The houses in this particular neighbourhood were as idyllic as a film set. Nina was leaning against a wall in the suburbs of San Diego, across from the house of Phillip Cotter. It was early in the morning and she had already been there for a couple of hours. Despite the help provided by her contacts, she still knew very little about the man she planned to kill.
She smiled as he emerged from his house. "There you are," she whispered. Nina watched as he checked for mail and contemplated making this quick. Dawn had broken only moments before so there would be no witnesses. That plan died a quick death as a woman came out of the house with a baby in her arms. A toddler also appeared, staying close to his mother.
"Dammit," she muttered. Killing Cotter would mean murdering a husband and father. Could she do that to the woman and her children? It wasn't as if she hadn't destroyed families before. She had done it twice in one day.
When he had called and asked her to attend a meeting in his office, Nina had no idea what to expect. Having arrived there, the first thing she noticed was the two men stood close to the desk. One was taller and younger, with shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes. The other was shorter and older, balding and looking like an accountant.
The boss smiled at her before gesturing to the pair. "Nina, I would like you to meet Andre and Alexis Drazen."
The tall one, Alexis, smiled at her whilst Andre nodded.
"They are the sons of Victor Drazen, have you heard of him?"
She had but it took some thinking to remember where. Drazen had been Milosevic's right-hand man in Yugoslavia. He had died eighteen months ago, in an operation led by Jack Bauer himself. She knew of Nightfall but not through her legitimate job.
"Your government killed our mother and sister. We intend to pay them back," Andre spoke in a business-like manner.
She looked at him with visible confusion. No mention of their father dying?
Andre noticed the look on her face and explained. "They are lying about our father. The man they killed was his body double. Father is being held in a black site somewhere in this country."
Nina contemplated this information. Not only was Victor Drazen alive, but he was here in the US? She had many questions but decided that it was best not to ask.
"The second anniversary is in March next year. Your position within CTU will be a great asset for their plans," her boss spoke.
It was clear to Nina that she would be doing more than simple information gathering for the Drazens. Looking at Andre, she chose her next words with care. "How much can you tell me?"
Andre considered the question. He knew that she would be a trusted and valuable part of the plot but there was still some way to go. Plenty of time for her legitimate employers to expose her and foil their plans. Still, it wouldn't hurt to give her a summary. "We wish to kill those responsible for ordering the operation and carrying it out. The man who ordered it, Senator David Palmer. The man who carried it out, your friend and colleague Agent Jack Bauer."
Nina tried to hide her shock at the information, feeling some regret for asking. Her relationship with Jack was starting to become more than platonic. More than the order to get close and gain his trust. She knew it was only business, but she couldn't deny the developing feelings she had for him.
Andre seemed to read her mind, frowning at her. "I hope that won't be a problem, Miss Myers?"
Nina shook her head. "It won't," she replied even if she couldn't be sure.
Watching as the woman placed the children into her car, Nina waited to see what Cotter would do. Moments later, his family had driven away and he had gone back indoors. As much as she didn't want another destroyed family on her conscience, she knew that she had no choice.
Having approached the house, she knocked on the door and wondered if he knew what she looked like. Cotter didn't seem to be an active part of the hunt but a part he was and that made him a threat to her survival. As he opened the door, Nina studied his face and could tell that he didn't recognise her. For a moment, she began wondering if she had gotten the right man.
"Hello, can I help you?" Cotter asked. A black man in his forties, he was bald with a stocky build. His body language seemed relaxed as if he was unaware of his impending death.
"Philip Cotter?"
He nodded in response before she pulled out her gun and pushed it hard into his chest. "Inside, now!"
Cotter's eyes widened before he raised his hands and walked back into his house. "Look, nobody has to get hurt here!"
"Kneel down over there, facing the wall," she ordered. Lowering her gun once he had complied, she walked over to his side and looked straight at his face. "Joel Oakley, David Jorgensen and Roger Devane."
He had tensed up as soon as she had mentioned Joel. "You're Nina Myers!"
"Correct," she replied. This was the right Phillip Cotter but she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Her eyes wandered for a moment towards a family portrait on the wall.
He nodded before sighing. "I knew this whole thing was irrational from the start."
Nina couldn't have agreed more with him. All three of the dead conspirators had made mistakes that she had used to her advantage. Still, she was curious about something. "What was your part in this?"
Cotter turned to look at her. "I was always good with computers. Once I knew which false identity you were using, I could track you down anywhere. I've seen your face on computer monitors so many times, yet couldn't recognise you in the flesh."
Nina nodded. That explained why he didn't seem to be an active part of the hunt. If she considered the others to be field agents, then Cotter was a desk jockey. He was the Nina of their CTU, in other words.
"I know what you're here for, Nina, but promise me one thing? Once you leave, call the police so my family aren't the first to... find me."
She could tell he was trying his hardest not to cry but she wouldn't have thought less of him if he had broken down. "You have my word, Phillip," she spoke with a softer voice than she had expected.
It had seemed so much simpler earlier that day when she had killed Jamey Farrell. Knock her out and slash an artery to make it look like suicide. Her performance in the aftermath would have won her awards if it had been in a film. Of course, that wasn't an option here. Still, maybe it wouldn't be so bad? Jamey had been a single mother to a young son. Kim had Jack, at least, and he was a good father despite his marital problems.
"Teri, I'm leaving now. Someone will find you soon," she announced. How was she taking that information? Did she already know that she was going to die in that room or did she think that Nina would spare her? She had seen the dead CTU worker so there was no reason to assume that she wouldn't be next.
Aiming her gun, Nina was thankful that she didn't have to look into Teri's eyes. She hesitated for a second, but she knew the consequences of not tying up loose ends. If her employers were to find out that she had spared Teri, they would kill her. Her boss might even kill Teri and her family anyway, to serve as a warning to his employees.
"I'm sorry," she whispered before she fired two shots.
Moments later, she was driving away from the scene. Parking up a few streets away, she pulled out her phone and hoped that this wouldn't be a mistake. Imagining herself to be a concerned neighbour peeking out of curtains, she began to speak. "Hello, police? I heard a couple of gunshots across the street!"
Once the call had finished, having given the address of the house across from the Cotters, she sighed. Throwing the phone onto the passenger seat, she closed her eyes and opened another little box in her mind. Placing Phillip Cotter into it, she knew that the hunt was not yet over. Four down and one to go. Devane had told her that Henry Collins was something of a nomad and that she would have to let him find her first. Finishing this off was not going to be easy.
Opening her eyes, she was about to set off before a police car sped past. Whispering an apology to his family, she waited for it to disappear around the corner. Setting off, she smiled to herself. She had kept her promise.