Chapter 7

The following takes place between 12:05pm and 12:38pm EST, 5 months after the arrest of Cara Bowden and Alan Wilson.

There was a knock to door of the Oval Office. President Taylor was slightly startled, deeply invested in the document before her.

"Come in."

A short man in a charcoal suit, with a thinning hairline and glasses to match stormed in.

"What can I do for you, Senator Mayer?"

"You told me you had Jack Bauer ready to cooperate on the CTU investigation!"

The President sighed, removing her reading glasses. "I thought so too, but Blaine, you know with everything that's gone on at the FBI, that meeting never had a chance to be rescheduled. And besides, I think the only way he was going to cooperate was upon being promised a safe return for Dessler and Almeida, but that's been done now too."

Senator Mayer's eyebrows raised in alarm. "So he's out?"

"I believe so. You know him, he's a man of principle."

"Forget it, I'm calling a subpoena, this man will testify." The senator left in a huff.

It wasn't that the President had forgotten the CTU investigation or put it on the back-burner. In fact, seeing how the FBI investigation of Blackwater had very much resembled one that would have been done at CTU, she was determined to evaluate every single instance of enhanced interrogation ever used. If there was a chance this kind of behaviour could be deemed widely acceptable in any other government department, she would have none of it. Sometimes circumstances are difficult, and force may be required, but President Allison Taylor did not endorse torture. Her initial plan to find a sense of understanding with Jack Bauer, a man who's name appeared in seemingly every CTU file, but the shred of incentive she'd had was gone. So it was time to hand the investigation back to the Senate, who she knew wouldn't be as kind.

Returning to his office, the Senator immediately opened his computer. Searching 'Bauer, Jack' in his directory lead him to the man of interest's governmental file. Scrolling through, he searched for Jack's last known location.

Current Location: Sangala, Africa

He cursed to himself. Bauer couldn't at least be in the US? Directing the page to the Sangalan US Embassy contact information, he dialled the phone number.

"US Embassy of Sangala, Frank Trammell speaking." The man sounded about as enthused as somebody watching paint dry.

"Frank, this is Senator Blaine Mayer, I'm issuing a subpoena for Jack Bauer."

"On what grounds?"

"Tell him we're demanding his immediate return so he can be trialled for allegations of torture!"

—

The following takes place between 8:00am and 9:00am EST, 2 days after the return of Jack Bauer from Sangala.

Jack sat in the court, feeling the judgemental eyes of all in attendance on him. At the podium sat the committee of Senators who had lead the investigation into CTU after its disbandment. He was still infuriated after the events in Sangala. After losing Carl, and nearly the students, to say Jack was emotionally drained was an understatement. While he, along with many other US soldiers, had managed to take down the Juma regime and destroy remnants of the biotoxin Starkwood was prepared to bring in, a great success for national security, Jack couldn't save the hundreds of children already indoctrinated into soldiers. That was what killed him. That these children were learning to use assault rifles instead of learning to ride a bicycle. And without serious intervention, there was no going back for them.

Senator Blaine Mayer had been particularly vocal about Jack's torture allegations. As if some cruel joke by the universe, he decided to use the Ibrahim Haddad case as an example, which largely revolved around the actions he took to save the lives of children, something he felt he'd failed to do in Sangala. The Senator just wasn't getting it. He was another politician who believed that the law is the only necessary weapon, that every case can be handled judicially and peacefully. He had never seen these terrorists, looked them in the eyes only to find nothing there. He had never seen the fatality estimates every time CTU located another threat. Like most other citizens, he was sheltered from the millions of dooms-day situations that used to flow through CTU on a daily basis. The bombs, the gases, the plane hijackings, the pathogens with descriptions that sounded straight from a Stephen King novel. All the Senate saw were the collections of files describing the aftermath. They didn't see Ibrahim Haddad vehemently proclaim his dedication to his cause, insisting that the US had to pay for its crimes. No, all they saw was a bloodied shirt, bruises, and tears of pain. A human being. And they couldn't comprehend the idea that the treatment of this human was not a choice, but entirely necessary to prevent the loss of forty-five innocent people, and the grief of forty-five innocent families.

