24: Season 5
18 months later
The following takes place between 7am and 8am. Events occur in real time.
7:01 A.M.
The opening scene takes place in a large highly secured research laboratory on a US military base. There are several scientists experimenting with various chemicals. 2 of the scientists draw access cards and proceed to open a locked vault. The vault has a mark on it that says 'biohazard'. The vault is opened to reveal a small flask containing a pale yellow liquid. One of the scientists takes out the flask and places it on the adjacent workbench. Suddenly, one of the men in the lab takes out a pistol and kills the scientists.
A security alarm sounds and security personnel are summoned to the area.
The assassin retrieves the flask and carefully puts it in a digitally locked suitcase. He hides behind a workbench just as security enters the code to the digitally accessed door and enters the lab. They proceed to look for the killer, however they have no luck. The assassin releases a high dose of a toxic gas into the lab just as he rushes out the open door, sealing all personnel inside. He checks to see that they are all dead, and then rushes out of the building quickly jumping into an armoured vehicle waiting for him. They're fired at, but this proves futile as the walls of the van are too thick. He attaches a scramble filter to his cell phone and makes a call. He says panting slightly, 'We have it', to which a man on the other end replies, 'Good, proceed as planned' and hangs up….. It is Chinese Consul Sheng.
7:09 A.M.
Jack Bauer wakes up and slowly sits in bed. He is now living in Bakersfield, LA. He looks at Diane sleeping opposite him before getting up to go to the bathroom. He washes his face, and then heads downstairs where Diana has started on breakfast. Craig is also eating at the table. Want any pancakes Jeff? He refuses and has a coffee instead. He looks a wreck.
7:13 A.M.
Back at CTU headquarters Bill Buchanan is now head of operations. He has called staff in early for an emergency meeting. Curtis Manning, Chloe O'Brian, Sarah Gavin and Edgar Stiles are amongst the operatives at the meeting. Buchanan addresses that a highly toxic chemical agent known as DC-9 has been stolen from a US military base in Los Angeles, to which Curtis replies, 'But how, there is a level 6 clearance on that base, the person would have needed a mole to get within a 100 feet of the gates'. Edgar and Chloe agree and this forces Buchanan to investigate the matter. He sends Curtis and another agent to the base.
7:21 A.M.
Meanwhile, Michelle Dessler and Tony Almeida, along with their baby son Adrian are driving to San Diego in a new Cadillac to meet Michelle's mother. Michelle calls to check up on her mother, who is on a dialysis, but accidentally drops her phone as they go over a speed bump. As she moves to pick it up, there is a deafening explosion; the car is hit by an RPG, absolutely obliterating it; it seems that everyone is dead.
7:27 A.M.
Tony is amazingly unhurt by the blast, except for some minor flesh wounds. He checks to see that everyone is ok, but to his horror both Michelle and Adrian were utterly destroyed by the blast. He falls to his knees in anguish. He takes a moment to try to steady himself then calls the only man he trusts….. Jack Bauer.
7:29 A.M.
Jack answers. Tony tells him of the attack, and Jack is mortified. He knows that it must have been orchestrated by the Chinese Consulate, in an attempt to assassinate Jack and anyone who knows that he is alive. Jack tells Tony that he understands his grief, but he must do something for him……get him back to CTU undocumented. Tony murmurs his assent, and Jack thanks him, saying, 'I need you now Tony'.
7:31 A.M.
Curtis and an agent named Essling put on their Kevlar vests and load their weapons. They get into an SUV and drive to the base. Essling is nervous as it is his first call in the field. Curtis sees his partner's anxiety and assures him that everything will be fine.
7:33 A.M.
Jack calls Diane… he wants to have a word with her. He beckons her to sit down and she does. He holds her hands and looks into her yes. She asks, what's going on? Jack takes a deep breath and begins, 'My name is not Jeff Harding. I'm not a furniture salesman… My name is Jack Bauer I'm a former Counter terrorist operative. I've been presumed dead for a year and a half. I was supposedly killed by our own government in an attempt to stop an international incident with the Chinese government after a botched mission at the Chinese embassy in LA that ended in the Consul's death. The Chinese wanted me assassinated. I faked my death and went into hiding.' Diane is shocked to her core. 'So, everything has been a lie? You're a fugitive? Her distressed tone escalates into a cry 'How could you do this to us! Get out of my house now and don't come back! Jack is crushed. He tells her that a close friend of his was almost killed in an explosion and that his wife and child were murdered. Diane starts crying and beats at Jack's chest yelling Why Jack why! Jack grabs her by the wrists and tells her forcefully that she must leave or she will be traced to Jack and murdered along with her son Craig.
She nods, composing herself. 'What are you going to do? Jack looks at her and says hurriedly, 'I'm going to CTU, to hopefully get some protection until I can clear my name. I'll be fine, it's you and Craig I'm worried about. Pack light and get out of here. Go to a suitable motel and lie low for the time being. I'll contact you later to check up on you.
7:39 A.M.
CTU receives a log from the LAPD that a car has been blown up, and that it contained the remnants of the bodies of an unidentified woman and a child. CTU overlooks the importance of this, as they have more pressing matters.
7:42 A.M.
Curtis and Essling arrive at the base and are saluted by 2 army officers. Curtis tells the officers of the DC-9 theft. One of the officers replies that there already has been someone from CTU come to see them about it. Essling doesn't comprehend and tells the officers that they are the CTU agents, nobody else has been sent there. Curtis and Essling look ominously at each other. The army officers become suspicious of the agents and aim their rifles at Curtis and Essling, before they have a chance to explain themselves. They are cuffed, and taken onto base.
7: 45 A.M.
When CTU doesn't receive a call from Curtis about their progress, Chloe gets worried. She tells Buchanan that this is unusual but he brushes her off. Chloe is incensed.
7:48 A.M.
Curtis and Essling are put in the same holding cell and await interrogation. Curtis tells Essling that there is nothing to worry about, and that everything has just been a misunderstanding, but this does little to calm him down.
7:51 A.M.
Curtis is the first to be interrogated. He is asked questions about CTU that could only be answered by someone who works there. The interrogator asks Curtis, 'Who is the director of CTU?' to which Curtis answers 'Bill Buchanan, he was appointed by President Logan to take over after the resignations of Erin Driscoll and Michelle Dessler. The interrogator is impressed.
7:54 A.M.
Essling is asked about his partner. Essling responds, 'why do you have us here? We're on your side! The interrogator ignores this and repeats the question, 'What do you know about your partner?' Essling says that Curtis Manning is a CTU operative who has been working there for 4 years. Essling writes down the number for CTU and tells the soldier to call them. The soldier says to Essling, 'I'll do just that.'
7:57 A.M.
The phone rings at CTU. Sarah Gavin answers. The officer asks whether they have sent 2 field agents to their base. Sarah puts him on speaker so that the entire division can hear the call.
7:58 A.M.
'This is Bill Buchanan, director of CTU, who am I speaking to?' The officer replies, 'Major-General David Hayes, sir. Did you send 2 agents to our base? Buchanan answers, 'Yes, to investigate the theft of the DC-9. Hayes is convinced and uncuffs the agents, apologizing and allowing them to continue their investigation, when 2 men armed with Ingrams force down the door and kill Hayes. One of them turns to Curtis and says, 'Now we have some questions of our own', and knocks him out with the butt of his gun. The people at CTU listen over the phone in horror at the proceedings.
7:59:57 A.M.
7:59:58 A.M.
7:59:59 A.M.
8:00:00 A.M.