RECOMMENDED CAST

RECOMMENDED CAST
Erin O'Hare: Emma Rossum

EPISODE 20

THE FOLLOWING TAKES PLACE BETWEEN 5:00 AM AND 6:00 AM

NORAD AUXILIARY STATION, SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

Jack sits down on the ground, breathing in the cool desert night air.
"Sir, what are you proposing?" Jack asks softly, utterly devastated at the news of the high risks of this mission.

"I've spoken with General Bernstein. Not just NORAD has auxiliary backup stations, Star Wars does too. I'll……it…." Heller gives out a long sigh and a split screen shows him very dejected, "It's a long shot, but that's better than nothing."

"Sir, just…just tell me what the plan is."

"Son, it's a two-part plan. The beginnings of the Star Wars, the Strategic Defense Initiative, SDI, was started under Reagan's administration despite heavy opposition from the Democrats. Under the second President Bush, Palmer, Keeler, Logan, and my own administration we've begun to upgrade it before we could get widespread Congressional approval, it's all classified. Our plan was to merge the old 80s system with the newest technology we have.

"We're building a new solar-powered hub in Southern California on the northern shore of the Salton Sea, using solar power, and it was evacuated earlier today simply to not attract attention and as far as we known, neither the Mexicans nor the Chinese know the location. With President Biancos's ID, you will be able to bring up our missile shields by the time the Chinese warheads make their final descent. But there's a problem with this. The base was built in the 1980s and we haven't upgraded portions of the security apparatus, so in order to gain access to the control room you need a high-ranking military member from the U.S., Canada, or Mexico.
"According to the CIA the Mexicans have already re-programmed all NORAD and SDI station from their central server so that only their personnel can access it."

"So we need to capture one of Cienfuegos's main leaders…."
"In a word, yes, Jack. We've run an assessment and besides Biancos himself, the only man with that clearance is a Major Benito Calderon, who has long been one of Cienfuegos's most trusted officers. They both attended Mexico's equivalent of West Point and served as government advisors in the Haitian crisis. Both Calderon and perhaps Cienfuegos himself are in their temporary forward operating base in Barstow."

"Sir, Barstow is…"
"Jack, you have that kind of experience when you went into Serbia days before Victor Drazen would have launched his coup against the democratic government. We're too late right now, but you're the closest team to the objective and we don't have any time to lose if you choose to accept this. I'm going to be straight with you like I said. I'm asking, this country's asking you to lead your team deep into enemy-controlled territory, but with every passing minute, those missiles come closer to our homeland."

Jack sighs and looks at his men and Keith, all of whom have steely expressions on their faces. "If we're to make it, we have to head toward Barstow right now." Jack and his men get into two separate Subarus surviving from the battle and drive back onto the main highway.

"Thank you, Jack. We'll send up a backup team to assist with the second part of your operation on the Salton Sea, but going into Barstow, you guys will be your own."

"Mr. President, can I please talk to Audrey?"
"Of course, son. I'll patch you through."

Heller has a guilty look on his face as he operates the phones.

MANDALAY BAY, LAS VEGAS/MOJAVE DESERT SOUTH OF BARSTOW, CALIF.

"Audrey, Jack's on the line for you."
"Thanks, dad."

Audrey has Lisa and Blake watch her kids and goes into a stairwell overlooking the turquoise lit beach with other Vegas landmarks like the Stratosphere Tower and the emerald-green buildings of the MGM Grand and the colorful-roofed English castle of Excalibur in the background.

"Hey, Jack," Audrey says, hiding her emotions.
"Audrey, I'm sorry about earlier, I'm so sorry. I…I don't know what happened."
"It's okay, Jack. You were in the field, you still need to process things. So are you on your way back now?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about, Audrey," Jack says with tears welling up in his eyes, "There might be a way to stop all those missiles from hitting, but it's going to be dangerous."
"Jack, please, please don't' tell me you're…"
"Your father himself told me I was the best choice. My team is deployed here in the Mojave already. Jack, I don't know how to say this, but I don't think I have a choice. In a couple hours, the America we know will all be gone…."

"Jack," Audrey says crying, "It's already gone. I'm looking outside right now, and I'm looking at the smoke rising from Nellis, the antiaircraft tracers trying to stop the incoming cruise missiles the Mexicans are firing. Jack, it's not…"
"Audrey…I…we need to believe in tomorrow. You need to believe in tomorrow, Audrey, even if I may not be there to share it with you."
"NO, don't' talk like that, Jack, I can't go on without you, I remember when you were in China, I can't go through that again….I….just….can't…."

