The sound of the explosions shook Milo back into consciousness. Blinking rapidly, he looked around, surprised when he saw Kim leaning over him, worry evident in her face.
"What happened?" he asked. Then as it started to come back to him, he sat up suddenly, ignoring the pain in his head. "Chloe! Nina has Chloe! We have to-"
"It's okay, Milo. My dad and Tony showed up. Nina didn't hurt Chloe."
He breathed a sigh of relief, both for the fact that his friend was alright and that Jack wouldn't hunt him down and kill him for letting something happen to her. As he continued to look around, he frowned.
"Where is everybody?"
Kim sighed. "Nina set charges all over the warehouse. We all had to go out different ways. Do you think you can stand?"
He nodded, wincing at the effort. Kim hooked an arm under his, helping him back to his feet. Milo stood still for a few moments, trying to balance himself and get his bearings. The rubble around them was still smoldering and burning, and he prayed that the others got out in time.
"Let's find them," he suggested, moving forward.
A movement far to his left caught his attention, and he stopped dead in his tracks, forcing Kim to do the same.
"Shit."
"What?"
Kim's eyes followed the line of his gaze, and her heart plummeted into her stomach when she saw Mandy coming toward them.
"I thought she was dead!"
"Why?"
"Dad ran her off the road and then the car exploded. She must have gotten out while we were talking."
"Well, we could stick around and ask her, or we could get out of here."
Kim looked around them. "Downtown's not too far. Maybe we can lose her in the people there."
"Let's go."
Taking her hand, Milo ran toward the streets behind them and into the city.
8888888888888888888888888888
Tony coughed and sat up as the smoke around him cleared. Shaking his head to try and clear his mind, he looked around frantically for Nadia. She was a few feet away from him, pushing herself up onto her hands and knees. There were cuts and bruises on her skin, but otherwise she seemed okay.
"You alright?" he called.
She nodded. "You?"
He coughed again. "I think so."
"Did you see if the others got out okay?"
He shook his head. "Come on. We'll look for them."
Tony stood up and walked over to her, offering a hand to help her up. Nadia took it gratefully, and then continued to hold his hand as they stood facing each other. He reached out to brush some soot from her hair, giving her a small smile. Opening his mouth to say something, he stopped suddenly, his gaze focused on something behind her.
"What is it?" she asked worriedly, turning around.
They stared in shock as they saw Kim and Milo running towards Downtown, Mandy in pursuit.
"You have GOT to be kidding me," Nadia exclaimed.
"She must have slipped out of the car before it exploded."
"We can't let her get Kim and Milo. Come on." She moved forward, tugging on his hand.
"What about Jack and Chloe?"
Nadia looked at him for a moment. "If they got out, they'll be okay. We'll call them when we get a chance. For now, we need to make sure Mandy doesn't kill Kim. That's the best way we can help Jack right now."
Hesitating for only a second longer, Tony finally nodded his head and they ran off after the others.
8888888888888888888888888888
"Chloe," Jack rasped as he tried to stand up.
He looked around wildly, unable to find her. Panic rose in his chest as he thought for the second time that day that she had been blown up because of him. But then there were gentle hands on his shoulders, slowly helping him up. He turned to see Chloe smiling at him.
"Hey."
"Hey," he replied. "You're okay?"
She nodded. "Few cuts from the glass, but nothing serious."
Jack smiled, but it quickly disappeared as another thought descended on him.
"Kim!" he gasped.
"Don't worry, Jack. She got out. We'll find her." She looked across the street as she thought, distracted by the sirens wailing in the distance. Staring at the people that were gawking at the rubble, her attention was caught by a brunette moving against the crowd.
"Jack!"
"What?"
"Nina – she's heading into the city!"
He turned, quickly spotting the woman who had tried to kill them multiple times. Grabbing Chloe's hand, he pulled her into a run, following Nina.
8888888888888888888888888888
They moved quickly through the crowded streets, trying to keep a clear view of Nina without giving themselves away. She moved confidently, and Jack found himself wondering if she believed them to be dead. There was very little left of the warehouse, and if she hadn't stuck around long to watch, she wouldn't have seen them run outside just before the final blast.
