4:00 A.M.
John collapses to the floor next to Chloe as Huang informs his subordinate Yuan over the phone that the situation has been resolved. "What have I done?" John exclaims, looking at Chloe's bloodied body. Huang calmly answers that John was saving his life. John is deeply upset over what has happened, but Huang assures him that Chloe gave him no choice. It was what had to be done to save Emily and Jen. John wipes away the tears as he says that he'll do whatever Huang wants. He just wants to be with his wife and daughter. Huang kindly pats John's shoulder, saying that he is indebted to him for saving his life. The only way he can think to repay that debt is to allow John to reunite with his wife and daughter and return to the United States, with no conditions attached. John can't believe it. Huang smiles as he says it's the only honorable thing to do. Huang says that a man named Geng is holding Emily and Jen at an abandoned factory just down the road. He will instruct him to leave them alone once John arrives. John is euphoric and hugs Huang, thanking him repeatedly. Huang replies that he can't thank John enough for saving his life.
4:03 A.M.
Chloe opens her eyes. She is still alive. Chloe struggles to breathe as she looks up and sees John and Huang hugging. John thanks Huang again and runs off to be with his family, not even looking at Chloe as she lies on the floor. After John closes the door, Huang coldly looks down at Chloe's body, but she is already playing dead. Huang takes out his radio and calls Yuan, instructing him to have Xin and another man pick up Chloe's body and dump it. They're moving out to the staging area. Huang casually steps over Chloe as he leaves the room. He has no reaction when he spots Lin's body outside the office.
4:05 A.M.
John is running down the dirt road when he spots several humvees approaching the industrial park. He dives into the woods and watches as they pass and assemble outside Huang's office. John reemerges and resumes heading toward the factory. Huang joins Yuan and his men outside the office and tells Xin and another man where Chloe's body is. He instructs two other men to dump Lin's body as well. Xin and the other man walk into the building as Huang jumps into the humvee with Yuan and orders his men to move. Inside, Chloe plays dead when Xin and the other man enter the office. Xin takes out a couple of black plastic trash bags and begins to wrap Chloe up. Chloe bravely does not flinch as the men secure her in the bags. She opens her eyes and looks around nervously once her whole body's been covered. Xin takes out a roll of tape and slides a piece across the bag covering her chest and torso. His hand grazes her wound and Chloe manages to hold in her scream. Xin and his subordinate pick up Chloe's body and carry her outside to their humvee.
4:08 A.M.
As Xin and his man load Chloe's body into their vehicle, Jack watches from behind a tree. He is greatly weakened and tired. Unable to stand, Jack collapses to his knees as he sees the two men depart. Unarmed, Jack has no choice but to allow the humvee to leave unimpeded. His eyes narrow as it vanishes into the night, deeply worried whose dead body is in that vehicle. Once Jack perceives that he is clear, he grabs a loose branch next to him and begins to approach the office. Although grunting in pain, Jack carefully walks toward the office door, keeping a keen eye out for any of Huang's men and his blunt weapon at the ready. Jack approaches the door from the side, opening it slightly before using the branch to open it fully. Keeping the branch ahead of him, Jack slowly goes down the corridor, carefully testing each office door he passes. They're all locked. He stops suddenly when he spots the pool of blood where Lin's body once was. Jack cautiously opens the unlocked door to Huang's office and enters. He quickly determines that the room is clear, but his heart drops when he spots the blood on the floor. Jack urgently moves around the empty room, desperate to figure out whose blood he has discovered both inside and outside the office.
4:11 A.M.
Deflated, Jack is about to leave, thinking that there's no way he can find out what happened here, when he spots a security camera in the corner of the room. The light is green. Jack goes to the computer on the office desk and hurriedly turns it on. It's not password-protected and Jack manages to access the security footage from that camera. He rewinds the archived video and gasps when he sees John shoot Chloe in the side, followed shortly by Huang's shot to the chest. Horrified, Jack puts his shaking hand to his forehead as he stares at Chloe's lifeless body on the monitor. "I'm so sorry, Chloe," Jack whispers to himself, his eyes watering. Collecting himself, he fast forwards the tape, but stops when he sees Huang pointing in the direction where John's family is. Jack can't believe it as the video shows John hugging Huang in relief. Sickened, Jack bends down and vomits on the floor. Jack breaks down in tears, distraught at what has transpired. In a daze, he gets up off the chair and glances at the monitor, seeing Xin and his man wrap up Chloe's apparently dead body in the black plastic bags. Unable to watch anymore, he smashes the computer screen with the branch and marches out of the room.