"But please sir, do not sit there with that smug look on your face and expect me to regret the decisions I have made. Because, sir, the truth is…I don't." Jack didn't break his gaze, staring up at the Senator.

Sighing, Senator Mayer knew that this man wouldn't back down, and engaging in confrontation wasn't going to be productive. "Okay…we'll take a break for now, Mr. Bauer, shall we? Instead we'll move to questioning one of your character witnesses. The Senate calls Anthony Almeida to the stand."

When asked, Tony and Michelle practically dropped everything to come to Washington for the trial. They too thought the investigation was unwarranted and misinformed, and were prepared to defend Jack and CTU at all costs. Chloe had agreed to watch the kids, after all, even though she agreed with her friends' opinions, she knew she didn't exactly have a 'way with words' for this sort of thing. She wasn't a fan of speaking in front of large crowds, nor was she the type to be open-minded or subtle. If it was one thing Chloe O'Brian wasn't, it was subtle. In addition to Tony and Michelle, Karen Hayes had come down, albeit still in the midst of her grief, she knew Bill would have been there to speak on Jack's behalf. Other than that, the previous directors and employees of CTU Los Angeles, particularly the ones close to Jack, were all either dead or in prison. But with three credible witnesses, Jack figured he had a fair shot to defend CTU.

The only other person he knew would likely have testified for him was Renee Walker. But after the interrogation of Alan Wilson, she'd been asked to leave the FBI, presumably so they wouldn't be held accountable for her actions, and likely sent for a psychological evaluation as well. He'd called eight times, each time going straight to voicemail. Jack was worried about her at first, but later realised she probably just didn't want to talk to him. Maybe she blamed him for the people she'd lost, maybe she felt as though he had a strong influence on her and indirectly caused this loss of her career. Whatever she thought of him, he didn't blame her.

—

"Mr. Almeida, you've worked alongside Mr. Bauer for several years, correct?"

"Yes. Since the early days of CTU." Tony nodded.

The Senator flicked through his papers. "In that case, you would have been active during many of the cases we've been discussing, hm?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"Explain your relationship with the accused to me. Can you honestly say you'll be unbiased in your testimony?"

Clearing his throat, Tony leaned forward on the witness stand. "Like I said, I've known Jack Bauer for a long time. Initially, we didn't think much of each other, I just knew he was another guy who Henderson had recruited from the service to come work for CTU. I imagine he thought the same of me. Then he started blowing the whistle on a few of our coworkers. Wasn't a huge fan of him after that, thought he was trying to make a point of himself. He'd also already gained a reputation as a bend-the-rules kinda guy. Frankly, it irritated me, because sometimes it seemed like he didn't even try to do things by the book first, he just jumped straight to doing whatever he wanted." He cracked a half-smile. "But my opinion of him changed on the day his wife and daughter were kidnapped. It gave me perspective and made me realise that sometimes doing things by the book just isn't possible. Had he followed every single protocol, I can guarantee you one of two things. Either David Palmer would have been assassinated on that day, or both his wife and his daughter would have been killed. But he managed to save the President's life, and at the very least, his daughter's. To me, that was irrefutable proof, that Jack Bauer always works for the greater good. So yes sir, considering I've been on both sides of the coin with him, I say my testimony isn't biased."

"Then please, give me your honest opinion of the manner in which CTU, and particularly Mr. Bauer, handled the interrogations of these witnesses."

"What Jack did to get information wasn't always pretty. But when you consider what would have happened if he hadn't? That doesn't look too good either. And as I said, the man in front of you is a man who has always worked for the good of this country. No amount of personal motivation will ever take over his desire to put the United States first. There is nothing in that file that I believe could have been handled differently. And quite frankly, I don't know anybody else out there who would be willing to sacrifice the things he has."

