The following takes place between 5:00 AM and 6:00AM, on the day of the California Presidential Primary.
5:00:27
Mike Novick stepped out onto the balcony of the affluent high-rise hotel in Century City. To him, it felt like yesterday when he was in the same building doing near enough the same thing he was today – only this time he was with the man he was with then's son.
Since David Palmer's death, Mike and Keith Palmer became closer. Mike always lent advice to Keith throughout his time as Senator despite having no real political experience himself. However he felt it was his duty to help the son of a man who was once one of his closest friends.
Stubbing his cigarette on the balcony and dropping it on the ashtray on one of the tables, he walked back into his room. Exiting into the hallway, he gently opened the door to Keith's room. He was surprised to find Keith sitting there already, his head in his hands.
"Morning, Keith. I didn't think you'd be up already." Offered Mike.
"Hey, Mike. Guess it's just nerves." Laughed Keith. He looked up and gave Mike a smile.
"Want me to get you a drink? I can get Linda to sort something out for you."
"Nah, it's fine." Replied Keith, standing up. "I'll be okay. Don't know why I'm worrying."
"Trust me, you'll be fine. The media are predicting you to win by a landslide anyway. After what your father and your uncle did for this country, they'll be sure to want another Palmer in charge."
Keith smiled sadly upon remembering everything his father David did for America. Wayne didn't do so much when he was in charge, but was still respected nonetheless. Hearing his name reminded Keith to give him a quick call. Wayne was driving over from his apartment with his new girlfriend, Evelyn Martin, former aide of Martha Logan, and his stepdaughter, Amy.
"Remind me to call Uncle Wayne in a bit, he should be on his way over."
"Will do, Keith." Smiled Mike. "I'll be downstairs with Linda and the others."
With that Mike left Keith and walked down the steps to the floor below. Linda Mullins was Wayne's personal assistant. A jolly woman, she had worked for both David and Wayne and knew the Palmers well.
5:04:33
CTU Los Angeles
"Morning, Joe." Greeted Jack Bauer as he walked into the CTU building. He was only called in early because of the importance of today. CTU had to make sure today went to plan. Jack didn't mind the early starts, after all he was used to it, and he was pleased to see another Palmer edge closer to the Presidency – if elected, Keith would be America's youngest.
"Chloe, Curtis." Jack nodded and smiled at two of his closest friends at CTU. Curtis Manning gave Jack a thumbs up, as he was on the phone. Now the respected head of field operations, Jack and Curtis had accomplished many missions before. Chloe however wasn't occupied and gave Jack a brief hug. Other than Curtis and Tony Almeida, Chloe was someone Jack trusted a lot, the two being very good friends.
"Good morning everyone." called Bill Buchanan. The director of CTU for a while then, he was someone who respected Jack a lot, and the respect was mutual.
"As you all know it's ""Super Tuesday"". It should be fairly quiet but we've got to keep alert, just in case. I'll be office if you need me."
And with that, Bill disappeared into his office, Milo Pressman and one of the new guys, Jake Sorensen in tow. As he walked to his desk, Jack overheard Morris O'Brian mutter something to some of the staffers about the two clashing.
Curtis hung up his call and ran over to Jack.
"Hey Jack, good to see you man. Tony's coming in later, he should be here for 6:30. He had to take Michelle and the kids over to her mother's. He likes her, but he'd rather be around and help, he says". Explained Curtis. "Best have everyone we can, right?"
"Good." Smiled Jack. Him, Tony and Curtis had become good friends over time. And they worked well as a team, too. "Not for about an hour and a half yet, so I'll go make myself useful."
"Alright, see ya later." Smiled Curtis, giving Jack a friendly pat on the back.
5:12:02
A man wearing a dark suit sat in a parked car four blocks away from Keith Palmer's hotel.
"I've had a quick survey of the place," he spoke into his phone. "Security seems relatively minimal, but I can't be sure."
"You can't be SURE?" came the voice from the other end. "No, Ronson, you need to be entirely sure. If this all fucks up I will hold you responsible and I will see that you never see your family again. Understood?"