-Commercial Break-
4:17 A.M.
Xin and his partner arrive at a streambed with Chloe's body in the back of their humvee. As the men get out, Chloe quietly coughs up blood as she lies in the plastic bag. Fighting for her life, Chloe desperately claws at the black plastic. She manages to break it open as Xin and his subordinate are about to pick up her body and take it to the stream. They're stunned when they see a bloodied and panicked Chloe emerge from the plastic bag and lunge at them. Chloe struggles with the men. Despite her grievous wound, Chloe brutally elbows Xin in the groin, sending him to the ground. The other man grabs Chloe in a chokehold, forcing her to violently cough up more blood, but she manages to take Xin's gun from his holster and shoots him in the chest. She clumsily smacks the back of her head into the other and the man releases Chloe as he clutches his broken nose. Following another ugly cough, Chloe turns around and shoots him as well. Chloe collapses into the dirt from the strain. She lays face-first - on the verge of unconsciousness - for several moments before gathering the strength to get up and stumble to the front door of the humvee. Stubbornly clinging to life, Chloe climbs in and speeds off.
4:19 A.M.
Audrey enters the President's office and Gardner gets out of his chair to hug her, telling her how sorry he is that she had to shoot Benash. Audrey thanks him, assuring Gardner that she's experienced far worse in her life. Returning to his desk, Gardner says he knows that all too well. Springer chimes in that she's never killed a person and kindly asks if she's doing okay. Audrey answers that she is, expressing that Springer would be dead if she hadn't intervened. Springer takes her hand in sympathy as Gardner informs her that he's decided to reject her recommendation and disclose to the press the whole truth about Benash. Audrey bites her lip and releases Springer's hand, giving him a stern look. The President tells her that he understands her reservations, but he's not going to make another mistake today. He should've listened to Springer and stood up to the terrorists. But he didn't and now the only one who could've provided information on the threat to the summit is dead. Audrey asserts that there's going to be fallout and implores the President to hide his capitulation to terrorist demands, but Gardner strongly counters that complete honesty has been the policy of his administration and he's not going to change that. He could've hidden Logan's treason from the public to protect the party, but he didn't and he was rewarded for that. Audrey replies that this is all on Gardner this time and that his presidency may never recover. "Be that as it may, I'm still gonna come clean," Gardner stoically responds. Springer turns around and gently touches Audrey's shoulder, telling her that this day will pass and the American public will forgive them. Audrey looks away from Springer and Gardner, twisting her lip, but reluctantly gives in. Gardner thanks her and calls Nadia to come to his office at once.
4:21 A.M.
John arrives at the abandoned factory. He carefully enters with his arms raised in surrender. The dimly lit factory casts a red light on his somber face. Geng is casually leaning back in a chair, smoking a cigarette, when John announces his presence. Geng stands up and haughtily walks toward John. He shakes his hand, telling John that his family is waiting for him in a makeshift bedroom. Still devastated over what he believes was Chloe's death, John softly instructs Geng to take him there and then leave. Geng leads John to a small room where Emily and Jen are lying in two beds. John tenderly calls out Emily's name, but she doesn't stir. John is concerned, but Geng assures him that they're just sleeping. A lump in his throat, John slowly approaches his wife and gently rubs her shoulder, but nothing happens. John turns Emily over and is horrified when he sees her eyes wide open. She is dead. Giggling, Geng tells a nauseated John that Huang wanted to give them back, but he couldn't help himself. He snuffed them out with the pillows. Quietly crying, John closes Emily's eyes and whispers that he's so sorry he couldn't save her. Dazed, John crawls to his dead daughter. "Why?" John asks through his tears. "Why would you do this?" Absolutely gleeful, Geng says that he loves the look of little girls as the life is squeezed out of them. John's grief turns to rage when he hears this and he lunges at Geng. He viciously punches Geng, knocking the gun away from his hand. A bloodied Geng begs John to stop, but John has become an animal and doesn't listen. He throws Geng into the main area of the factory and continues his brutal assault. John spots a knife on a table and grabs it. He stabs Geng over and over again, distraught over his wife and daughter's deaths. After inflicting countless knife wounds, John finally finishes and throws the weapon across the floor. He breaks down next to Geng's body, crying uncontrollably. Through the sobs, John whispers Emily and Jen's names repeatedly.