"What about Christopher Henderson? He wasn't even interrogated, Mr. Bauer shot him in cold blood. You can't tell me that was necessary!"

Tony sighed, shaking his head. "Henderson was the man who enlisted both of us. He was something of a role model, a leader. To find out that he was behind the Sentox conspiracy was quite frankly, confronting. Furthermore, he was responsible for the assassination of David Palmer, a great leader of this country. And at the time, another colleague of ours, Chloe O'Brian had nearly been killed that day. Christopher Henderson was responsible for the deaths of many people, and without Jack's efforts, could have easily been responsible for many more, including my own. While I understand that there is a time and a place, that due process exists, so people get the treatment they deserve, this was a government-level conspiracy. Jack knew that with all the strings Henderson had been pulling, he would have gotten off scot-free, and not been sentenced to life in prison or death on rightly-placed terrorism charges. It's not like he gained any satisfaction from what he was doing, there was no personal benefit for Jack, what he was delivering was justice."

You could hear a pin drop in the courtroom. It appeared not all of the spectators knew how deep the conspiracy ran. It wasn't exactly something the government wanted displayed on the front pages of every newspaper in the country.

Michelle also nodded at him from the spectator area. Her way of silently saying 'you did good'.

—

After being sworn in, Michelle sat at the witness stand, not daring show a shred of weakness. Being a female in this field meant she already had to fight to be taken seriously. Her records however, were a testament to her objectivity. Michelle Dessler was no damsel in distress, nor was she someone easily swayed by emotions.

"Ms. Dessler, describe your relationship with Mr. Bauer."

"I met Jack Bauer on the day CTU was presented with the threat of a large nuclear bomb. He was something of a taboo topic, it was only eighteen months after the death of his wife. So naturally, when NSA suggested bringing him in, I was a little apprehensive. I believe the term 'loose cannon' was used." One of the Senate member's chuckled lightly. "But by the end of the day, I'd gained an entirely new sense of respect for this man. Here he was, not being paid, not being given a medal for his actions, coming back to the very place that tore his life apart, and he was willing to do the necessary thing to protect this country."

"This day in particular, he interrogated one Syed Ali, correct?"

She dipped her head in confirmation. "Yes. Ali was the head of terrorist organisation Second Wave."

"I have here that in addition to physical violence, he staged the execution of this terrorist's family? What do you make of the way Mr. Bauer handled the situation?"

"Please understand Senator, that this threat was particularly time-sensitive. There was simply no time to coax Ali into revealing the location of the bomb, we already knew its detonation was imminent, so it was of utmost importance that we found its location. These people, terrorists like Syed Ali don't think rationally, they aren't always easily persuaded by immunity deals or money. Of course Jack started by asking him directly where the bomb was, then the contact started, usually a bit of 'roughing up' is enough to scare these terrorists into divulging information. But for someone like Ali, who'd already had a cyanide pill confiscated from him, he was so devoted to his cause that even physical threats were useless. Faking the execution of his family was the only thing that drove enough fear into him such that he gave us the essential information in time." Michelle explained.

"I'll admit Syed Ali was not extensively harmed physically, but what about psychologically? You can't agree that driving a man to insanity, terrorist or not, is ethical?"

"It's not. But that's not what Jack Bauer did. I looked Syed Ali in the eyes after that, before Jack informed him the execution was staged, Ali wasn't broken, he wasn't delirious. In fact he told me a critical piece of information, that he was acting alone and not on behalf of any nation. This was in fact true. Ali's willingness to give useful information, information that prevented the beginning of a world war, is a justification of Jack's interrogation method. Los Angeles would be a nuclear wasteland if it weren't for Jack Bauer. And I for one, am honoured to have worked with him."