"Audrey, you know I love you more than anything or anyone else in the world. You're the best thing's that's ever happened to me, and you're the only reason I made it this far. You gave me the best seven years of my life, and you're the only reason I wanted to keep living. You showed me what it was like to live a normal life but….but…." Jack pauses and wipes his eyes, "I guess nobody's going to have a normal life anymore."

"Please…Jack…." Audrey says.
"Audrey, what I'm about to do is very dangerous. I need to go deep behind the Mexican lines and capture one of their leaders and then getting our SDI missile shield back up. Audrey, I need you to promise me something."
"What, Jack?"

"Promise me that if I don't' come back, you'll take care of Molly and Carl…"
"Don't…." Audrey is now sitting alone in the stairwell, leaning against the window with the Las Vegas skyline in the background.

"Raise them the way they would be raised if I was there. Let them know that wherever I am, I'll always be watching over them. And….and…." Jack's voice breaks, "Talk to Kim and Chase for me. Tell them that I was wrong to blame them for what happened today and that they still have a chance to face justice in the U.S. And….I don't' want to say this, but if my team and I fail in our mission, promise me that you, your father, and everyone at DOD and CTU will never stop fighting. Because this is our country, and we made a mistake by letting these people come in but we're not going to keep on making our mistakes. We're going to….we're going to take our land back."

"Jack…I promise, I promise I'll do that, I swear."
"Thank you, Audrey. I'm sorry but I have to go right now, we're twenty miles outside of Barstow and I need to talk to CTU about the mission. I always thought joining CTU was a mistake, but it wasn't, because it led me to you."
Audrey doesn't even care to wipe her tears anymore. "I love you, Jack. I love you Jack."
"I love you, Audrey."

Jack hangs up and exchanges a look with Murphy as they pass a highway sign with directions to Barstow.

CAMINO REAL COUNTRY CLUB, BARSTOW, CALIFORNIA

Univision in background with English subtitles and the banner "NUCLEAR RETALIATION ON PYONGYANG, TEHRAN": "American retaliatory strikes have devastated Pyongyang and Tehran but the missiles targeted on Beijing were destroyed by local air defense forces…" Footage shows a mushroom cloud over Pyongyang, North Korea and another one over Tehran, Iran. "Meanwhile, at least tens of thousands of civilians and soldiers are feared dead as North and South Korean militaries exchanged deadly missile and artillery barrages north of Seoul."

General Cienfuegos beams as he walks through the plush cocktail lounge with sofas, colorful wine glasses and bottles and colored lights giving out gentle hues of blue, green, and purple. He opens a screen door and steps out into a golf course dotted with palm trees stretching out into the desert. "Updates?" he asks as he embraces Benito Calderon.

"The news is all good," Benito Calderon, "And soon it won't matter what the Americans did to Iran and North Korea. After we cut the power to Nellis, our conventional missiles have taken out its runways and we have sent fighter jets into Nevada. The Americans tried to destroy McCarran Airport but our heroic pilots destroyed the jets they sent. So you have decided to up the timetable?"

"Si. This is the shock and awe campaign the Americans promised in Iraq but never delivered. In six hours our tanks will be driving down both Wilshire Boulevard and the Las Vegas Strip, and even if not all the Chinese strikes hit their targets, these images will be broadcasted throughout the world. After that, we will take the Central Valley and the Nevada mining country and consolidate our control, offer the Americans a cease fire.

"The American resistance will falter, Benito, I know it. We will win because we are righteous. They are fighting to keep land that they stole from us, and as Simon Bolivar drove the Spaniards out of South America, as the mujahideen kicked out the foreign invaders, and as Ho Chi Minh kicked the Yankees out of Vietnam, Mexico will rise again in our hands. Future generations will read about us and our names will be next to those, they will read about our victories against the most powerful nation on Earth."

"I will relay these orders to the commanders, General," Major Calderon replies with a salute.
"Good. General Huego's divisions are making headway across Arizona toward Las Vegas and our paratroopers will secure McCarran Airport. We will beat the Americans at their own game."

BARSTOW, CALIFORNIA

As Jack and his team approach the city of Barstow in the Mojave Desert, there is a surprising level of normalcy with civilian traffic moving, and he still glances non-Mexican faces in the cars around him.

"Why are these people still here?" Jack asks.
"Couldn't get out in time. At least they aren't publicly executing people at this point."
"Will they search our car?"
"No, we're getting other vehicles and splitting up, but this still isn't like going into Baghdad during the Saddam days. At least now the Mexicans are following our operating procedures. They're going to warn us to stop, fire warning shots, and then shoot to kill. They need to at least keep a semblance of human rights as they present their case to the UN."

