Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 14

"So you're saying that someone that was involved with Project Carradon was also involved with Chloe's kidnapping?" Chase asked.

"That's exactly what I'm saying" Jack replied. He had just finished telling Chase everything that Chloe had told him about the hard drive. "We need to find out who all was involved with the project. The problem is, none of us have access to those files. We'd have to go through back channels to get them."

"Could Chloe or Morris be able to hack in and get what we need?"

Jack looked over to where Chloe was sitting. She was deep in discussion with Morris and Tyler. "I'll ask Morris to do it. I don't want to put any stress on Chloe right now. She's been through enough" Jack said.

"Okay. I promised Chloe I'd get her something remotely edible for her dinner. I don't think the food around here fits that bill."

"See ya later." Jack walked over to the others, Chloe looking up as he approached. "Morris, could I talk to you for a minute? Alone?"

"I'll be right back, darling." Morris got up and followed Jack out of Chloe's room. "Jack, what's going on?"

Jack told him what he had told Chase. "I need you to hack into CTU's archives and get the files of Project Carradon for me. I need everything- especially all the information on who was involved. I'd ask Chloe to do it, but she's been through enough stress."

"Why didn't you just ask me in there?" Morris asked, confused.

"Because I don't want Chloe to think I think she can't handle it. You can't say anything to her, you understand?"

"Got it. I won't say a word" Morris promised.

"Thank you, Morris."

Jack watched him walk over to Chloe and talk to her for a minute, then leave. I hope he can get what we need. Chase returned just then, having gotten Chloe some dinner. She quickly dug in. Jack decided to take a walk and clear his head, leaving Chloe to have some time with Chase. She wouldn't be happy if she found out I asked Morris to get what we need, but she can't be worrying about that. The only thing that's important is that she get better.

Jack returned to Chloe's room soon after. Chase had just left and Tyler was talking to her.

"Did you find out anything about who helped kidnap me?" Chloe asked.

I can't tell her. "No, but I know someone in DOD who can help get us what we need. I just spoke to him a couple of minutes ago."

"Did he say when he would have it?" Tyler asked.

"He didn't give me a timeframe, but it should be sometime soon."

"Good. I just wish I could help out. I feel so useless" Chloe said.

"You are helping out, Chloe. You told us what you know" Tyler told her.

Chloe looked at the time. It was getting late. "Look, can we talk about this in the morning?"

"Of course" Jack said. "You just get some sleep."

Chloe soon fell fast asleep, as did Tyler. Jack, however, stayed wide awake, watching Chloe sleep like he did every night. We're going to get to the bottom of this, Chloe, no matter what it takes. Whoever was responsible for kidnapping you will pay for what they did to you. I swear it.

2424242424

"Jack!" Jack saw Tyler running down the hall toward him. "Jack, we have a problem."

"Tyler, what's wrong?" Jack asked.

"Division. They want to question Chloe about her kidnapping" she replied.

Jack was infuriated. "Absolutely not. Chloe is in no shape to be answering questions right now."

"Jack, I'm sorry. I've been holding them off for 3 weeks. I can't push it back any longer."

Dammit. "When?" he asked.

"The investigator will be here in an hour."

I don't think we have a choice. "Fine. But there's no way in hell that they're going to talk to her alone. I'm going to be there with her" Jack said.

Jack walked back into Chloe's room. She was watching the TV Chase had brought her, boredly flipping through the channels. She looked up as Jack walked in, an angry look on his face. This is not good. "Jack, what's wrong?" she asked him.

Jack sighed. "Division wants to talk to you in an hour."

"About what?"

"Your kidnapping. Tyler's been trying to hold them off of you, but she can't anymore."

Chloe was terrified. No. I can't do this.

"I'm not happy about this either, Chloe, but I'm going to be right there with you" Jack told her.

"I guess we don't have a choice." Chloe looked at him. "Thanks, Jack. Thank you for everything. I owe you my life. I know you'd much rather be getting on with your life than taking care of me."

"You don't owe me anything, Chloe. I wouldn't let you go through this alone" he said, gently rubbing her hand.

2424242424

Chloe sat in her wheelchair in a conference room, Jack standing by her side. They looked up as Brad Hammond walked in, followed by a man carrying a tape recorder. Jack fought to keep his anger in check. That's the bastard who sent Tony to prison.

"Hello, Jack. It's been awhile" Hammond said.

