The Following Takes Place Between 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm
Ryan Chappelle entered CTU with two agents who were being transferred from another CTU in the area here to help out with the ongoing problem of the terrorist attack that was said to happen in LA.
Michelle spotted him noticeably fast for someone who was about to be relieved of her duty as the Director of Operations while Jack was gone. Ryan walked over to her.
"Dessler," he started. "You are now being relieved of your duty as well as Jack Bauer."
"You can't do that to Jack," Michelle stated. "Jack has not done anything wrong today. Sure his past may be messed up a bit, but…"
"Jack has been going for a hour. That is too long to leave CTU manned by a woman who is too emotionally involved in another situation to take control of CTU. You are relieved. You may stay…"
"I know the drill." Michelle walked towards Chloe's office on the second level to see if she had found anything knew.
"Your attention please," Ryan said loud enough so everyone could here. "I am now the Director of Operations of CTU LA for the meantime. You will take your orders from me. Thank you."
Jesus, Jack Bauer thought as a bullet just missed hitting Jack in the hand. When the hell will they take a break to reload?
"How much longer?" Tony asked.
"They have to be close to running out by now!" Jack shouted back.
"Don't you think we should call for back up?"
"They might want that to happen so they can ambush CTU and take them out. Besides with a possible mole in CTU you think they won't find out?"
"Are you sure?"
"Positive!"
The door burst open Jack rolled around and shot the first guy in the head. He went down as a second guy entered Tony shot him in the chest. Jack kicked the door closed.
"Do you think we can hold them?"
"We don't have a choice. If we don't they will barge in and take us out. Quick grab the automatics."
Tony throws one of the rifles to Jack. Jack takes a clip from one of the dead enemy a puts it in the gun. He throws another clip to Tony who does the same thing.
"More firepower?"
"Quiet," Jack whispers. "They stopped firing."
"Good."
"Maybe not."
"Why?"
"They may be charging in."
"And who are you?" David Palmer asked from the meeting room aboard Air Force One. On the TV screen was Ryan Chappelle broadcasting live feed to Palmer.
"I am replacing Jack Bauer and Michelle Dessler," Ryan said. "I'm Ryan Chappelle and I'm now in charge of CTU."
"Where is Jack?"
"I don't know."
"Find him."
"Mr. President, we have bigger problems on our hands with the terrorist attack that might happen today. We can't wait time trying to find a rogue agent."
"Jack is a much better agent than a pain in the ass like you! Now find him!"
David shut off the TV and made his way back to his office where Wayne and Aaron Pierce were seated.
"What is the matter?" David asked shutting the door and taking a seat behind his desk.
"We are here to talk to you about Mike," Wayne answered.
"I do not want to have this conversation."
"Here," Aaron said giving David the phone. "It is Mike. Secret Service has him in custody at the White House."
David took the phone and said into it, "Mike?"
"Why are you doing this?" Mike Novick asked on the other end of the phone.
"You betrayed me, Mike."
"It is not like that."
"Then why are you meeting with my ex wife in your office during the time where she is going to holding a vote to destroy me? Why are you doing that?"
"I was going to talk to her and try to convince her it was not the right thing to do."
"We both know that that is a load of crap. Tell me the truth."
"That is the truth."
"Tell me the truth!"
"As much as you don't want to believe it, sir, you better. That is the truth and you and me both know that you can't change that. Good-bye, Mr. President.
David hung up and gave the phone back to Wayne and said, "Keep him there. I want to talk to him personally when we arrive in Washington. How much longer?"
"About eighty minutes," Wayne replied.
"Aaron, can you excuse us?" David asked.
"Of course, Mr. President," Aaron said as he left the room.
David looked straight into Wayne's face and said, "We need to talk."
12:11. This is taking too long, Jack Bauer thought. The silence had been going on for five minutes now. No sound.
"What is happening?" Tony asked in a whisper.
"Something has to be happening," Jack replied. He looked at Rodriguez's dead body. "He was our only lead."
Then the bullets came again.
They must've been reloading, Jack thought as the familiar sounds of different guns crept back into his ears. Sniper rifles and automatics were being fired and were leaving many holes in the shack.
"Do you think that security knows about this?" Tony shouted.
"With the noise this is making!" Jack started. "They know!"
"Do you think this is wise to make the plan start so early?" Hector Salazar asked his older brother Ramon. "To put so much faith in Nikolia?"
"I trust him with my life," Ramon answered. "He knows what he is doing mark my words. You won't regret this."
They were eating in the backyard by the pool. Claudia, Hector's wife, was playing in the pool were their son.
"As long as you are sure," Hector continued the conversation.
"I am," Ramon said eating a taco. "We supply Nikolia with what he needs and his men execute the plan. We are like businessmen who pay the workers to build a building see. An analogy. Trust me my brother, this will work."
Hector looked at him and nodded, but he had his doubts. Ever since the beginning. He didn't like the idea of trusting a Russian and his men with such a task. Only reason any of the Salazar's men were in the operation was because Ramon wanted Hector to have faith.
Hector still lacked it.
"I may have something," Chloe O'Brian told Michelle Dessler. "Go get Chappelle because he will want to see this."
"Tell me and I will tell him," Michelle said.
"You heard him. I have to report directly to him."
"Chloe…"
"I'm not breaking procedure so I can get fired. I'll get Chappelle myself." Chloe stood up, but Michelle blocked the way out of the office. "Michelle?"
Chase walked over and saw the two and asked, "What is going on?"
"I have a lead," Chloe said.
"Then show Michelle."
"I have to report directly to Chappelle on this."
"No you don't, Chloe," Michelle started in. "Now show me the damn lead."
Chase and Chloe exchanged looks. Then Chloe exchanged looks with Michelle before giving in and saying, "Fine. Give me a minute and I will get to the file." She looked at the clock. It was 12:19.
"Hello, Mitch!" Brian Nathans shouted into the cell phone trying to yell over the gunfire that was going on in the background.
"Nathans!" Mitch shouted on the phone. "Go to a more calm area! I can't hear anything you are saying!"
Nathans made his way past dead security officers, who were dead, to the last garden at the retreat and asked, "Better?"
"Much," Mitch answered. "Now what is it? I am very busy helping Nikolia."
"Did he call Ramon?"
"Yes."
"And he told him about the situation with Rodriguez?"
"Of course, but we are all disappointed with the way you handled the situation at the Almeida house."
"I'm still very sorry."
"I know. What time is it there?"
"12:24."
"Still early. Anyway I need you to make sure that both Almeida and his wife, Michelle Dessler are dead within the next two hours."
"Why so quick?"
"They will prove a pain. Is your mole in CTU ready to take out Dessler?"
"Almost. Once they gain a little more trust from Dessler and the others the person will be ready."
"Excellent. Now go finish your job."
"Do you want Bauer dead?"
Mitch pauses for a moment and then says, "At all costs."
5