Chapter 1

Talking, the humming of computers, four-toned rings of many phones, clattering of heels; these were the sounds of CTU, or the Counter Terrorism Unit of Los Angeles.

Head Analyst Chloe O'Brian was quickly making her way up the stairs to the SAC's office (or the Special Agent in Charge) where Bill Buchanan was. As she burst through the glass door Bill spun around in his chair and put his hand up to signal her to wait as he finished off on the phone. He finished off his call quickly. Chloe's face looked urgent almost as if she'd burst if she didn't tell him any second now. Bill put the receiver down. Straight away Chloe rushed to his desk saying, "Sir, we got a hit on Johnson, he's classed as high priority on our watch list."

"I know Chloe, where was he spotted?" Bill asked. Chloe put down her touch screen laptop, and clicked on a photo of the man Johnson.

"It was about a week ago in Los Angles."

Bill quickly interjected, "Why wasn't I told about this before?"

"Because I didn't know," Chloe scowled almost, but caught herself; she was trying not to do that. "The picture was only taken because the man he's talking with was being watched, but they didn't know that Johnson was also a high priority. It took a while to process and find out it was him."

"Do we know where he might be now?"

"We believe he's still in Los Angles."

Bill had put on his glasses staring at the picture of the two people. He was already a bit tired, he'd been at work 5 hours, but he knew he had a long day ahead of him now. "Is there anymore information Chloe?"

"Yes Mr. Buchanan," Chloe clicked on an icon bringing up another photograph. "This is another picture we were given of Johnson; it's about two and a half weeks old."

"Who's that with him?"

"That's Lydia Iovita; she's a weapons dealer with certain political motives to which groups she sells too. She was also under watch at the time, she's now in custody."

"Where is she?"

"There bring her back to the U.S. but I don't know where."

"Right," Bill sighed, "Chloe I want you to put more of your people on monitoring chatter for any help with pending attacks."

"Why pending?" Chloe looked at him confused, but her face looked more screwed up like she was looking at a crazy man. Bill slightly shook his head knowing that she didn't mean anything by it.

"We're closing in on his people; he'll be looking for help."

Bill's phone did a four-toned ring. "Right Chloe, get to it." He said nodding her toward the door. "Oh, and try to find Johnson's last known address in L.A., get Morris to get me a satellite feed from there, OK?"

"Ok, Mr. Buchanan." Chloe grabbed her laptop and her stylus just as Bill picked up the phone. "Buchanan" Chloe heard as she shut the door and made her way down the stairs to the Bullpen.

Chloe went into the bullpen and called Taylor, Amy, and Holly to her station. "I need you three to monitor chatter for any pending attacks OK?" Chloe said looking harassed.

"I can do my job Chloe, I don't need two other people to help me I can do it. Actually I can do much more than that; I'm qualified to do much more complicated work than that." Holly said with anger and outrage sketched on her face. Holly was a small Caucasian woman who was a bit younger than Chloe with fair features and dark red hair platted back with two bits sticking out at the front. Before district had moved her too L.A. she had the same job as Chloe in the Miami branch. Nobody seemed to know why she had been moved across the country and demoted, but Chloe seemed to think that no one could cope with her annoyingness.

"Look, Holly, Mr. Buchanan wants this done so just do your job, and stop being so big headed. OK?" Chloe said giving her a sideways scowl. Holly huffed and went to sit back at her desk, Taylor and Amy following her to their seats near her. Chloe sat in her seat with a thud and a sigh. Why did people have to be so annoying? Ugh. She pressed her pad controlling her webcam and called up Morris even thought he was only sat a few stations away. Morris' face came on the small screen, "Morris, Mr. Buchanan wants you to find out Johnson's last know address and bring up a satellite feed." Morris had been rehired on a permanent basis to CTU thanks to Chloe persuading Bill that they needed him after Edger's passing. Chloe had taken Edger's death and Jacks kidnapping hard and needed Morris there to help her, and Bill had realized this.

"Alright," Morris said then he looked at his screen as he'd been staring at the monitor when he had answered. He saw Chloe's face and walked over to her station. She looked up from her screen and into his eyes; she was a bit uncomfortable with the way he was looking at her. "Are you ok Chloe? Because erm you don't really look it. Did something happen up there?" He said looking up to where Bill was pacing up and down whilst on the phone. He knew that Holly wouldn't bother Chloe that much.
"I was just showing Mr. Buchanan that alert we had from the watch list;" Chloe knew that she couldn't just shrug off Morris, she didn't even want to, "but it's just like every time we start a new task we're getting further away from ever finding Jack. He didn't do anything wrong, he shouldn't be in prison, we should be trying to get him back, Morris." Chloe's eyes were getting bigger and bigger as she spoke.