Suddenly, she turned, sticking her hand out as she tried to wave down a taxi cab. Jack stopped in his tracks and quickly pulled Chloe into an embrace, burying his face in her hair. He felt her stiffen against him.
"Just play along," he whispered. "I don't want her to recognize us."
She took a deep breath and relaxed against him, tightening her arms around his waist and nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck. Breathing him in, she closed her eyes, wishing that this was real, and not just an act to save them. Chloe chastised herself for thinking about that when their lives were in danger, and told herself to just enjoy it as long as she could, because soon they'd be running again.
The embrace was over far too soon for him, but Jack knew that they had to focus on the task at hand, and not their feelings for each other. Nina had hopped into the back of a cab that was already wading through traffic, and he didn't want to lose track of her. Looking around, he grabbed Chloe's hand and pulled her along behind him.
They approached a man getting into an old Mercedes Benz. Without hesitation, Jack grabbed the back of the man's collar and threw him to the ground. He bent down and quickly snatched the keys out his hand, motioning for Chloe to get into the passenger seat. She watched him with wide eyes, but complied, wondering how they were going to get anywhere with a car that was stolen in front of multiple witnesses.
"You're insane. You know that, right?" she said as soon as Jack got in and shut his door.
"Yes."
He pushed his way into the street and followed Nina's taxi.
888888888888888888888888888
Kim tried not to break into a run. She knew it would only attract attention and make it easier for Mandy to find them. Instead, she restrained herself to a brisk walk, her hand clutching Milo's as they wove through the crowds on the sidewalks.
"We need to get off this street," he mumbled.
"We have a chance of blending in here," she whispered back.
"Yeah, but we don't know where she is, and we can't watch every direction at once."
Looking around, an idea suddenly jumped into Kim's mind. Biting her lip in thought, she forced herself to make an executive decision. Pulling Milo along, she crossed the street and headed for a nightclub. At the door, they showed their I.D. and went inside, instantly surrounded by many more people than there were outside. Without a word, Kim pulled Milo through the crowd, looking for a place where they could lay low.
When they were halfway across the dance floor, she turned to look behind her. Their entrance into the club apparently hadn't gone unnoticed, and she saw Mandy walking in. Fear flared in her chest for the hundredth time that day, and she looked around wildly. There were too many people for them to make it to the exit in enough time. Kim could feel Mandy closing in on them, the assassin's eyes drifting through the crowds as she hunted for her prey. Desperate, Kim's eyes fell on a couple standing nearby and she got an idea.
"Come on," she said, raising her voice to be heard over the music.
Milo followed her to a side wall, frowning in confusion.
"Kim, what the hell are we going to do? Mandy's here – we have no way out!"
"Just shut up," Kim retorted.
Turning, she backed herself into the wall, taking the front of Milo's shirt in her hands and pulling him against her. Before he could protest, she crashed her lips into his, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him as closely as he could. She prayed that he would understand her plan and not make a scene. This was their only chance at escaping notice – to blend in with the other couples making out all around them.
Although he tensed at first, Milo quickly relaxed into the kiss. His arms came around her waist, one hand inching up under shirt and up her back. He pressed his body against hers, holding her tightly against the wall. Kim's tongue darted out to taste his lips, and he automatically opened his mouth, letting her in. Her fingers rose to tangle in his hair as their kisses become more passionate, Milo's hands moving up and down her back and sides. Kim moaned slightly into his mouth and he tightened his embrace, suddenly unable to feel enough of her.
88888888888888888888888888888888
Tony and Nadia watched from a distance as Mandy followed Kim and Milo into the club. They had guessed Kim's move when she had struck out across the street, but her hoping that Mandy wouldn't notice. They had no such luck.
"I know what Kim was thinking, but they'll be trapped in there," Nadia said.
"I know. So what do we do about it?"
"We have to help them."
He nodded, his mind racing.
"I'll let her see me. She'd rather come after me than Kim anyway."
"What? Are you crazy? Tony, she'll kill you."
"I stand a better chance against her than Kim and Milo do."
Nadia glared at him. "I'm coming with you."
"No. There's no reason for you to put yourself in any more danger. They were never after you."
