Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Chapter 11
"Erin?" Doyle questioned. "Why would you think that?"
"It makes sense" Jack replied. "Kessler and Michaels would need someone in CTU who could help keep an eye on anyone we would contact for help. Erin hates both of us, and she has the power to do that, so she's the most likely suspect."
"Which means they may already know we're here" Tyler said.
"Wait a minute" Doyle interrupted. "She might not like you two very much, but I doubt she would go this far. Maybe Connor missed something."
"You don't know Erin, Mike. You don't know how much she hates us. I've seen her work. And I trust Connor a lot more than I do Erin."
Doyle merely looked at Jack. "Jack, what happened between you guys?"
Jack sighed. "Fine." He told them everything that had happened between him and Driscoll, including Chloe's part. "The last time I heard of her until that day we went back to CTU, she had left following her daughter's death. Before that, she and I had agreed to put our differences aside to get through the day. I thought that was the end of it."
"You think she blames you or Chloe for her daughter's death?" Chase asked.
"Possibly, but I don't see how that would be our fault. I was out in the field when it happened, and Chloe had left CTU hours before that." He leaned back. "But I know what's it like to believe your child is dead. That feeling of grief, of regret. I've been there." He shook his head. "Look, that doesn't matter right now. Getting Chloe back does. That's all we should be thinking about. Mike, call Agent Turner. Don't fill him in on all the details, just tell him to meet us near the prison tomorrow night. We're going to need all the help we can get here."
"I'm on it."
"Good. Chase, I need you to stay here and guard our guest." Chase began to protest, but Jack quickly silenced him. "Someone has to, and Michaels knows you the best. That makes you the most vulnerable." Chase glared, but didn't argue. "All right, let's get some sleep. We'll leave here tomorrow at 2100." Hang in there, Chloe. I'll be there soon. And this time, it'll be for good. No one will ever take you away from me again.
2424242424
"Kessler here."
"It's Erin."
Colby shot up and pushed the woman on top of him away. "Get lost" he hissed. She shrugged and quickly pulled on her clothes, glaring at him before leaving. "What is it, Erin?"
"They're on to you, Colby."
"And how would you know that?"
Driscoll glanced down at some papers. "I recorded a phone conversation between one of my agents and Jack Bauer. They know you're holding Chloe in the prison, Colby. If I know Jack Bauer, he's on his way up there now to get her out."
Colby smirked. "Erin, don't worry about it. Jack Bauer won't get near her. And even if he does, it's a prison. Michaels controls everything. Now I can promise that Jack Bauer and Chloe O'Brian won't be walking out of there."
"You had better be right, Colby, or they could blow this wide open. Neither of us can afford that."
"I'll take care of everything. I never leave a job half done, you know that. You just do your part."
"I know my role. So do you. You make sure that neither of them leaves there alive" Driscoll said, hanging up.
Colby shut his phone. It seems our turncoat agent is a little obsessed with getting payback on those two. That's not important to me, though. Her hatred serves my purposes. But if she thinks I'm going to risk my neck to keep Bauer from getting O'Brian back, she's sadly mistaken. I don't care if they get away or not, as long as I get my hands on Tyler. She and that little pissant are mine. He chuckled. Better get going. I am not passing this chance up. I will get you, Tyler, and when I do, I'm going to enjoy paying you back.
2424242424
"Connor, do you copy?" Jack spoke into his comm unit quietly.
"I hear you, Jack. You're coming in clear" Connor replied, focusing on his screen.
"Mike, Tyler, do you copy?"
"Copy, Jack" Tyler said. Doyle was standing by with Turner. "We're here, Jack. We're ready to move in."
"Good. Connor, how long can you keep the power off?"
"It's hard to say for sure. The prison has backup generators, and I can delay them from kicking in, but not for long. At best, you've got maybe 15 minutes."
"15 minutes?" Jack said incredulously. "That's all we've got? Dammit, Connor, that's not nearly enough time."
"I'm sorry, Jack, that's the best I can do."
Jack cursed himself for yelling at his stepson. "I'm sorry, Connor, I didn't mean it like that. I know you're doing your best."
"Don't worry about it. We're all wound up here."
"All right. I'm moving into position." Jack skirted the prison wall, taking out a patrolling guard and slipping through the wall. Once he was outside the main doors, he tapped his comm unit. "I am in position. Connor, do it now."
"Cutting power, now." Connor punched in a few keys, and grinned briefly as his computer went to work. Jack looked up as the power went out. "Move in, now." He crashed through the main doors and began sprinting through the darkened prison, heading for the infirmary.