-Commercial Break-
4:28 A.M.
Jack cautiously enters the abandoned factory and sees John sitting on the floor next to Geng's bloodied body, crying. "My God, John, what have you done?" Jack darkly asks. John weeps that Emily and Jen are dead. Geng betrayed Huang and killed them - for his own sick pleasure. Spotting Geng's gun on the floor, Jack coldly tells John that there was a security camera in that office. He knows John helped Huang murder Chloe. Fighting back tears, Jack gravely says that he saw John shoot her. He watched her die. Sobbing, John screams that he had no choice; Chloe was going to kill Huang. He had to try to save his family. "They're dead!" John bawls. "Oh Jack, they're dead!" John weeps that he's lost everything. Guardedly walking over to Geng's gun, Jack apologizes to John, knowing exactly what he's going through. "But why John? Why did you have to kill Chloe?" Jack painfully asks. John shrieks that Chloe lost her mind and was going to shoot Huang in cold blood. Picking up the gun, Jack bitterly says that he saved John's life, and John repaid him by killing his friend - one of the only good things he had left. Standing up, John angrily exclaims that he didn't kill Chloe; Huang did. Aiming his gun at John, Jack fiercely counters that it doesn't matter. Chloe is dead because of him. John snaps to, raising his gun at Jack. He shouts at Jack to stop thinking about himself for once and realize that shooting Chloe was the only way he could have a chance to save his family. "You would've done the same thing, Jack!" John declares. Jack answers that he would never shoot his friend, and in the short time they had together, he and Chloe considered John a friend. John screeches that he had to put his family ahead of his "new friend," and tells Jack to let him mourn his wife and daughter in peace. Jack does not move, keeping his gun trained on John. "Get the hell out of here!" John bellows before shooting at Jack, who dives to the ground and fires back. John flees into the deeper part of the factory, shooting at Jack. A vicious look coming across his face, Jack gets up and fires back as he pursues John.
4:32 A.M.
John climbs a ladder to get to the overhang. Jack doggedly charges after him, shooting. John returns the fire as he ascends. He screams at Jack to leave him the hell alone, but Jack only answers by shooting at him. John fires back as he runs to take cover behind a crate. Jack climbs up to the upper level and darts to take position behind a metal outcropping as John shoots. Jack fires at the crate, the two men exchange gunfire. John's gun runs out of ammunition and Jack smiles when he hears the clicking sound. Jack runs to the crate to attack John, who charges Jack likewise. They get in a brutal fistfight. Jack manages to slam John to the ground and grab him by the throat. But John does not give in, instead viciously grabbing Jack's throat. Both men try to strangle the life out of the other. About to lose consciousness, Jack releases John, violently punching him in the face. John lunges at Jack, returning the brutal punches. Jack is thrown to the floor and as he lies dazed, John spits out a tooth. Jack scrambles to his feet and viciously attacks John, clawing his face. John slams his head into Jack's, but Jack takes it in stride and continues to fight back. Jack punches John's broken left arm, and John screams. As John recoils from the pain, Jack roughly pushes John to the railing. Shrieking like a wild animal, Jack ruthlessly strikes John all over his upper torso. He eventually hits John so hard that he tumbles over the railing and onto the floor below them. John lands on his broken arm. As John cries out again, Jack fearlessly jumps off the overhang and lands next to John. He goes to connect on another blow, but John swings his foot and violently kicks Jack in the groin. Jack stumbles away in agony, and now it's John with the advantage as he unloads all his anger and grief on Jack, mercilessly punching him. During the assault, John leads the bloodied and dazed Jack outside the factory. He throws Jack to the ground and says that he warned him. But Jack screams that John needs to pay for what he's done and lunges at John, biting his arm. Jack slams John to the factory wall, and the fight continues.