"Don't you get it? That doesn't matter! You're my friend. I care about you. I'm not letting that bitch take you away from me!"
Tony smiled at her anger. He didn't want to risk her life, but the fact that she cared enough to put herself in harm's way with him sent a feeling of warmth straight to his chest.
"Okay," he said gently. "But you have to promise me you'll be careful."
"I'll be as careful as you are," she said, looking both ways and crossing the street.
"That doesn't fill me with confidence," he muttered as he followed.
88888888888888888888888888888888
After showing their I.D.'s, Nadia and Tony walked purposefully toward the middle of the dance floor, making no effort to hide their entrance. Worried that Mandy would miss them in the crowd, though, Tony led Nadia through the dancers and to the bar, hoping that they would be more visible there.
As the bartender leaned over to ask them what they wanted, Nadia turned and caught sight of Mandy. The woman had spotted them and was now moving toward them. Turning back around as casually as she could, she nudged Tony.
"She's seen us."
"Are you sure?"
"Oh yeah. She's headed straight for us."
Tony risked a glance over his shoulder and saw that Mandy was much closer than he anticipated. Not wasting anymore time, he touched Nadia's elbow and motioned that they should move to the side. They moved toward the back of the club quickly, knowing that once Mandy had set her sights on them, she wouldn't let them go.
They found a dark stairway and took it, hoping that they would be able to find someplace to set a trap. The stairs led to an even darker hallway, and Nadia felt her skin crawl at the dirtiness of the place. They moved to the end of the hall and Tony turned the knob of the last door on their right. It was locked, but he stepped back and kicked it open, pushing her through in front of him.
There was another set of stairs, but these were pitch dark. Nadia felt her way up them as quickly as she could without toppling over and making more noise. She eventually felt another door under her hands, and she fumbled to find the handle. Suddenly finding it, she wrenched the door open and hurried onto the roof, gratefully breathing in the cool night air.
88888888888888888888888888888888
Mandy opened the door to the roof cautiously, certain that Yassir and Almeida had come that way. None of the neighboring buildings were close enough to jump to, so she knew that she would either find them here or trying to scramble down a fire escape. Either way, she had them.
Pain flared in her head as someone kicked her knees out from under her and the back of her skull collided with the roof. Instinctively, she moved to raise her gun, but a foot slammed down on her wrist, twisting and causing her more pain. Her fingers loosened their grip and her weapon was kicked away.
She was unceremoniously dragged up by her hair, and she found herself staring into the rage-filled face of Tony Almeida.
"It's been awhile, Mandy," he spat out. "How have you been?"
Not waiting for an answer, he punched her in the face, letting go of her hair as she stumbled backwards. He pulled back for another hit, but this time she was ready for him and she grabbed his fist. Kicking him in the face, she aimed another blow at his stomach, causing him to double over. She bent down to grab her second gun out of her ankle holster, but Tony charged at her, lowering his shoulders and then lifting them as they collided with her torso.
Mandy felt herself flying through the air as he continued moving forward, practically carrying her across the roof. His momentum took them right to the edge and she felt a sort of weightlessness as his hands let go of her body.
8888888888888888888888888888888
Tony watched in grim satisfaction as Mandy went flying off the roof and crashing down to the pavement below. He couldn't hear the sound of impact over the music coming from downstairs, but he was sure that there had been a crunch. He paused then, remembering how they had been so sure that she had died in the car explosion earlier.
Without a word to Nadia, he descended back down to the dark hallway, and then to the club, his stride confident and purposeful. She hurried to follow him, wondering where they were going next, and why it had to be in such a hurry. He led them through the crowds and out the back exit, into a narrow alley.
There before them lay Mandy's body, blood seeping out from the back of her head. Her fingers twitched slightly and her mouth moved, but anyone could see that the life was quickly draining out of her.
Tony didn't slow at all as he walked towards her. He pulled out his gun and aimed it at her, sending three bullets into her chest and one into her head. Nadia stared at him in disbelief as he stared at the woman's body.
"Feel better?" she finally asked.
"You have no idea," he said quietly.
A sudden commotion behind them made them turn around quickly, Tony raising his gun again. They both sighed in relief as they saw Milo and Kim coming out of the club and walking toward them.
