Rescue Me
Love 24. Love writing fiction. Put them together and you get my dodgy attempt at a 24 fan fiction story. What more can you do but your best……….
Sometimes people long for silence. Say, if you have spent too long around a child, or an elderly person. They seem to think shouting or yelling is the only means of communication with fellow humans. Sometimes silence is bliss- no traffic, no dawn chorus, no noisy neighbors. Silence can be great. However, silence was the last thing that Rae wanted at that precise moment. It was too easy for him to hear her. Her walk, drawing her gun, even her breathing. Every move she made was obvious because of the deafening silence. He wasn't far away- just inside the doorway in the hall. The house was empty save for the two of them, which did not help matters. Thinking without awareness, she glanced to her left and picked up a paper weight from the table. Taking a deep breath she turned and threw it over her shoulder in the complete opposite direction. It worked- she listened as the sound of his careful movement faded into the next room, seeking the source of the loud bang made by the paper weight. Seizing her chance she tore of her shoes and ran as quietly as she could across the wooden floor and up the stairs. Some might say that heading upstairs would trap someone in a house, but Rae had other ideas. She did not know the intruder, but she knew that he was no burglar. He was there for a reason. Hunted in her own home, she headed for her bedroom and tried to concentrate on the sound downstairs. They had been at this for twenty minutes- fortunately her house was large enough to keep on the move the whole time and prevent capture. He had not spoken, save for the command to come out with her hands up. That made her think he was military or the likes of. No-one else would bother with a warning. She had not seen him, but had spent the time running from his shadow. There was something about this that scared her, and she did not usually scare easily.
"I'm going to ask you one more time," He knew she was upstairs.
"Come out, with your hands up."
Ignoring him and acting purely on hr desperation to get out, she forced open her bedroom window and swung herself out of it. She made sure her gun was tucked securely into the back of her belt and climbed skillfully through the trees until she reached the ground. That, she thought, was what came of growing up in Amazon Rainforest. Still, this was too easy. He'd gone quiet again. Checking the windows quickly, she stalked along the back walls of the house. Her intent was to run for the garage- there was a combat jeep there and a motorbike. It was just a case of which key she found first. However, there was a large area of open garden in-between. She could either run for it, hoping he hadn't seen her exit, or she could take a longer route to the garage, scaling the walls of the house. The latter, there was no time for. She'd have to run. She drew her gun and cocked it, taking a deep breath. As much as she had loved the military life and the buzz in government protection, this did not do wonders for the nerves. Constantly checking for his presence, she made a run for it, crouched low in the grass. She had not anticipated his next move. As she reached the corner of the path she was thrown to the ground by a mass of weight from her left. He had found her and caught her. Lying face down in the grass, she was aware that her gun had gone flying way out of reach. She had fallen hard, with a lot of force and ha hit her head on the concrete path. She did not feel that she could get up, but years of doing a treacherous job had trained her body to work against pain and injury. She sat up very slowly, aware of the gun being held on her. She looked up to face the attacker.
"Can I help you?" she said, stretching a hand to her head. It came away blood smeared, and she put her mind to wondering why she was still alive.
"Yeah, keep still and put you hands behind your back." He made his way slowly around her and handcuffed her, not once lowering his gun. This guy was definitely trained in the same line of work as her.
"Who are you? And what the hell is going on?" Rae had lost sight of the man, and was beginning to get curious. If he still hadn't killed her, then he needed her for something. She was useful. And whilst that was apparent, she had a bit of lee way with him.
"I have a right to know why I am being hunted and attacked in my own home. Answer me!"
"Can you stand?" He reappeared in front of her and semi lowered his gun.
"Do you care?"
She stood slowly.
"Can I at least know your name?" She looked up at him in the afternoon sun.
He looked her straight in the eye.
"Jack Bauer."
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"Look bastard guy, you still haven't told me anything and strangely I'm getting less inclined to co-operate!" Rae raised her voice for the first time since her capture and strained against the handcuffs.
"You give us any trouble and we'll sedate you immediately."
The man called Jack Bauer seated himself opposite and folded his arms.
"Why am I being treated like this? I have done nothing wrong."
"We don't know that. You resisted capture."
Rae grinned.
"Wouldn't you? Besides, I have lived and seen enough to resist opening my door to anyone, let alone an American with a gun."
Her Brazilian accent added sincerity to her quiet tone, and intrigued Jack.
"Can you state your name please."
"You mean you don't know it? Don't tell me you skipped the op research." Rae decided she could have a little fun with this one.
"Your name." Jack almost admired the fearlessness in her.
She sighed and sat back in her chair.
"Raeanna Arnelle."
"And your age."
"Can't remember."
He sighed.
"Miss Arnelle, this is going to take more time than I have to give to it if you carry on like this. Stop wasting my time."
She watched him for a few moments, a slight grin forming.
"Twenty eight. Next question."
He reached inside a file and pulled out a photograph. He held it up.
"Do you know this man?"
There was a long silence, during which Rae's face turned white.
"Yes."
Jack looked at another man, standing in the doorway, then back at her.
"He is very dangerous. Why do you ask me about him?"
Jack lowered the photograph and rested his hands on the table.
"He is right at the centre of a very important operation. Its vital that you tell us all you know about him."
"Why me?"
"We found your name on a lap top we recovered from a property of his. Your name and address, and a note. You are our only lead."
Rae swallowed.
"What did the note say?"
Again Jack glanced at the man in the doorway, who nodded. He looked back at the file and withdrew another piece of paper. He laid it down in front of Rae.
"Any idea what it means?"
Rae did not speak for a while, and pushed the paper away from her.
"It is the name of an operation run by the government organization I worked for."
Jack sat forward in his seat.
"Go on."
"We ran it six years ago. It went on for months and months, even years, but the most important, or memorable day was the date that is written here."
"And what happened on that day?"
She sighed.
"We took this man, Casper Delolio is his name, into custody after a string of violent attacks he had conducted killed hundreds, maybe thousands of people."
There was another short silence.
"Let me guess, he did it again."
Jack nodded.
Rae looked up at him.
"You must catch him. He is a great danger to your country."
"We fully intend to, but like I said, so far we have nothing."
He gathered the papers inside the file and closed it.
"You have me."
"You can help us?"
"I can help you. I have names, addresses, interesting facts, and most importantly, I have caught him before. I may still be able to gain access to the files on the last operation."
Jack stood up.
"I cannot tell you how much that would help us, and the innocent citizens or America."
"There is one condition Jack."
"Yes?"
"You take these fantastically irritating handcuffs off and start treating me like a human."
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Oooh I say, writing isn't half fun! Please review, you made it this far!