4:35 A.M.
Chloe starts to lose focus as she desperately drives through a suburban neighborhood. After yet another violent cough, spitting up a large amount of blood, Chloe falls unconscious and her head slams against the wheel. Out cold, her foot presses down on the accelerator and the humvee crashes into the concrete wall of a building. The destroyed vehicle just sits there for several moments, as a startled Chinese woman - still in her pajamas - runs out of her house to investigate the accident. Suddenly, the front door bursts open, and a badly injured Chloe falls out. Blood dripping from her mouth, Chloe desperately crawls away from the humvee. The woman scampers to her and asks in Mandarin what happened. But Chloe doesn't know the language and just looks feebly up at the woman, before collapsing sideward. She falls onto the pavement on her back. The woman sees that Chloe is a Westerner and asks her in passable English what happened. Chloe gurgles that she was shot and that the bullet is still in her. More concerned people come scurrying over to assist them as the woman vows to get Chloe medical attention. She cries out for someone to call 120. Chloe helplessly stares up at the black sky.
-Commercial Break-
4:41 A.M.
Riding in his humvee with Yuan, Huang takes out his cell phone to call Geng. But no one answers and Huang instead gets Geng's voicemail. Huang knows something is wrong and orders Yuan to turn around. "And hurry," Huang says anxiously.
4:42 A.M.
Springer, Audrey, Duluth, and Nadia are assembled in the President's office, going over their press release on Benash's death with Gardner. Nadia still can't believe that Benash was a traitor and a murderer. She always knew that he was a blowhard and "a little bitch," but never thought he was capable of treason and terrorism. Gardner sighs that Benash played them all, but now it's time for the truth to come out. The President plans to be honest with the American people on the fact that he capitulated to the demands of a credible terrorist group. He allowed a terrorist collaborator to leak confidential matters to the press. Audrey raises her hand to object, but Gardner refuses to absolve himself of all the damage to America's diplomatic relationships he let happen. He also takes personal responsibility for Benash taking the life of a Secret Service agent and forcing Audrey to kill him in self-defense. Gardner reads the statement one last time and thanks his team for all their hard work. It's been a very tough twelve hours, but they're still here. And the summit will be better for it. Gardner instructs Nadia to wake the press corps and distribute the statement immediately. Nadia takes the piece of paper from Gardner and leaves. Once Nadia closes the door, Duluth tells the President that he agrees with disclosing all of Benash's crimes, but he's still concerned that even though the statement doesn't mention it at all, the Chinese will piece it together that Benash was behind the "fabricated report" about the chopper crash and determine that the story is very much true. The United States cannot afford to have China discover that they violated their sovereignty. Gardner tells Duluth that trying to take down one of the most dangerous terrorist organizations in the Far East served the greater good, and if the Chinese figure out the truth, they'll deal with it when the time comes. "Right now, we have more pressing matters to attend to..." the President grumbles as he stares at the dossier of Liam Benash on his computer screen.
4:44 A.M.
An unconscious Chloe is loaded into an ambulance. An oxygen mask is on her face. The first responder tells the woman that found Chloe that the patient has lost a lot of blood. They may not be able to save her. He thanks the woman and quickly gets in the vehicle. The woman watches as the ambulance containing Chloe speeds off to the hospital.
4:45 A.M.