"Stop right there!" Jack ducked to the side as two guards approached, and hid in the shadows. As they drew level with him, he thrust his elbow out, catching the nearest guard in the stomach. Jack stepped out of hiding and threw the stunned guard into his partner, knocking them both into the wall and out cold. Jack grabbed a set of keycards off one of the guards and continued through the prison, knocking out any guards he encountered. I can't kill them. They're the good guys. After 10 minutes, he finally reached the infirmary, stopping when he saw Chloe sleeping peacefully, her right leg in a splint. Dammit. She can't walk out of here. Why didn't Mike tell me this? That doesn't matter right now. I have to get her out of here.
"Hey! Who are you? What are you doing here?" Jack looked up to see Dr. O'Reilly walking slowly towards him. He drew his weapon and pointed it at the doctor. "One more word, and I'll kill you, you understand?" Dr. O'Reilly nodded. "Sit down, and put your hands on your head." He complied, shaking with fear. Jack kept his weapon trained on the doctor, and turned to Chloe.
"The warden sent you, didn't he?"
Jack turned to Dr. O'Reilly in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"Why else would you be here, if Warden Hollister didn't send you?"
Jack left Chloe's side and placed his weapon in the doctor's side menacingly. "You listen to me. My name is Jack Bauer. I am not working for the warden. Chloe is innocent. She does not deserve to be here."
"If she's innocent, why not let the courts decide that?"
"Because she was sent here without a trial. She's my wife. Our children were kidnapped by a terrorist, and she traded her freedom to get them back." Sensing that Dr. O'Reilly was not going to run, he holstered his weapon. "Help me get her out."
"I can't help you, Mr. Bauer. The warden's a jerk, but he runs this prison. I go against him, I'm out of a job." He thought for a second. "But if you want to get her out, I won't say a word to Hollister."
"Jack." Jack looked past Dr. O'Reilly to see Tyler standing behind him, Doyle and Turner joining her a minute later. "Jack, what are you doing? We have to go. The power will come back on at any minute."
"Right. Let's go. We got what we came for." Jack shook Chloe awake. "Chloe, wake up."
Chloe's eyes snapped open, and she relaxed only when she saw Jack. "Jack. Oh, thank god." She hugged him tightly.
"Guys, come on. Let's go" Tyler insisted. Jack made a move to help Chloe up, but stopped as the power came back on, followed by the loud ringing of alarms. "Dammit."
"I'm sorry, Jack" Connor's voice came through on Jack's comm. "I can't keep the power off any longer."
"Don't worry about that. You did great, son. We'll do the rest."
"Check the infirmary!" Doyle peeked out the door to see guards heading in their direction. "Everyone hide, now!" Jack and Turner ducked into Dr. O'Reilly's office, as did Tyler, but Doyle, who had borrowed Hartwell's uniform, stayed behind. No sooner were the others out of sight, then 2 guards busted in. "Hartwell, what are you doing here? I thought you were off this weekend."
"Change of plans" Doyle replied, looking back at Chloe.
"Ah, you wanted to get another piece of her." The first guard smirked, the turned serious. "We've got intruders. Have you seen anyone come in here?"
"Other than you two? No."
"All right. The warden thinks they might be coming here to get her. If you see anyone suspicious, you know what to do. Jackson, stay here with Hartwell and keep an eye on the prisoner."
"Yes, sir." The 2nd guard moved next to Doyle, his eyes on Chloe. Once the first guard had left, Doyle slowly slipped behind the distracted guard and put him in a sleeper hold, holding on for long minutes as his victim slipped into unconsciousness. Once he was out, Jack, Tyler and Turner came out of hiding. "Now what do we do?" Tyler inquired.
"Hal, put his uniform on." Turner dragged the unconscious guard into the other and came out a couple minutes later in his clothing. "What now?"
"Tyler and I will create a diversion, and lure them away from here. Wait 5 minutes, then take Chloe out of here. If anyone stops you, tell them you were ordered by the warden to move
her. Go back to the motel, and wait for us. If we don't return by tomorrow, take Chloe back to LA."
"All right." Doyle grasped Jack's hand. "Jack, please be careful. Both of you."
Jack nodded, then slowly opened the door, sneaking past the 3 guards a few feet away, Tyler following right behind. They had gotten a short distance, when Jack fired his weapon in the air, causing the guards to turn around and chase after them. Jack and Tyler sprinted through the prison, occasionally making noise to keep the guards on their trail. They got close to the exit when they had the misfortune to nearly run into a group of guards. Tyler grabbed Jack and dragged him into a closet.
"We know you're here somewhere! Come out with your hands on your head!"
"Dammit, we're trapped" Jack cursed, glaring at Tyler.
Tyler returned his glare. "Oh, no. Don't you dare put this on me, Jack" she hissed.
Jack ignored her, and looked at the door. How are we going to get out of this one?
