The phone rang out loud startling them both awake. 'Damnit i meant to put that on silent, Jack yelled out 'Sorry sweetheart i'll take it outside'. Renee nodded sleeply and rolled back over in bed. He stepped out of the bedroom and into the landing, and answered the phone.
'Hello?'
'Is this Jack Bauer?'
Jack got cautious, 'Yes who is this?'
'Jack it's Chase?'
'Chase my god, you kinda freaked me out there, how are you?'
'Ya sorry i forgot to ask for your number at the wedding.'
'It's ok, What's the problem?'
'Jack i don't know how to say this so i'll just say it, Chloe is missing.'
Jack's mind raced to his heart. 'What happened, how do you know she's missing?'
'We've been meeting up a lot recently, her and Anthony, her partner, we arranged lunch last Monday, but she didn't show and after five days i tried calling her, but Anthony told me, that last Saturday she left home and didn't return. 'He said she had to go do something.' Have you any idea where she might be?'
'No Renee and i saw her on Friday, she seemed a little distant, but she said she was fine, Chase have you called the police?'
'Yes but i've also made contact with C.T.U Los Angeles, it's back up and running, there's no one there who has worked with her, but they know her reputation, and have agreed to help.'
'Are you going there now?'
'Ya.'
'Ok i'll see you there, let me know if you hear anything.'
He hung up the phone and tried Chloe's cell, which went straight to voicemail.
'Dammit Chloe where are you?' worry in his voice, after her ordeal in mexico, she didn't need anymore trouble in her life. Renee and Chloe meant so much to him, and he had to find that other person that he had taken care of for so long.
He went back into the bedroom, and woke Renee up.
'Honey it's Chloe, something's happened, no one has seen her for days, that was Chase i'm meeting him at C.T..U.'
'Do you want me to come with you?'
'It's ok, stay here, i'll call you as soon as i know something.'
'Jack we made a pact to protect Chloe together.'
'I know but i need to keep you safe too Renee, i don't want you getting hurt.'
He leaned in and kissed her. 'I'll be in touch soon.'
Five minutes later he was out the door and heading for C.T.U
As soon Jack arrived at C.T.U, he started making phone calls, and Chase was hunting the city for her. Jack had never saw himself back at C.T.U under any circumstances, but this was like nothing else, his friend was missing, and he wouldn't be able to forgive himself if something happened to her.
'I want Anthony brought in for questioning.'
'The police have spoken with him.'replied Chase
'I still want to see him, i need to talk to him myself.'
'You think he's lying?'
'I don't know, just get him here please Chase.'
Jack stole a glance at the clock. 2.30pm. He'd been here for nearly twelve hours, and their attempts to find Chloe had turned up fruitless. All hospitals and urgent care centres had been checked, None of her friends had seen her, and he was extremely concerned that she may have been kidnapped again, like Mexico all over again. He moved his hand along where the scar where he had been shot was. He'd take a another bullet for her, hell he'd give his life for her. He knew that much, and so did she.
He was brought out of his thoughts when he spotted Renee walking towards him, and he got up to great her.
'Renee, i didn't expect you to come here.'
I'm not staying at home while a friend is missing, now what can i do to help?'
'Go with Chase, he's continuing the search in North Hollywood, she knows people there, i have to talk to Anthony, there bringing him here.'
Renee looked at Jack,' Why'? 'You….. You don't think he has anything to do with this?'
'I don't know, but i need to do this, replied Jack, hoping she was right'.
'Just don't do anything you can't live with, she said before walking away towards Chase who was briefing the search teams'.
Jack looked through the two way mirror into the interrogation room where Anthony sat. He looked calm and focused. Jack had learned all his life that appearances could be deceptive, he didn't know him as well as Chloe did. In fact he had hardly seen him without Chloe, meaning he could be any type of person. Jack blinked to rid his mind of what be or might not be, he had to find out where Chloe was, even if the only person who did was sitting right in front of that mirror.
He stepped in and studied him for a minute. 'Hello Anthony, i'm sure you know why you're here.'
'I do, but Jack i would never hurt Chloe, i care deeply about her, i want to know where she is as much as you do, but i hope you don't think i had anything to do with her going missing.
Jack moved closer to him. 'The truth is i don't know what to think, but Chloe has known me for years, i have put my life on the line for her, and she has done the same for me, and for her to disappear like this without any idea of where she has gone is completely not like her.' Why did you wait for five days before realising that she wasn't coming back?
'I thought she was taking time out, she has often told me that she needs her time to herself, i did wonder where she had got too, but i kept expecting her to walk through the door at any moment, but when her friend eh…. Chase called i just had to tell him. I called her cell and everything.
Did you argue?
'Yes a bit, she wanted to go somewhere, and she wouldn't tell me, i lost the plot a bit and next thing she was gone out the door.