"How the hell do they justify this?" an agent asks.
"Well the Third World makes up most of the world, they'll be sympathetic to their claims. They'll say they intervened to stop the civil strife in California that stemmed from the consulate crisis."

"Jack, it's Bill," the radio says.
"I'm listening."
"We've got a team of locals. A mixture of legal Mexican Americans loyal to the U.S. as well as other local Barstow residents. Many of the people have chosen to stay and fight for their homes rather than flee into the desert. I'm gonna send the rendezvous location to your PDA, its two miles outside of town."

CAMINO REAL COUNTRY CLUB
"Senor General, still no word from the teams at the NORAD station," a young Mexican sergeant says.
Cienfuegos pauses and says, "Don't worry. The missiles were launched, the Americans are open to attack, it's all that matters."

BARSTOW OUTSKIRTS

Jack's world explodes in the clatter of gunfire as the regional highway merges into Interstate 40.
"Put it away, Jack!" Murphy yells. Jack hesitantly puts it on his lap.

A Mexican tank is now in front of them with the gunner cursing and making obscene gestures unknown to Jack, possibly Mexican versions of the middle finger.
"Careful there," Murphy says, "They've got the right of way."

"Batardo!! Stay back, we made the rules clear!" an announcement is broadcasted in Spanish.
"Don't follow too close…just stay calm…it's dark, they don't know we're Anglos. We're two exits from the rendezvous, its actually kinda a ways into Barstow but we should be fine."

"Jeez, look at that," another agent says, watching the Mexican tanks, APCs and Humvees driving on both sides of the highway and Mexican platoons taking positions on various bridges of local roads spanning the Interstate. Up ahead at the Interstate 15 junction there is a roadblock but thankfully Jack takes the exit before that, going into a commercial strip with brightly lit shopping centers with parking lots filled with Mexican soldiers and Chicano militiamen.

"Those are the worst," Murphy says, "The regular army is well-trained and somewhat disciplined, as surprising as that may seem, but the Chicano militias are a bunch of psychos. They're the illegals and anchor babies, the ones who were gang members and drug dealers here before the war started."

RESIDENTIAL AREA, BARSTOW

The two Subarus turn away from the bright garish lights and into a quiet residential development with medium-sized ranch houses set amid large, well-irrigated lawns. Visibility was good with ample streetlights. They quickly found the house and went through the back.

Two men are in the backyard to greet them.
"Glad to see you found it. So many people say my house is hard to find, even with Mapquest," a Mexican American man says in American English.
"Well those people are idiots," Jack says slyly.

"Just don't let my mother know you said that about her brother. Anyway, I'm Nathan Hernandez, Barstow sheriff's department."
"Jack Bauer, CTU-Los Angeles. This is Keith Murphy, on loan from U.S. Air Force special ops. And as you know, President Carlos Biancos."
"Nice to meet you, let's go in."

"You have to be careful," Nathan says, "This community's mostly legal immigrants, second-generation families, Anglos, a lot of mixed families too, but some other parts of town are dominated by the illegals. They've raised hell for us for years, so bad that half my neighbors moved up the road to Vegas or Salt Lake, even Idaho. The occupation thinks I'm loyal to them, carry a Chicano banner just as a show."

"So your men have been running intel around town?"
Nathan nods. "Yeah." He opens up a map, simply a local highway map published by the AAA. "You know, well, how our boys all went to Saddam's palaces, lounged by the pool, got a tan, after we entered Baghdad?"
Keith nods with a smile to lighten the mood. "Yeah, Baghdad actually has some of the biggest pools in the world. I always slacked off on lifeguard duty, doing tricks on those spiral diving boards…yeah, spiral, some imagination eh?"

Everyone laughs, even Jack despite the grave situation.
Nathan continues, "So, Cienfuegos set up base at the most prominent location in the city. Here, Camino Real, major country club owned by Choice Hotels International, three lodges, major pools and spas, golf courses, a steakhouse, covers 10 acres of land."

There is a knock on the door. "Shhh….hide!!" Nathan says and motions for three Mexican Americans, two white men, and a black man to follow him. "There's a crawlspace in the laundry, under the dining room!"

Jack sweats profusely as the banging gets louder until Nathan and his friends open the door.

"What took you so long??"

"I…..I'm sorry….we were watching the progress of your liberation," Nathan says in Mexican Spanish. Keith crawls out from the crawlspace and quickly takes the remote control, switching the channel to Telemundo which shows reports from a devastated Los Angeles where massive separatist bombs have brought down the Library Tower and the Bank One building following a pitched battle with white militias and black gangs. Footsteps approach and Murphy goes into the laundry room just in case before three Mexican soldiers in fatigues arrive.