"Yes, sorry sir." Ronson replied, scratching his left cheek. "Did you have to put the tracker here of all places?" he moaned.
"We're doing what's necessary. Now get over there. I'm sure Senator Palmer will be wondering where you are."
With that, Ronson terminated the call and started his car, driving over the hotel.
5:13:14…5:13:15…5:13:16…
5:19:57
"Sorry I'm late, Mike." Apologised Ronson, as he made his way over to the table where Mike, Linda and a couple of others were sat. "Where's Mr Palmer?"
"No worries Craig. And getting ready." Replied Mike, motioning for Ronson to sit down with them. "Have you finished Keith's speech?"
"Yes, yes." Said Ronson, placing it on the table. "Have a read."
Mike looked over the speech a couple of times, and nodded. "It's good. I'll show Keith whilst we have breakfast. It's scheduled for 6AM, so quite a while yet. Just relax for a bit."
Ronson nodded and made small talk with Linda and the others whilst Mike got up and walked upstairs to his balcony.
He lit himself another cigarette and exhaled.
"You should really quit, Mike." Said Keith from the balcony to Mike's right.
"Christ Keith, you scared me." Laughed Mike. "I'm trying, don't worry, but it's just one of them things, isn't it?"
"If I win this primary, then you quit for good. Deal?" smiled Keith.
"Fine." Grinned Mike.
5:23:14
"Lawson, I can't do this." Stammered a man in a red jumper.
"Garvan, you can. We need people committed to this. Now all you have to do is let Ronson know when we're ready. It's a small role." Replied Lawson.
"I don't care. I want out." Garvan ran out of the room and out of the building, to his car. Dialling frantically, he heard two tones before a female voice spoke.
"CTU Los Angeles. How may I help?"
"Hi, I'm calling about a potential threat to the life of Keith Palmer." Stuttered Garvan, checking his mirrors to see if Lawson or one of his bodyguards had followed.
Split screen
Back in Lawson's room, he nodded to a tall, muscular man with close cropped hair. He pulled out a flip phone and pressed a number for speed dial.
"Do it." Was all he said.
Back in Garvan's car, he was waiting for a response.
"This is Bill Buchanan, director of CTU. Who am I speaking with?" said Bill Buchanan from the situation room, with Jack, Chloe, Milo and Curtis present.
"That's uh, irrelevant." Choked Garvan, constantly checking his right wing mirror. "All I know is a man is going to ask an aide of Keith Palmer to do something or other, and Keith will be shot..oh god."
"Can you tell me the man's name?" asked Bill.
"Oh god they'll know it was me..he has connections. I don't want to die, oh please!" cried Garvan.
"We can protect you." Said Bill. "Please, tell me the man's name."
On the other side of the road an Asian man crossed the road and walked to the left hand side of Garvan's car. Checking no one was around, in one swift movement he pulled open the left front door of Garvan's car. The angry cough of a bullet passing through a silenced pistol was the last sound Garvan heard before the bullet pierced his brain.
"Hello?" asked Bill. "Chloe, did you record the call?"
Chloe nodded, as she tapped furiously on her laptop.
"Trace the number." Instructed Bill.
Back at Garvan's car, the Asian man returned the call to Lawson's man.
"It's done."
Back at CTU, Chloe had traced the call.
"Okay, it came from outside a hotel in Century City, eight blocks away from Keith Palmer's campaign hotel." She told the room. Now with them were Curtis, and two more analysts: new guy Jake Sorensen and one of the veterans, Michael Ivers.
"Are we able to link the caller in any way to Keith Palmer?" asked Jake, adjusting his tie and slicking back his hair. At first glance the youthful recruit would seem more of the field agent type than analyst, with his athletic build and all, but he was an incredibly smart man.
"Not as yet, no." replied Milo Pressman, who was IP Manager. "Jake, I'd like you to try and work out who the caller was from a sample of his voice. I'll have Chloe send it over to your station."
"Got it." Nodded Jake. Milo gave him a look as if to say "Get lost." Jack, remembering the two had already clashed, intervened before tempers flared again.
"Jake, I think Milo wants you to get on that now." He said kindly. He had yet got to know Jake properly, so refused to pass judgment on him.