Jack and John continue their epic fight as the two men stumble into the woods surrounding the abandoned factory. John slams Jack to the back of a tree and tries to grab his neck, but Jack fights through the pain and bites John's finger. John calls Jack a son of a bitch and punches his mouth. When Jack is momentarily dazed, John grabs Jack and throws him into a streambed. John jumps in after him, and water splashes as Jack and John roll over one another, viciously fighting. Jack manages to get the upper hand and pushes John underwater, trying to drown him, but he punches Jack into the chest and is released. He stands up and kicks Jack in the legs. Jack refuses to back down and charges at John. As they continue to exchange punches in the shallow stream, Jack tells John that he thought he was an honorable man. "Chloe got in my way," John sneers as he slams Jack to the streambed. "Deal with it." Jack is even further incensed and ferociously attacks John, beating him senseless. He makes a final kick to John's groin, and as he recoils in pain, Jack scrambles up to the high ground of the stream bank. Jack quickly takes out the gun from inside his shirt and turns around to face John. As he lies on the dirt, Jack cocks the weapon. John slowly rises out of the water and begins to walk toward Jack, who hurriedly gets to his feet and stands up to aim his gun at the moving John. Jack steely orders John not to try it. But it seems as if John cannot hear him. His bloodied and pained eyes stare deep into Jack's, silently letting him know he considers him prey to take down. John suddenly lunges at Jack, but he shoots John right in the chest, sending him splashing into the stream below. Lowering the smoking gun, Jack sadly goes to the edge of the bank to see John coughing up blood and water. "I saved your life!" Jack painfully exclaims. Jack explains that he escaped from that prison and became a fugitive for John's sake. "For you! For you!" Jack cries. But now Chloe is dead because of him. Spitting out more blood, John shrieks that he hates Jack. Shaking his pursed lips, Jack tells John that he admired the great risk he took - both professionally and personally - on his covert mission to stop Huang. Jack considered John an equal. He reveals to John that when Huang ambushed the campsite earlier tonight, he had to make a split-second decision: whether to get him or Chloe out of the line of fire. Jack says that he didn't hesitate dragging the unconscious John to safety. And as a result, Chloe was captured and raped, which would ultimately lead to her death. Now Jack wishes he had chosen to let John be taken down in the crossfire. "I understand about Emily and Jen, I do. But Chloe didn't have to die," Jack says, wiping away a tear and raising his gun. "Finish it," John sloshes. His gun shaking wildly, Jack agonizingly looks at John as he lies helplessly in the stream, the water turning red from the blood. But he can't pull the trigger. Jack slowly lowers the gun. After one last solemn look, Jack turns around and silently walks away, leaving John to die on his own terms.
-Commercial Break-
4:52 A.M.
On the stream bank, an arm comes out of the water and grabs the dirt. A severely weakened John begins to climb out of the stream.
Huang runs into the abandoned factory and is horrified when he sees Geng's bloodied body on the floor, with countless stab wounds. As Yuan comes jogging in after his boss, Huang finds Geng's cell phone on the table and pockets it. Huang looks around cautiously for any sign of John. Yuan reports that Emily and Jen are dead in the other room, apparently by suffocation. "That son of a bitch," Huang sighs, looking down at Geng's corpse. Huang radios his men to ask if John is anywhere nearby. They answer in the negative, and Huang tells Yuan that John is probably long gone, but he'll be too distraught to even think about alerting the authorities. By the time he's calmed down, it'll be too late. Huang leads Yuan out of the factory, all while Jack watches from behind a tree, his gun aimed. When Huang enters his sights, Jack pulls the trigger, but the gun clicks empty. Jack holds in his curse as Huang authoritatively gets in the vehicle and drives off.
4:53 A.M.
Once he is in the clear, Jack darts into the factory and sees that Geng's cell phone has been taken away. He twists his lip and sighs in frustration. Jack then glances toward the room where Emily and Jen's bodies still lie and forlornly walks there. He mournfully looks over John's late wife and daughter as they lie peacefully in their beds. His lip trembles. "She died for nothing," Jack whispers.
4:54 A.M.