"Look Love, I know and I agree with you, but Mr. Buchanan has done everything he can for Jack, and President Palmers going to try to do what he can as soon as he gets settled in office. There's nothing we can do, Darling."
"I just feel like we should be out there looking for him."
Morris cut her off "You would never find him there, we need you here Chloe, I need you here." He paused for a moment and just looked at her; he just wished she would show that she felt the same way that he felt about her. Then he carried on, "Anyway Audrey is out there looking for him, you know that."

"I guess your right." Chloe said sighing.

"You know I am, Darling, as I always am." A wry smile crept across Morris face. He walked over to his station and started a search to find Johnson's address.

Chloe sat there thinking for a moment, Morris was right she wasn't going to get him back by herself, not even with the help of Buchanan. Chloe's mind kept wandering back to the day Jack had been kidnapped and Buchanan asked her to phone Kim. Morris was taking her home when Bill had phoned up telling her about Jack then asking her to phone Kim as she knew her best. Chloe was feeling like she was about to go into shock, but held herself together to phone Kim. Kim had just got off her plane with Barry. When Chloe had told her Kim seemed puzzled but indifferent, then all of a sudden she broke down crying almost in hysterics. Chloe had found it very hard not to join in with Kim. Chloe thought that Jack might be able to stay round, but she was wrong. She felt like she had lost two of her best friends in one day, even though Jack had been thought dead before that day, Chloe had had the most contact with him, though very occasional. Well maybe Morris was right maybe she would never hear Jack's voice again. She kept wondering to herself; Is there hope left?

Her phone began to ring, she quite liked the four-toned ring, though it could easily add to the tension that always seemed to surround the place like a duvet made of lead. She then snapped out of her thoughts and grabbed the phone. "O'Brian"

"It's Bill we're having a department heads meeting now in the situation room."

"Ok I'll be there in a minute." Chloe then headed over to Morris' station on her way to the situation room. "Have you got the feed yet?" Chloe asked.

"No there something wrong with our surveillance. I can't get anything for 6 blocks around that address. It could be just a technical fault. I'm just going to check some more problems it could be." Morris said looking complexly confused at his monitor.

"Right Morris let me know as soon as you know what the problem is. Ok?"

"Yea, I will."
Chloe would of took the task straight of someone else, but knew if anyone could find out what was wrong it was Morris. Anyway it could just be one of their servers playing up, but it was a bit wired.

Chloe stepped into the conference room, as she realized that Bill, Curtis, and everyone else had been waiting for her. She kept her head down and entered. She took a seat a couple of seats away from Curtis sitting with her back to the window.

"Right know we're all here, I'll tell you why I called this meeting. I got a call from Division; they got some files off Iovita's computer." Bill said as the image of Iovita and Johnson came up on the screen. "Division has decided to share these files with us." Bill said showing his anger in his face for a moment, but then he rained it in. Bill knew getting angry didn't help Division in being more open with information they needed. "There's a particular document on her computer which was encrypted, it contains the weapons bought by different clients and some of there details. Of course there are no names. So Chloe I need you to start to cross-check the details of all her clients to the details we have on Johnson and see if you can find a match. If we can find a match then maybe we'll know what we're up against." Chloe got out of her chair and turned around. Bill still looking at the screen with the image on called out to Chloe, "Bring your laptop in here so you can be in the rest of the meeting, and tell me when Morris can put the feed on the screens, he's taking longer than usual." Just as Chloe heard what Bill said she saw out of the window Morris leaning over Amy trying to "help" her with a task that she was probably more than capable of, even though Chloe knew she was a little slow and thick-headed surely she didn't need Morris' help. Morris hadn't changed over night and that was why Chloe wasn't about to go-out with him like he wanted her too. Morris as soon as he saw Chloe walked back to his desk. Chloe walked over too her desk in the bullpen and grabbed her laptop, but as she was passing Morris' desk back toward the situation room he whistled at her too come over to him, "Darling, come and have a look at this." He beckoned her and she went over to him. "What is it Morris? I need to get back in there, and I'm pretty sure Amy can do her job without you holding her hand." She said with an annoyed impatient tone.

"It was a matter of efficiency, like I've told you before; she isn't the brightest bulb now is she." Morris was now gesturing with his hands. "I think we have a problem a bit bigger than Amy now ok. I'm pretty sure someone is hacking into our system,"

"Are you sure?" Chloe said slightly shocked. "Let me see." Morris moved slightly so she could see the screen better as she leant in to see the code better.

"They're messing with our satellite coverage and schematics of houses in that region. I can't see where it's coming from they're covering their tracks well. It could be coming from anywhere."

"We better phone Mr. Buchanan." As soon as she'd said that Chloe could feel Buchanan's eyes boring into her. She quickly turned around and saw people were filtering out. Chloe turned back to Morris, and picked up the phone. After the first four-toned ring Bill picked up. He spoke first, "I'll be there in a moment Chloe." He put the phone straight down, he didn't sound too happy.
Bill called Curtis back just as he was about to carry-on walking out with everybody else. "Curtis." Bill almost shouted. Curtis walked back towards Bill.