"Sure." Said Jake and exited the room.
Milo opened his mouth to speak, but Bill shut him off. "Yes Milo, I'm aware you're not a huge fan. But he's a good analyst, remember that. Not everyone can be Mr Popular, like you."
At times Jack felt like punching Milo, but he did have to admit he was a nice guy deep down. Over time he had became more laid back with his staff, which led to him being more popular.
"As soon as we get confirmation on who this guy is, we'll move on from there. Until then, what's the closest TAC team to Keith Palmer's building?" asked Bill.
"Lee Castle has a team one block away." Reported Curtis Manning. "Should we send another?"
"No." said Jack. "We'll probably need someone to go and find out more on whatever this caller brings us."
With that everyone exited the situation room and got on with what they were doing.
5:36:43
"Hey, sweetie." Smiled Wayne Palmer to his stepdaughter Amy as she walked into the kitchen. "Thanks for getting up so early. But it's a big, big day for Cousin Keith, remember."
Amy nodded and helped herself to the impromptu breakfast Wayne had cooked. He smiled at his girlfriend, Evelyn. They had been together for around a year and a half now. After the events of the whole Charles Logan fiasco, he and Evelyn grew closer. What started off as a friendly drink turned out to become a serious relationship, and Wayne couldn't be happier.
"Hurry up now, Amy." Said Evelyn. "We need to be on our way as soon as possible."
Wayne's term as President himself was cut short due to being incapacitated, but he was perfectly fine now. And he couldn't be happier that his nephew was running for President.
Evelyn gave her boyfriend a hug. "I'm sure David would be proud of him."
"And me, too, for managing to have such a beautiful girlfriend." Grinned Wayne, as Evelyn playfully punched him on the shoulder.
"Ew." Grinned Amy as she rolled her eyes.
"All ready?" asked Wayne. "Let's go then."
The three walked out to their SUV, and made their way to Keith Palmer's building.
5:41:44
"Got it!" shouted Chloe, as Jack, Milo and Curtis rushed over. "The call came from a Robert Garvan. No criminal record, no known terrorist affiliations either"
"Are you sure this is our guy?" asked Curtis. "Or this isn't somebody's alias?"
"Positive." Replied Chloe.
"Okay, I'll let Buchanan know." Said Curtis as he ran up the steps to Buchanan's office.
"Ivers, Appell, Clark, I need you three to work up everything you can get on Garvan." Milo said to some of the more longer serving analysts.
"What about me?" called Jake, from his station.
"No. Continue with whatever you were doing." Snapped Milo.
"He was sorting-"began Morris O'Brian, but was silenced by a death stare from Milo.
"I thought he was laidback now?" Jack asked Chloe, who shrugged.
"Guess today's getting to him." Was all she said.
5:44:50…5:44:51…5:44:52…
5:47:50
"You okay Craig?" asked Trevon Lawyer, one of Keith's good friends. Lawyer went to college with Keith and was an excellent athlete, but a torn ACL ruined his prospects. Funnily enough, he was now a lawyer, and had picked up some good tips from Mike Novick. As well as that, he'd just got married to Keith's sister Nicole, who was on her way from Atlanta after a conference with her company.
"Yeah." Mumbled Ronson as he kept scratching his left cheek.
"Oh Craig!" cried Linda. "There's a massive rash there. Let's get this checked out." As she lunged towards him.
"I'm fine, Linda." Craig snapped. Linda, Trevon aand the two others on their table were stunned. Craig Ronson wasn't a man known for his temper.
"Suit yourself.." mumbled Linda.
Suddenly Ronson's phone began to ring. "I have to take this."
He jogged over to his room.
"Yeah." He said.
"This is Lawson. Unfortunately Mr Garvan had to be…disposed."
"Why's that?" queried Ronson. He didn't know Garvan well, and was surprised to hear that someone what seemed like a key part of this plan was killed.
"He wasn't committed. That's all you need to know. I will notify you once I have a replacement."
Lawson terminated the call. Ronson looked into his mirror. He had got a nasty rash from the constant scratching.
