched him, wondering what he was doing as he connected everything up.

By now Max had finished helping load the bodies into the Tahoe and Paul drove off with them. Max walked back to the van and climbed into it.

"You all done Theo?" Kevin asked.

"Yes" Theo replied.

"What's the IP address?"

"257.211.16.5"

"Okay get that sent to Saunders, he'll need to ensure Almeida can see what we're doing."

Kevin turned his attention back to Michelle. "I'm going to have to search you." He said with a sly smile. He padded down Michelle, and removed her cell-phone. "Better check you haven't got anything hidden down here" he grinned as she slid his hand down the front of her pants.

Michelle cringed slightly at his intruding fingers, and felt the bile gather in her throat, yet still managed to keep the fear that was beginning to grip her from actually showing.

"Kevin that's not necessary" Max said watching his colleagues vulgar actions in disgust.

"Oh, I'm allowed to have some fun." Kevin said.

Just then his cell-phone went off.

"Yes?" He said.

"Is it done?" Saunders voice came over the line.

"Yes"

"Hold the line."

Kevin turned to the others "It was Saunders. We need to prepare her"

Kevin walked back over to Michelle, he and Theo grabbed her roughly by the arms and walked her over to a chair in front of the laptop and webcam.

They pushed her into it, and Kevin kept his gun trained on her whilst Theo retrieved two ski-masks. He handed one to Max, and the other to Kevin.

"Go stand with Kevin" Theo ordered Max. "I'll be manning the video feed"

Max reluctantly went over to join Kevin, who immediately ordered him as well.

"Keep your gun trained on her, she's a feisty one! We can't be sure what she'll try."

Kevin reached down to his ankle and pulled out a knife. He held it against Michelle's throat.

He nodded to Theo "Is it transmitting?"

"Yes" Theo replied in the affirmative. "Saunders is just calling Almeida now"