She was quick to put her sunglasses on as she walked out of the airport and into the bright sunshine. Searching for and hailing a cab, she climbed in as soon as it stopped. Her destination, an hotel in Manhattan. This was her first time back in the United States for close to a year but she had no desire to stay for long. The trip, after all, was a simple demonstration. Nina Myers was back to show that she could.
As the cab made steady progress into the city, she gazed out at the surroundings. It was the middle of August but it felt like spring compared to the relentless heat of Morocco. Taking in everything as if it were vital, Nina noticed that the English she heard sounded alien. Arabic had been her daily tongue since arriving in North Africa. English had been for planning her escape or the rare conversation with a tourist.
She felt exposed as the cab stopped at lights, even though she was in the middle of a fleeting convoy. Of course, she was sure nobody knew she was back, but she couldn't help wondering if someone had noticed her. Glancing around at people in nearby vehicles, she saw nothing that worried her. They were all caught up in their own little worlds, far too busy to care about the exiled traitor in the back of a taxi. As they set off once more, she felt safer again.
Paying and thanking the driver once they had arrived, Nina wasted no time in heading inside. Taking off her sunglasses, she glanced around. Things didn't seem to be too busy, much to her relief. The hotel she had chosen was on a side street, hidden away from the main arteries of the city.
"Hi, I have a reservation for Sarah Aylesworth," she told the receptionist.
As the receptionist began typing, Nina returned her attention to her surroundings. Her cover story was simple and she had dressed to look the part. Sarah Aylesworth was a businesswoman, here in New York to attend a meeting.
Insisting that she was fine carrying her own luggage, she headed for the stairs. They felt like the safer option, much better than being blind and deaf inside a metal box. Not to mention she could change directions if the need arose. She took few breaks, resting only once she had reached her floor.
Shutting the door behind her, she slumped down onto the bed and stretched out her limbs. It had been a nerve wracking journey from Munich, hours had felt like days but here she was. Back in the United States for a little while with no intention of having it become a one-way trip. A flight to Russia was already booked and she was going to be on that plane.
Standing up after a while, she walked over to the window and gazed at the city. It was her first time in New York and she felt disappointed to be spending it in an hotel room. Not that anyone had asked her to come here, this was all her own doing. She had felt the need to prove she could go anywhere she wanted ever since first landing in North Africa. Of course, there was one place she was more than happy to avoid. Los Angeles.
A knock on the door attracted her attention. Walking over, she let her visitor in and closed the door as soon as possible. She wondered if the meeting could have happened elsewhere. A chance to get some fresh air and stretch her legs would have been welcome but the risk was too great. If they captured her, she had no more leverage to exploit and nobody was going to break her out. Even the little surprises she had left for CTU wouldn't be any use.
Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she looked at the man sat in the chair. He was in his thirties with messy blond hair and bright green eyes. The clothes he wore suggested that he was trying too hard to look like a tourist but she wasn't worried. He wasn't in any government database and he knew how to keep things that way.
The man began speaking as soon as she sat down, his accent betraying his Texan roots. "You've flown under their radar so far, but you still gotta get out of the country. When's your flight?"
Nina glanced at her watch. "In about twelve hours."
He nodded. "Bauer's back full time as head of field ops. Almeida's the director."
She raised an eyebrow. Tony Almeida as Director of CTU? Nothing she knew about him suggested he was suitable, but people were often full of surprises. "Keep me up to date," she grinned.
He mirrored her grin. "I'll get you everything I can."
The conversation turned small and she was more than happy to let it do so. She wasn't a fan of chatting, but it allowed her to forget her current situation for a while. If he hadn't his own flight to catch, she would have been happy to talk for hours.
Both of them stood up once the talking was over and they shook hands before he headed for the door. Opening it before glancing out into the corridor, he turned to face her. "Good luck, Nina, it was a pleasure as always."
Once the door closed, she took another look at her watch before frowning. It had only been forty minutes? Wondering what she could do to pass the time, she glanced out of the window and considered a short walk. Sure, it was a big risk but so was being back in the country. Instead, she walked over to the chair and sat down before closing her eyes. Meditation was something she used to practice daily and she had been meaning to get back into it.
Focused on her breath, she shooed away the thoughts that tried to cloud her mental blue sky. Her mind seemed particularly insistent on reminding her of her last time in Los Angeles. The hope of the original pardon followed by the roller-coaster hours she had spent with Jack. The nerve-wracking wait in the holding room for either freedom or atomic oblivion.
Once she felt satisfied with the session, she opened her eyes. Gazing out of the window, she smiled as she noticed the sun beginning to set over the city. She watched until the sun disappeared below the skyline before standing up.
As she showered, Nina was careful to listen out even though the risk was low. If the government had somehow found out about her in the last couple of hours, they would wait to strike. Far better to let her get out of the city and make the arrest on a lonely road in the middle of the night. Far less embarrassing, too, if word got out that she had slipped back into the country.
Drying herself off before walking back into the room, she put on an old t-shirt and shorts. She climbed into bed and set an alarm for three in the morning, four hours before her flight. Lying down, she was soon fast asleep.
Groaning as the alarm woke her up, she was quick to sit up and silence the nuisance. Gazing outside at the dark night sky, she could see a sprinkling of stars that had evaded city lights. The moon was close to a skyscraper, a pale crescent watching the world go by.
Climbing out of bed, she got dressed before packing up her few belongings. Another escape late at night and she could only hope that nothing would go wrong this time. At least there wasn't the impending arrival of a furious federal agent to worry about.
In the foyer, the only person around was the night receptionist. He seemed unconcerned about her checking out at three in the morning and offered to call her a cab. Accepting his offer, she was quick to head outside as soon as it pulled up.
Setting off for the airport, Nina felt as if this was the most dangerous part of her trip yet. If CTU had discovered her presence in the country, she would not be flying anywhere but LA. For now, she wasn't too worried as they drove through the dark streets of Manhattan.
Mentally running through her plans, she was happy with how things had improved. Once she had arrived in Russia, she would meet her contact and go wherever his job offer required. He had assured her that it wouldn't be in the US. That had convinced her to accept the job without knowing the details. She smiled to herself before closing her eyes and allowing herself a moment to relax.
Panic forced her awake and it took her a moment to process the feeling. The driver turned around and apologised, they had driven over a bump in the road. Looking out, she noticed the bright lights of the airport not too far away. Her escape was getting ever closer but it felt like a net was about to be cast.
Walking into the airport, she felt as if someone knew where she was and if they did, they had plenty of time. Nobody around her seemed familiar but she had never met anyone who worked at CTU New York. If she was unlucky, she soon would.
Sitting down and taking a book out of her luggage, she began to read. The fantasy of fiction would lessen the anxiety of reality but she had to be careful. Both time and her surroundings were things she couldn't control, but she could at least keep an eye on them.
She had read half the book before it was time to board. Standing up, she studied the small crowd of people she was about to share a flight with. Most were Russians on their way home, with a small number of American tourists. None of them looked like undercover agents ready to grab her at the last hurdle.
As the plane ascended into the dawn, Nina's relief showed on her face. Things could have gone wrong at any time and in any number of ways, but she had succeeded. Next time, she was going to feel a lot more confident.