"I need to stop." He mumbled to himself, before he walked back to the table.
"Everything okay?" asked Trevon.
"Yeah, I'm fine, sorry I snapped at you all earlier." Shrugged Ronson.
"Oh Craig dear it's okay!" smiled Linda, cheerful as ever. "Just try not to itch, okay?"
5:50:10
"Sorry Curtis, come through. Jason McAllen from CTU Denver on the phone letting me know about some meeting. Don't know why he had to take ten minutes for it though." Apologised Bill, showing Curtis into his office.
"Mr Buchanan," began Curtis. "Chloe found out the caller's name. Robert Garvan. He's clean though, Appell's sent up a report to your screen. We traced the call and I sent Agent Layland and Agent Baker to the scene."
"Good." Said Bill. "How far away are they?"
"Not far." Replied Curtis. "They'll search the area and get back to us if they find anything. A jogger reported Garvan's murder to the LAPD, but I had Jake call them off and let us handle it."
"Okay, good work Curtis." Smiled Bill.
5:52:02
Maria Layland exited the van and walked over the car where Garvan was killed. Two LAPD members were waiting for her.
"Hi, Maria Layland, CTU. We'll take it from here." She said. She was shocked at how cold that sounded, but she didn't appreciate being woken up at the crack of dawn.
"Oh, no you won't." smiled one of the officers, as he pulled out a silence pistol and shot Layland between the eyes. "Hide the body." He told his colleague. "I'll deal with the driver."
However he wasn't banking on more than two CTU agents taking over. He walked up to the right window and peered in. No one was there. But he heard a rustling around the other side.
Tom Baker sprung up and snapped the fake policeman's neck, lowering the body gently. Pulling out his gun, he sprinted behind the blissfully unaware second imposter and pistol whipped the back of his head, knocking him out cold, before dialling for CTU.
"CTU, O'Brian."
"Hi, put me through to Curtis Manning please."
"On it, Tom." Said Chloe as she patched him through to Curtis.
"Baker, what's up?"
"The LAPD officers were fakes. They've killed Agent Layland and tried to kill me. I killed one but the other's unconscious. I need backup ASAP."
"Okay, Baker, hold on. I'll send Agent Turner and his team."
Curtis swore as he told Buchanan what happened.
5:55:20
"We should've heard from Correll and Payarski by now." Muttered Lawson. Looking out of his window, he saw Baker and several other CTU agents assess the crime scene.
"Tanner, did you take Garvan's phone when you killed him?" he asked the Asian man.
Tanner shook his head.
"You fucking idiot! Go get it before they do."
Tanner walked outside and towards Baker.
"Hey, what's happening here?" he asked the CTU agent, feigning curiosity.
"Sorry sir, but I can't tell you at this time. Please return to your home." Replied Baker, picking up the phone from Garvan's car and handing it to an armed CTU agent, who got into a car and drove back to CTU.
Tanner nodded and ran back to Lawson's apartment.
"They took it. There was nothing I could do." He apologised.
Lawson shook his head and shot him.
"You can't keep killing everyone, sir. Franklin won't be too pleased." Said one of Lawson's lieutenants.
"You'll be next if you question me." Snapped Lawson.
5:58:20
"Alright, Turner's on his way back with some of the evidence, including Garvan's phone." Curtis told Jack and Chloe.
"Good." Said Jack. "We might be able to shed more light on who he's been contacting."
"Hi Jack." Said Hal Turner. It had been a while since they last met.
"Talk of the devil. Good seeing you Hal." Said Jack as he shook his hand.
"Here, you might want to use this." Said Hal, as he pulled out Garvan's phone from his pocket.
"Cheers." Said Jack as he passed it to Chloe, who turned to Morris and Jake.
SPLIT SCREENS:
Chloe, Morris, Jake, analyse the data found on Garvan's phone. Jack and Curtis talk with Hal about what was at the scene. Ronson walks around the outside of the building, surveying the security guards outside. Keith Palmer sits down for breakfast with Mike, Linda, Trevon and others. Wayne, Evelyn and Amy pull up outside the building.
5:59:58…5:59:59…6:00:00