Jack wasn't buying it. 'I don't believe you Anthony, this is your last chance, tell me what you know.'
'I know nothing, trust me Jack.'
'I have no choice.' Jack crossed the room to the phone, and picked it up.
'I need an interrogation package in here now.'
Anthony looked at him. 'Come on Jack, be reasonable here, this is wrong.'
'If you have something to say, say it now, or else i have to do this.'
'I've told you everything Jack.'
'Fine.' he walked to the door, stepped out and closed the door behind him, where the agent was about to step in to begin.
Suddenly the door opened and Chase walked in.
'Jack you can't do this.'
'I need the truth, i don't care what it takes to find out, she is depending on us.'
'Let's make him sweat for a bit, if he's hiding something he'll give it to us eventually.'
Jack bit back. 'And what do i do in the meantime?'
'Go home and rest, come back in a couple of hours and we'll do what needs to be done then, the search teams are still following up on a few things, but Jack if you do this and Chloe turns up safe and sound and Anthony didn't have anything to do with this, she will never forgive you.'
'Chloe has forgiven me for worse Chase.'
'Just give it time, we'll find out everything, Renee's with the teams and she'll let us know if she finds out anything. 'Go home for now ok?'
After a long debate in his head, Jack gave in and went home, deciding that Chase's advice was worth listening to.
He called Renee on the way, begging her to do everything she had to do, which she promised. He felt helpless as he drove home and walked in the door. He collapsed on the couch and breathed deeply.
'Where have you gone Chloe?' i need to know. His thoughts were destroying his head.
A sound from the kitchen startled him and he sprung up, gun at the were coming for him now. He moved stealthily towards the kitchen, and burst threw it, Pointing his gun at the figure in front of him. He froze.
He couldn't believe what he was looking at. There in front of him was Chloe in the middle of making a sandwich, she jumped when she saw the gun, but relaxed when she saw who was holding it.
'What i can't make a sandwich in your house now Jack, you said i was welcome anytime.'
Jack nearly fired a shot into the ceiling in anger. 'Where the hell have you been? We've been worried about you. You were missing.'
Chloe looked stunned. 'I only went to New York, i had something to take care of.'
'What for? Why didn't you call, why didn't you make…. Oh my god Anthony.'
Chloe looked at him. 'What about him?'
'I had him brought in for questioning, i thought he might have had been responsible for where you were. I was going to have him interrogated.'
She dropped the plate with the sandwich on it. 'Tell me you're joking Jack, he would never do anything to me. '
Jack reached for his phone and dialed Chase's number.
'Ya Jack?'
'Chloe's at my house, and she's fine, let Anthony go, i'll get back to you.'
'Where was she?'
'I'm about to find out.' He closed the phone, and turned to Chloe.
'I want an explanation now, where have you been, you said New York, why were you there?' 'Why didn't answer your phone?'
Chloe was struggling to answer him, but Jack wasn't letting her off on this one. 'Chloe answer me.'
Chloe spoke up. 'I went to New York to…. to…'
'Chloe?'
'To visit Morris and Prescott,' she finally said, sadness in her voice.
Jack's anger turned to pity immediately.
'You went to…. Oh Chloe i'm sorry. I had no idea that you were doing that.'
'I didn't either, but i hadn't been there since they died, and i never had the courage to go their since, but i had to do it.'
Jack had to sit down, 'Why didn't you tell Anthony?'
'I tried, but i was upset, i was going to call him and you when i got there, but when i arrived i noticed that i left my phone at home, i didn't think anyone would worry, but i'm sorry if i scared you.'
'Me Chase and Renee were worried like crazy about you, he called me five days ago.'
Chloe was crying now. 'I never thought it would get to that, i should have told Anthony, we did row about this, but he did nothing wrong.'
Jack felt relief and guilt go through him, the guilt because he was about to have Anthony tortured.
Chloe spoke again. 'I laid flowers for them, it was heartbreaking, but after i got back, i felt better, i wanted to come here and see you, and well i was hungry so i made a sandwich.'
Jack walked to her. 'I'm glad your ok, and i'm glad you got to see them, are you ok?'
She dried her eyes, 'Ya thanks Jack, i want you to know that Anthony and i are very happy, and i'm so appreciative to you for your concern, and to Chase and Renee too.'
'You're welcome, let's go to C.T.U, and explain the situation to them,' said Jack
'Sounds good, i'm just glad i got to go and see my husband and child ,who i will always miss, but you Renee, Chase and Anthony have helped me live again.' 'But i had to do this.'
Jack hugged her. 'Your welcome Chloe, now let's get down there and tell them everything.'
Chloe nodded. 'OK but you owe us dinner for nearly torturing Anthony, but i'm sure he will understand.'
Jack laughed, 'If i can afford it.'
'No way, a three course dinner, i demand it.'
'Fair enough,' and he hugged her again, before going to explain everything to everyone.