They laugh at the news.
"What is this?" Nathan asks, "I'm loyal. You don't need to insult me."
"So those negritos and gringos are your friends who drove the cars here…"
"Si, I told you. They own a dealership in Santa Clarita outside of LA. They're friendly to us, they hate the U.S. government too."

"They better," one of the Mexicans says. He opens the door to the laundry and opens the crawlspace, shining a flashlight in, Jack freezing in terror behind some boxes. After an endless five seconds, the light shines away and the soldiers go back upstairs.

"Lo siento, comrade," a soldier says as they leave the front door, "One thing…it's been a long night, you know any strip bars around here. You never have enough machismo and we need to…"
"Try the west side of downtown, on Interstate 15, the Bling-Bling Club they call it, you wont' miss it, they call it a preview to Vegas."
The Mexican soldiers break out laughing hysterically. "Gracias!! We are actually heading to Vegas soon, so….sorry about the intrusion."
"Adios, amigos."

Nathan goes back down and tell the CTU agents to get back into the basement.
"Close call," Jack says unnerved.
"Jack, are you sure you're okay?" Murphy asks.
"I am. Don't worry about me. It's fine."
"You don't' look fine, you're…"
"Don't question me, Keith," Jack says firmly and Murphy lets it go.

CTU-LOS ANGELES
"Okay," Bill says, pointing to the schematics of the country club grounds lit up on the screen. He is announcing the operations to the CTU staff assembled around the conference room.
"The Major is set up in one of the building surrounding the pool according to our latest intel…."

BARSTOW, CALIFORNIA

The team goes into a part of town relatively free of military activity and enter a Harley Davidson dealership. Jack looks at the bikes with admiration and also sadness.
"What's the matter?" Biancos asks.
"I…I hope this isn't my last time riding one of these?" He then looks longingly at the golden arches of McDonald's rising majestically it seems along the wide avenue, "It's…it's beautiful, you know? Everything."

"I'm sorry, Jack, I understand. This…this means a lot to you. It's the America you know, I've sorry for what my country is doing." Biancos says.
"No, sir," Jack says, "You represent your country, not Cienfuegos and his leftist animals."

The dealership owner, another Mexican American, drives up in a Mercedes sedan and opens the showroom. They are careful to use sound mufflers this time and they quickly drive out of the lot, Jack looking at the destination with their PDA.

In a split screen, Audrey is comforting her kids in Mandalay Bay, Erin is talking to Chrissie, the girls also comforting one another, Heller is watching news reports in the Pentagon, and an electronic map shows the location of the Chinese missiles in the sky.

Two blocks later, three Mexican army jeeps block their way. "We ordered the curfew!! Are you deaf??" a bullhorn shouts in Spanish.

"We have to engage them," Murphy says, "Everyone, secondary entry point, go! Now!"
The bikes split up, with Biancos and Jack on the same one. Jack whips out his Uzi and sprays bullets toward the middle jeep, four of the soldiers dying, one wounded and the other ducking. The three Mexican jeeps go in different directions but Murphy shoots out a gas tank, sending the jeep flying across the street in flames, throwing its occupants everywhere. Another jeep strikes it and stops, the soldiers jumping into the street and firing automatic weapons. A soldier reaches for the radio and Jack shoots him through the neck, the man dropping it before he can call for backup.

Large explosions appear close to Jack and Murphy's position. Jack and Bianco's bike goes in a zigzag pattern straight toward the tank, the tank commander desperately trying to maneuver the turret fast enough. Jack jumps the bike into the tank, the wheels striking the gunner in the face, decapitating him. Jack parks the bike and he and Biancos charge into the compartments, kicking and shooting. Biancos takes his gun and shoots the surprised commander while Jack shoves a private against the wall and breaks his neck. In the next street, a second Bradley fighting vehicle is about to turn in his direction.

"I know this," Biancos says, typing in commands and aiming the turret straight at the other tank. Shells burst forth from the tank and land on top of the other one, causing a series of explosions as the munitions and gas tanks all ignitied. "Let's go!!" Murphy damages a fuse and rigs the tank to explode before closing the hatch and getting back on the bike.

The CTU teams re-convene at a park where there is a creek and they drive into a large open sewer opening where the creek goes underground below a high school. Above, Mexican soldiers reach the tank Jack had briefly captured. There is a large fireball and the scene changes to Jack and his team on four different motorcycles, the PDA showing them approaching the country club.

…..5:00 AM