A bluebird had landed on the hood of Jack's SUV and it stared at him through the glass, as he woke from another horrible nightmare. He'd watched a movie a long time ago that had some line about seeing a bluebird and it setting you free or something… hell; his memory was awful when he was stressed out. He felt like his mind was slipping away into the mists of the early dawn beyond his car, and he was reminded of Teri again.
Teri had liked to think of his career in a much more romantic sense than could truthfully be ascribed to it. He had always been her hero; even before he did anything remotely heroic in the eyes of his superiors, he was valiant to his wife. Perhaps it was the effect of the uniform; even he had to admit he filled out his army formals pretty well. As she became more aware of the details of the missions he was involved in; he became more of an anti-hero. The one that was admirable while still being rather dastardly too. She'd called him her Heathcliff; thanks to her passion for that novel and he'd laughed at her silly ideas. Now finding himself wandering through a desolate wood, shrouded in mist and seeking vengeance for the injustices suffered by the woman he loved… he thought maybe she'd had a point.
He also found some other strange memory following him as he walked towards the cabin after four and a half hours surveillance. Maybe it was the alcohol swishing around in his veins; he'd argued that it was to keep him warm in the car all night… it wasn't. Maybe it was the pills; had he taken too many, the previous evening? Telling time in these situations was never easy. Running from one rushed and usually failed endeavour to another made you forget the existence of the clock… had you not been on a deadline from the boss of course. Whatever it was, he was sure he felt Teri was with him.
Now Jack Bauer really wasn't the sort of guy to believe in ghosts and the afterlife. He wanted to… bearing in mind all those he'd sent to hell; he wanted to believe they actually went there. However, he didn't like to think of it too much, for his own reasons. He doubted very much whether St Peter would let him through the gates, after all he'd done to boost business. Though despite any of his beliefs he felt she was there; like when she'd try and sneak up on him shaving in the bathroom. As if an agent with military and Special Forces training wouldn't notice his heavy footed wife pacing like a cat into the en-suite and trying to avoid the mirror's reflection and her husband's glance.
He played along, as he was doing now. Wondering if he'd spot her somewhere in the shadows this time; like he always did before.
'Bauer, what the hell are you playing at? Teri is dead; just another of those you helped up to Peter. Get it together man!'
He was beginning to defy his conscience on principle now. It tended to produce a pattern of self-loathing that he was growing out of now that he had things to live for, and it seemed pointless to listen. But the voice that he heard next wasn't his conscience… his madness perhaps; but not the words of his little devil. The angel on his shoulder was his wife, and she spoke to him the way she had in his dream. Soft and ever-loving; her gentle side.
'Not this way, Jack.'
He stood back from the front porch and regarded the doorway suspiciously. He was tired; when wasn't he tired? He thought he was going nuts; that too had been a recurring theme these last few years. Whatever he felt was going on in his head… he knew she was right. The front door to the rented cabin was rigged with explosives. Nothing too serious, Marc obviously wasn't like the high players, which Jack was used to taking out, but this was definitely enough to send him to see his wife again!
He stood still and pondered what to do next. His heart was pounding a thundering beat in his chest, but as he stood back and counted in his mind; quietly assessing his own physical condition, he realised it wasn't ill health or fear that made his chest thud; but the realisation of what had just stopped him walking up to his own death.
Why would Teri want him to stay alive? Kim was the obvious answer, but somehow Jack already felt like his daughter was doing okay without him. Wouldn't there be a part of his wife that wanted to be with him eternally.
'What are you thinking, Bauer? Stop being such a girl!'
Jack laughed softly to himself. All these voices in his mind were trying to mess him up, something awful. He was resolved in his actions that followed. The only part of him he planned to listen to were the purest; his heart and his instincts… maybe this time they wouldn't get him into trouble.
'Third time lucky, eh Bauer?'
With a laugh he walked around the side of the cabin and jimmied open the window lock. Surely something had to be inside worth protecting. He hoped to God it was Alfie. There was no car, if Marc was there too; he had an accomplice. Perhaps he bullied Allison into helping him, Jack thought to himself as he climbed in the open window and dropped silently onto the hardwood floor. The place was silent.
He walked from room to room, checking each of the two small bedrooms and the bathroom and kitchen as well as any hiding place in the main lounge room. Nothing could be found and there was no sign of his son. That was until he crouched down to diffuse the bomb attached to the front door.
After cutting three internal wires the device was rendered inactive and Jack leant back against the wall to wipe the perspiration from his brow. He leant back and tried to think through the possible actions of this madman. Why would Marc be so protective of a place that held no leads to his crime? There had to be something he missed. Marc must have expected he would be followed here… something would be there to prove he had taken Alfie.
Jack went to the trash can in the kitchen and found what he'd call proof. No court in the land would believe it was evidence; practically half of the population ate pop tarts, whatever their age. Raspberry was Alfie's favourite and the chocolate milk was his beverage of choice…it gave Jack a little comfort; at least he was being fed. Jack returned to the bedroom and lifted the pillow to his face, in the smaller bedroom they just smelt of musty sheets that hadn't been washed in a while. The dust collected on the nightstand was untouched… he tried the larger bedroom.