Again, silence followed. Her testimony was assertive, there was no room for error, she had given the facts of the day, and it was clear that Jack Bauer's actions were in fact, validated.

—

Karen Hayes still managed to hold a formidable appearance. One would never guess she was recently widowed. Her hair colour was slowly fading from its light blonde into a white, and the lines on her face more pronounced, but with her navy pantsuit and fierce eyes, nobody would dare question her fitness to testify.

"Ms. Hayes, may I first say sorry for the loss of your husband. He was truly dedicated to this country."

She smiled, bittersweetly. "Thank you, Senator."

"Now…you haven't exactly worked alongside Mr. Bauer, but you did interact with him on the day of the Sentox attacks, yes?"

"Yes, I was working at Homeland Security at the time, and had been called in to take charge of CTU after the building was attacked. What I'm actually here to read is a statement on behalf of Bill, he was also a former CTU Los Angeles colleague. He'd been preparing this in the months before his death."

Turning the pages of the papers in front of him, the Senator replied. "In that case, we'll jump straight to it, what were Bill's opinions of Jack's conduct and handling of interrogations?"

Karen slid her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Unlike many others that I worked with, I was rather open about my approval of the use of physical and chemical interrogation methods. The example that comes to mind of why this is is one Joe Prado. On paper, he looked like a perfectly innocent businessman. Former Marine Corps, no criminal record, there would be no reason to suspect him of any crimes worthy of detainment at CTU. However, this was simply not the case. Prado was planning on helping Yosik Khatami escape the United States after succeeding in his mission to take down Air Force One, an event that lead to the death of President John Keeler, his son, and many others. Khatami was working for Habib Marwan, who at that point was unable to be located by traditional means, but known to be in possession of a nuclear missile. This, like many of other cases being scrutinised were of a highly time-sensitive matter. We needed to know where Marwan was, and fast. But due to interference from legal action threatened by Prado's lawyer, and a lack of support from the then-President Charles Logan, who we now know to be corrupt, a sanctioned, non-physical interrogation just wasn't plausible. At that moment, I knew that doing things in accordance with the rules was not going to get us any closer to locating Marwan or the missile. I allowed Jack to resign, and ordered the release of Prado, so his interrogation could be regarded as a private manner. And looking back, I do not regret what I allowed Jack Bauer to do, because Prado's information allowed us to prevent a missile strike on Los Angeles. Marwan had already succeeded that day in assassinating the president of the United States, and causing a nuclear meltdown, had I been thinking about 'human rights violations', the fatality list for that day would have been immensely higher."

Senator Mayer's lips were pressed tightly as he took in Bill's statement. "I appreciate the letter, however we actually dismissed that particular charge, based on, as you said, Charles Logan's corruption, and the fact that he'd only been sworn in a few hours prior."

"Ah, I see." She shuffled through the papers. "Oh! I do also have a statement from Bill regarding the death of Curtis Manning."

"You may proceed, then." He gestured with his hands.

She cleared her throat. "Curtis Manning was an excellent agent, and his death was a great loss to the Counter Terrorist Unit. It is even more saddening to know that his death was at the hand of another agent, and yes, likely could have been prevented. But I believe it was the combination of Manning's PTSD upon being face-to-face with Hamri Al-Assad, who was previously regarded an enemy combatant, and Bauer's own readjustment after having spent nearly two years in foreign captivity, that lead to the escalation of the situation. I must take some responsibility, after all, I let him go in the field so soon after his return, and should have requested a more thorough medical examination. But again, if it weren't for Al-Assad, it is likely that all of the suitcase nuclear devices would have been detonated, so while I cannot say that Jack's actions were necessarily entirely justified in this case, I can say that it ultimately worked for the safety of this country."

The Senator couldn't argue with a dead man's words. Especially when those words, along with the others spoken that day, vindicated the actions of Jack Bauer.

"Thank you, Ms. Hayes." She nodded, stepping down from the witness stand.