"Is she finally dead?" Kim asked when she saw Mandy.
"If she's not, I say we officially brand her as non-human," Nadia replied.
"Are you two alright?" Tony asked.
Milo nodded. "You?"
"Yeah."
Tony pulled out his cell phone and dialed Jack's number.
"Bauer."
"Jack, it's Tony."
"Thank God! You're alright then? What about the others?"
"Nadia and I are with Milo and Kim. We're all fine." He paused. "Mandy found us again."
"What!? The car she was in exploded!"
"Well, she got out."
"Do you know where she is right now?"
"She's dead."
"But you just said-"
"She followed Milo and Kim into the city. We followed her. I just threw her off a roof and put four bullets into her. I think we can safely say she's dead now."
Jack was silent for a moment. "Thank you, Tony. For saving her."
"Anytime, Jack. So where are you guys?"
"We followed Nina. She took a taxi to some big house on West Spring Street. Do you know where that is?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I want you and Nadia to meet us here. I think we're about to figure out who's behind all of this, and I want as much help as I can get."
"Okay. What about Kim and Milo?"
"They go back to CTU. No arguments."
Tony moved the phone and relayed the plan to the others. This time, Kim went along easily, realizing that she was out of her depth, and her father would be able to neutralize the threat better if he weren't worried about her.
"Alright, Jack. They've agreed and we're getting them into a taxi now. Give me that address and we'll see you soon."
88888888888888888888888888888888
Their plan was simple. They couldn't wait for Tony and Nadia to get to them – chances were that the person who had ordered the hits was inside that house, and Jack wasn't willing to let them go. So he and Chloe would sneak into the house at separate entry points and move through the house, eventually meeting in the front hall. Jack hadn't want to split up, but he knew that if they tried to get in together, they were more likely to be noticed. They decided that he would come in from one of the upstairs bedrooms, and Chloe would enter from the kitchen pantry.
He handed her a gun, his fingers lingering as they brushed against her skin. Looking into her eyes, he swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. Pushing his fears to the side, Jack leaned in and kissed her gently. Chloe responded immediately, pushing lips against his and cradling his face in her hands. All too soon he pulled back.
"Please be careful," he whispered.
"You too."
They moved away from each other and into the shadows.
88888888888888888888888888888888
Chloe wasn't too surprised to find the pantry door unlocked. She imagined that whoever worked in the kitchen would keep it open so that they could move the trash out more easily and then lock it before they went home for the night. She snuck through the door quietly, her held tightly at her side. The kitchen was brightly lit, and she suddenly worried that the cook was still there and that she would have to knock him or her out. She had never been good at the action stuff.
A sudden blow to the side of her face sent her sprawling across the linoleum floor. Her gun flew away and toward the refrigerator. Groaning, she tried to sit up, but a foot came crashing down onto her left arm. She gasped in pain and looked up.
Nina Myers looked down at her with a cruel smile.
"Hello, Chloe."
8888888888888888888888888888888
Jack slid his body through the open window and set his feet on the carpet. He had climbed up the gutter as quietly as he could and was relieved to find an easy way in. The room he was in was dark, the only light coming from the moon outside. Jack stood there for a minute, letting his eyes adjust to the shadows. He looked around him, but the room seemed to be a guest bedroom. Pulling out his gun, he moved cautiously into the hall.
The hallway was long and stretched out before him. A staircase descended at the midway point, and Jack was pretty certain that that would lead him to the front hall where he was supposed to meet Chloe. He moved forward slowly, staying alert to any noises that would signal the presence of someone else.
As he passed by another room, he heard voices. Pausing, he moved closer to the door, straining to hear what was going on inside. One of the voices sounded tantalizingly familiar and Jack knew that this had to be the person that was behind it all.
Momentarily forgetting that he was supposed to be meeting Chloe, he suddenly decided that he needed to take action. He turned and kicked the door open, his gun out in front of him.
He felt multiple weapons being trained on him as he realized that he was surrounded.
"Agent Bauer. What an unexpected pleasure."
Jack's head snapped around as he recognized the voice.
Cheng smiled coldly as he aimed his own weapon at the agent.