This time raising the pillows to his nose, he found the comforting fragrance of the vanilla shampoo that his girlfriend used for herself and her little boy. Again it wouldn't count as evidence, but it meant something to Jack. It meant the world to Jack.
He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes. He had to be missing something further; he had to find a clue to Alfie's whereabouts. He couldn't go home with out him. He couldn't bear to hurt Laura again. He rolled off the bed and his back stiffened as he felt a lump under the quilt. Rubbing his left hip he pulled back the covers and found the evidence he needed.
Spiderman gazed up at him through cheap plastic eyes and he couldn't help but smile. In his mind, Jack could almost see the little boy with a cunning look on his face as he stashed his favourite toy to be found later by the man he wanted to be his father more than anything in this world.
Alfie liked having a cop for his Daddy, despite his mother and grandmother's reservations. They had searched Laura's apartment for fingerprints a few times and Alfie comically wandered around with a note pad and his mother's reading glasses. How thankful Jack was now for those silly little games; that he had to spend hours cleaning up after!
"Thank you, Alfie." He whispered into the still air.
The dust beside the bed was months old but on the nightstand there were places that the sun caught it and there in the dust Jack found evidence that would stand up to criticism.
'Daddy fone call A x'
How could a seven year old be a better investigator than he was! Jack thought as he went to the phone in the lounge and pressed star69. The call was to a number in Charleston. A quick call to the operator told Jack it was a Mrs Allison Wagner. So she had been in on it.
One more call and he was on his way. Time was speeding up and Jack had a job to do, one of the most important and life changing missions he'd ever taken on. The stakes were high, but this time he would not fail.
Back at the car Jack pondered what he should do next. What if this woman was involved and what if Marc was there too. This was a very dangerous situation and possibly life threatening for his son. If he went in there shooting, he could get hurt; and if Marc was ready for him… Jack had to be prepared. There was no question in his mind when it came to offing Marc, but what about Allison? She had suffered at that evil man's hands the same as Laura had, only for a lot longer. If she stood up for her husband, would Jack be prepared to take her life too?
There was a time when he'd have taken such a decision in his stride, but having found Laura and himself in the bargain, he wasn't sure that was an action he could take. His mind was running in circles and he would have listened to any of the voices; be them, devil or angel. Though now no one spoke, and the silence was too much. Jack started the engine and reversed at speed from the woods.
The time had come to face the music. As Jack Bauer, he had no badge to hide behind. He had no support in this one, and no one to call… less he rely on the incompetent and possibly bent local police… they were Marc's friends; he knew he couldn't trust them. He was in this alone… as a man and a father; but this time not as an agent.
Teri had liked to think of his career in a much more romantic sense than could truthfully be ascribed to it. He had always been her hero; even before he did anything remotely heroic in the eyes of his superiors, he was valiant to his wife. Perhaps it was the effect of the uniform; even he had to admit he filled out his army formals pretty well. As she became more aware of the details of the missions he was involved in; he became more of an anti-hero. The one that was admirable while still being rather dastardly too. She'd called him her Heathcliff; thanks to her passion for that novel and he'd laughed at her silly ideas. Now finding himself wandering through a desolate wood, shrouded in mist and seeking vengeance for the injustices suffered by the woman he loved… he thought maybe she'd had a point.
He also found some other strange memory following him as he walked towards the cabin after four and a half hours surveillance. Maybe it was the alcohol swishing around in his veins; he'd argued that it was to keep him warm in the car all night… it wasn't. Maybe it was the pills; had he taken too many, the previous evening? Telling time in these situations was never easy. Running from one rushed and usually failed endeavour to another made you forget the existence of the clock… had you not been on a deadline from the boss of course. Whatever it was, he was sure he felt Teri was with him.
Now Jack Bauer really wasn't the sort of guy to believe in ghosts and the afterlife. He wanted to… bearing in mind all those he'd sent to hell; he wanted to believe they actually went there. However, he didn't like to think of it too much, for his own reasons. He doubted very much whether St Peter would let him through the gates, after all he'd done to boost business. Though despite any of his beliefs he felt she was there; like when she'd try and sneak up on him shaving in the bathroom. As if an agent with military and Special Forces training wouldn't notice his heavy footed wife pacing like a cat into the en-suite and trying to avoid the mirror's reflection and her husband's glance.
He played along, as he was doing now. Wondering if he'd spot her somewhere in the shadows this time; like he always did before.
'Bauer, what the hell are you playing at? Teri is dead; just another of those you helped up to Peter. Get it together man!'
He was beginning to defy his conscience on principle now. It tended to produce a pattern of self-loathing that he was growing out of now that he had things to live for, and it seemed pointless to listen. But the voice that he heard next wasn't his conscience… his madness perhaps; but not the words of his little devil. The angel on his shoulder was his wife, and she spoke to him the way she had in his dream. Soft and ever-loving; her gentle side.
'Not this way, Jack.'