Huang is pensively looking out his window riding down the dirt road when he thinks he sees something and orders Yuan to stop the vehicle. Yuan asks his boss what's wrong as Huang hurriedly gets out of the vehicle. Huang looks curiously into the dark woods. Squinting, he tells Yuan that he thought he saw a man collapsing to the ground in the trees. Huang orders Yuan to wait a moment as he takes off. Yuan calls out to him, but Huang doesn't acknowledge him. Huang enters the woods and warily looks around. He stops when he sees John lying face-first in the dirt, coughing. He leans down next to John and tells the wounded man that it's Huang and that he wants to help. John can't believe it when he looks up and sees the terrorist. He coughs and weakly shakes his head. "Leave me to die," John murmurs. Huang says that he knows how much John hates him, but he needs to know the extent of his injuries. John doesn't have the strength to object as Huang crawls over and sees the exit wound on his back. He inspects it carefully. Huang gently tells John that he needs to flip him over. John just coughs again. Huang tenderly takes John by the torso and turns him over. He checks all the wounds Jack has inflicted, from the brutal punches to the gunshot. John breathes rapidly, but Huang comforts John, telling him that while it's still bleeding, the gunshot wound is not that serious. The bullet went through and through, and apparently did not hit any major organs or arteries. Once they bandage him up, he'll be fine. John is momentarily relieved, but realizes his survival is really a pyrrhic victory. Huang sees John's deflation and reassuringly says it's going to be okay. But all John can do is whisper his wife and daughter's names. Huang sadly looks away in understanding, saying that he knows what happened and is so sorry. He assures John that Geng was a sick man and disobeyed a direct order; Huang never wanted to bring any pain to him. "I have nothing left..." John sobs. Huang wipes away a tear as he says that he knows. "But I'm going to take care of you, John," Huang promises. "You saved my life. I owe you one, buddy." John looks up into Huang's kindly eyes and thanks him through his tears. Huang compassionately pats John on the shoulder, calling out to Yuan to bring him a first aid kit immediately.
4:56 A.M.
Jack leaves the abandoned factory, his eyes watered. He takes a deep breath before proceeding to walk toward the dirt road. Jack stops for a moment to think about the horrific night he has had to endure. But, knowing he is now the only hope of stopping this attack on the summit, he sets off down the road. In the distance are the glistening lights of Beijing.
4:57 A.M.
John's chest and back is wrapped up in a bandage and with Huang and Yuan's help, he lifts himself off the dirt and slowly walks toward the humvee. A tear drops down his cheek. Huang tells John that he knows exactly what he's going through. He was once a soldier in the Chinese army and a respected, decorated fighter. His wife was targeted by a man professing solidarity with the Taiwanese plight. Her death is what prompted him to turn against the oppressive Chinese regime - the whole world order really - and the impossible sacrifices it forces its citizens and trusted servants to make. They've lost the moral authority to lead the Chinese people. But today, that regime and others like it will finally fall. As Huang gently loads John into the backseat, he tells the broken man that the real reason his wife and daughter are dead is not because of Geng. It's really the American government. They never should've forced him to infiltrate his organization and put their lives in danger. Emily and Jen are dead because of them. John silently sobs as Huang walks around the vehicle and gets into the seat next to him. Huang orders Yuan to take them back to the compound and then gently puts his hand on John's shoulder. He tells John that he's been in this spot as well, having lost everything to events outside of one's control, but, together, they're going to take back control. Huang assures John that his plan to wipe out the APEC leaders cannot fail. Chinese President Bao will be dead by the end of the day, as will President Gardner, the man who personally authorized John's covert mission. Huang wants John to join him in his mission to take down the corrupt countries that have taken away their loved ones. John looks at Huang darkly, his grief and his rage at everything that has happened to him today building. Huang pleads with John to help him, saying that he deserved a happy life with Emily and Jen, not one enslaved to the evil American empire. And the only way to avenge that tragedy is to join him. John closes his eyes in agony, grieving his family. After an excruciating moment, John makes his decision. "Yes," John says, staring off into space, his eyes empty. "My life has been taken away from me. And to the people responsible, I'm just an acceptable loss." Huang smiles and thanks him, assuring John that Gardner will be dead within a few hours. He and the government will pay for what they've done. John looks down in anguish at his shaking right hand as grim resolve comes over his battered face.
Fade to Black...
Silent clock.