"Not long enough" Jack growled.

Hammond sat down across from Chloe. "Could you give us some room here, Jack?"

"No" Jack replied. "I know how you work, Brad. Either you talk to Chloe while I'm here, or you don't talk to her at all."

Hammond shrugged. "Fine." He turned on the tape recorder. "This is Regional Director Brad Hammond, questioning Chloe O'Brian. The time is 3:47 PM. Also present is Jack Bauer." He looked at Chloe. "State your name for the record."

"Chloe O'Brian."

"Is it true, Chloe, that on the day of August 6, 2013, you were abducted?"

"Yes, that's true."

"Tell me what happened."

"At approximately 2:30 PM, I received a phone call from someone claiming to be Jack, asking me to meet him at 3625 Vista Ave. He claimed he needed my help. I went to the location, and I was attacked from behind. I attempted to escape, but I was overwhelmed and knocked out."

"What happened when you regained consciousness?"

"I discovered that my hands and feet were bound by manacles. I had also been blindfolded, so I couldn't see where I was going."

"How long were you traveling?"

"I don't know. I spent most of the trip unconscious. Every time I woke up, I was knocked out again. I eventually woke up in a cell. I was dragged off the floor by some men, who stripped me of my clothes and chained my hands above my head. Then they started torturing me."

Chloe paused. She felt Jack's hand on her shoulder. "At first it was simple beatings- hitting me with sticks, whipping me, sticking me with cattle prods. That went on for about 2 months. At that time, I met the man who had kidnapped me. He somehow had gotten his hands on a hard drive I had built."

"Was it the prototype from Project Carradon?"

"Yes. He wanted me to unlock the files I had stored in there. I refused. He ordered his men to 'do what they had to to get me to talk'. He would come to see me about every other month and ask me to give him the information. I would refuse, and the torture would continue. After about a year, he took me to an isolation cell and chained me to the wall completely immobilized. I was left alone with no food or water.

"How long were you left there?"

"A couple of days at least. I still wouldn't give him what he wanted. After that, he pushed me even harder. I spent more and more time in isolation, I was locked in a freezer for hours, shackled in position for days at a time, raped almost every night. But I knew I couldn't give him those files."

Chloe paused again. I can't do this. "It's all right, Chloe" Jack said quietly. She continued on. "About 3 days before I was rescued, he came to see me one more time. When I still refused, he ordered my legs broken. I was beaten almost non-stop until Jack and my friends saved me."

Hammond stared at her. "So you spent 2 years being tortured, and you didn't give in?"

Chloe was stunned. He doesn't believe I didn't talk. "No, I didn't" she said forcefully.

"With all due respect, Chloe, you're not a field agent. I find it a little difficult to believe you held out for that long."

"How dare you." Chloe was furious. "How dare you think I talked. Look at me!" She wheeled her chair away from the table. "My body is a wreck. I'll probably never walk again. I have nightmares every night about what I went through. Do you think they would have let me go once I gave them what they want? No! They would have killed me! And what did you do? Nothing! The government didn't lift a finger to help me! I'm only alive now because of Jack and my friends!"

"But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you? You've sat behind a desk all your career, passing judgment on those that risk their lives every day keeping this country safe. I'm a patriot, Mr. Hammond. I didn't give them anything!"

"All right, this interview is over!" Jack yelled, switching off the tape recorder. "Get out!"

Hammond merely got up from the table slowly. "Thanks for your time." He walked out, his assistant taking the tape recorder with him.

Chloe was still fuming an hour later in her room. "That bastard."

"It's all right, Chloe. It's over" Jack told her.

"It's not over, Jack." Chloe looked up at the ceiling. "I was abandoned by the government I served for years. My life will never be the same." She suddenly looked at Jack. "Why didn't you come for me sooner? Why did it take you 2 years to find me?"

"Chloe, I did everything I could to find you. I'm just sorry I couldn't get there sooner" Jack replied.

Chloe scoffed. "I thought you had abandoned me, that everyone else had, too. I thought I was going to die in that prison. I thought you didn't care about me."

"That's not true, Chloe. I care about you."

Chloe just turned away from him. "Just get out, Jack. Go."

Jack stood there, stunned at her anger. She looked back at him. "Get out, Jack. Leave me alone."

Jack sighed. "All right, I'll go." He walked out of the room, fighting back the tears that were coming out.

Chloe buried her face in her pillow, crying softly.