"Yeah Bill, what's up?"

"I want you to get a TAC team ready to move out. I'm just going to get the address of Morris and I'll phone you with the coordinates. Ok?"

"Yeah ok I'm on it." Curtis got out his mobile to call Alpha team into action.

Bill walked divisively towards the station where Chloe and Morris where. Bill liked Chloe she worked hard and was dependable, but he was still not comfortable working with Morris yet. Chloe had sat at a station next to Morris working up the data Bill had sent her on her laptop, but was still keeping an eye on Morris moniter.

"What's going on here? Because if you too are arguing which is what it looked like to me from over there your both out of the door!"

Chloe answered first while Morris kept his head down, "Mr. Buchanan it's nothing like that Morris told me before he was having trouble with the satellite coverage, and now he knows why." Bill turned to look at Morris with a slightly more relaxed face than before, but he was expecting a very good answer.

"Mr. Buchanan I believe, and Chloe agrees with me, that someone has hacked into CTU's satellite coverage we can't get anything for six blocks around his house or schematics for that fact." Morris said passing a piece of notepad paper with Johnson's last known address scribbled on it to Bill. Bill immediately phoned Curtis and told Curtis too phone him when he arrived.

"He's trying to mess with us," Bill said half to himself, "Have you decided whether it was an internal or external breach."

"No," Morris said slightly confused that Bill had thought it might be internal, but he understood why he might think that, "They've covered there tracks well, it's going to take awhile." Bill rubbed the top bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger.

"Right, let's keep this between the three of us just in case it is a breach inside CTU. Chloe I'm sending Curtis in to Johnson's house I need you to run COM for me. Morris carry on trying to track the source, and for now please cross-check the database for Johnson's information with Iovita's list until Chloe has finished running COM. As soon as you have anything I want to know. I want you too work out of the situation room for now Chloe; one of Curtis' men will have a camera so we'll need that up on one of the screens. I'm going to call Nadia to be in on this also." Bill walked off towards Nadia Yassir's station. Nadia hadn't been at CTU Los Angeles Domestic Unit long she'd been transferred from Detroit after Curtis Manning had become Head of Field Ops. A few people had objected to her working there, but Bill had quickly put a stop to that.

Chloe had started to copy and send the files to Morris' computer. "Do you really think there's someone on the inside?" Morris had turned to Chloe as he asked the question looking slightly worried.

"Probably not Mr. Buchanan just wants to make sure I guess." Chloe said shrugging her shoulders looking bored and back to her screen. It had all finished sending and Morris' computer made a noise when he'd got it, so Chloe made her way to the situation room with her laptop under her arm. Buchanan and Nadia were sat down talking over the pictures and other documents spread out at the top of the table. Bill looked up as Chloe entered the room, and he tried a smile in her direction, but it came out strained. This made Chloe more uncomfortable, although Chloe soon got over it setting her laptop up ready to run COM. A few minutes later Nadia and Bill had finished discussing the pictures and other documentation and Bill turned to Chloe and asked, "You ready?" Chloe turned to Bill and nodded. Chloe pressed a few keys and the sound of Curtis and his men came through on the speakers, the picture from the small camera one of the men had on his helmet came on the screen.

"Curtis," Bill bellowed, "you're going in blind we can't get any coverage of your area, or any schematics of that house or any nearby. Myself, Chloe, and Nadia are here to coordinate and give you whatever else you're going too need."
"Thanks Bill," Curtis replied in his signature calm tone, "we're all set here. Whenever you want us too go in we're ready." Bill sighed, this needed to be done but he didn't like sending them in like this.

"Alright Curtis," He paused another minute though he knew time was of the essence, "You're ago." He said firmly in an authoritative voice. Over the speakers they could hear Curtis address the rest of the team on COM.

"Alpha team we are a go, I repeat we are a go."

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It was a dark room with bright television and computer monitors arranged on arms sticking out to make them in a circle type manner. There were also some on the walls surrounding. There was a dark figure visible against the bright screens. Their eyes were flying from the monitors to the door at their right side. They were on edge. The figure had a small, black, flip, cell in their hand, and was taking in hushed urgent tones.

"They've found out that there is a problem with their system, they have somebody trying to fix it now." Silence. "I don't know how long they'll be but it can't be long." Silence. "They've just set up COM their tactical units are in play." Silence. "Korosho, korosho, dasvadanya," They said in Russian before flipping the cell back up and putting it in their pocket. The figure opened the door to their right stepped out, and walked through a few dark corridors. As they came to the end of the corridor they entered a much brighter space, walking up too a chair and sat down at a computer. All of a sudden somebody turned to them saying, "Where were ya?"

"Oh erm, I was just in Tech Room 1 opening another socket." The figure gave a small smile to the other person.

"Ok then." The person walked off, and the figure stared at Bill, Chloe, and Nadia intently in the situation room.