He stood back from the front porch and regarded the doorway suspiciously. He was tired; when wasn't he tired? He thought he was going nuts; that too had been a recurring theme these last few years. Whatever he felt was going on in his head… he knew she was right. The front door to the rented cabin was rigged with explosives. Nothing too serious, Marc obviously wasn't like the high players, which Jack was used to taking out, but this was definitely enough to send him to see his wife again!
He stood still and pondered what to do next. His heart was pounding a thundering beat in his chest, but as he stood back and counted in his mind; quietly assessing his own physical condition, he realised it wasn't ill health or fear that made his chest thud; but the realisation of what had just stopped him walking up to his own death.
Why would Teri want him to stay alive? Kim was the obvious answer, but somehow Jack already felt like his daughter was doing okay without him. Wouldn't there be a part of his wife that wanted to be with him eternally.
'What are you thinking, Bauer? Stop being such a girl!'
Jack laughed softly to himself. All these voices in his mind were trying to mess him up, something awful. He was resolved in his actions that followed. The only part of him he planned to listen to were the purest; his heart and his instincts… maybe this time they wouldn't get him into trouble.
'Third time lucky, eh Bauer?'
With a laugh he walked around the side of the cabin and jimmied open the window lock. Surely something had to be inside worth protecting. He hoped to God it was Alfie. There was no car, if Marc was there too; he had an accomplice. Perhaps he bullied Allison into helping him, Jack thought to himself as he climbed in the open window and dropped silently onto the hardwood floor. The place was silent.
He walked from room to room, checking each of the two small bedrooms and the bathroom and kitchen as well as any hiding place in the main lounge room. Nothing could be found and there was no sign of his son. That was until he crouched down to diffuse the bomb attached to the front door.
After cutting three internal wires the device was rendered inactive and Jack leant back against the wall to wipe the perspiration from his brow. He leant back and tried to think through the possible actions of this madman. Why would Marc be so protective of a place that held no leads to his crime? There had to be something he missed. Marc must have expected he would be followed here… something would be there to prove he had taken Alfie.
Jack went to the trash can in the kitchen and found what he'd call proof. No court in the land would believe it was evidence; practically half of the population ate pop tarts, whatever their age. Raspberry was Alfie's favourite and the chocolate milk was his beverage of choice…it gave Jack a little comfort; at least he was being fed. Jack returned to the bedroom and lifted the pillow to his face, in the smaller bedroom they just smelt of musty sheets that hadn't been washed in a while. The dust collected on the nightstand was untouched… he tried the larger bedroom.
This time raising the pillows to his nose, he found the comforting fragrance of the vanilla shampoo that his girlfriend used for herself and her little boy. Again it wouldn't count as evidence, but it meant something to Jack. It meant the world to Jack.
He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes. He had to be missing something further; he had to find a clue to Alfie's whereabouts. He couldn't go home with out him. He couldn't bear to hurt Laura again. He rolled off the bed and his back stiffened as he felt a lump under the quilt. Rubbing his left hip he pulled back the covers and found the evidence he needed.
Spiderman gazed up at him through cheap plastic eyes and he couldn't help but smile. In his mind, Jack could almost see the little boy with a cunning look on his face as he stashed his favourite toy to be found later by the man he wanted to be his father more than anything in this world.
Alfie liked having a cop for his Daddy, despite his mother and grandmother's reservations. They had searched Laura's apartment for fingerprints a few times and Alfie comically wandered around with a note pad and his mother's reading glasses. How thankful Jack was now for those silly little games; that he had to spend hours cleaning up after!
"Thank you, Alfie." He whispered into the still air.
The dust beside the bed was months old but on the nightstand there were places that the sun caught it and there in the dust Jack found evidence that would stand up to criticism.
'Daddy fone call A x'
How could a seven year old be a better investigator than he was! Jack thought as he went to the phone in the lounge and pressed star69. The call was to a number in Charleston. A quick call to the operator told Jack it was a Mrs Allison Wagner. So she had been in on it.
One more call and he was on his way. Time was speeding up and Jack had a job to do, one of the most important and life changing missions he'd ever taken on. The stakes were high, but this time he would not fail.
Back at the car Jack pondered what he should do next. What if this woman was involved and what if Marc was there too. This was a very dangerous situation and possibly life threatening for his son. If he went in there shooting, he could get hurt; and if Marc was ready for him… Jack had to be prepared. There was no question in his mind when it came to offing Marc, but what about Allison? She had suffered at that evil man's hands the same as Laura had, only for a lot longer. If she stood up for her husband, would Jack be prepared to take her life too?
There was a time when he'd have taken such a decision in his stride, but having found Laura and himself in the bargain, he wasn't sure that was an action he could take. His mind was running in circles and he would have listened to any of the voices; be them, devil or angel. Though now no one spoke, and the silence was too much. Jack started the engine and reversed at speed from the woods.
The time had come to face the music. As Jack Bauer, he had no badge to hide behind. He had no support in this one, and no one to call… less he rely on the incompetent and possibly bent local police… they were Marc's friends; he knew he couldn't trust them. He was in this alone… as a man and a father; but this time not as an agent.
