Yusuf rocked back on his heels as he rested his arm across his knees. He sat across from Michelle his back against the living room wall. The gun hung loosely in his right hand.
Auda had no idea what he was going to do now. Desperation had made him make a difficult choice and now he had to live with it. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt anyone. And if his plan worked out he wouldn't have too. But in order for that plan to work he had to keep communication open.
Yusuf looked around the living room and spotted a coil of rope laying in the far corner. He stood and walked toward it keeping an eye on Michelle in case she decided to make an escape attempt.
"What are you doing?"Dessler asked warily as she watched him pick up the rope and come back toward her.
"I have to go out for a little while."Yusuf replied as he grasped Michelle's right arm and dragged her to her feet. He led her to the wall separating the kitchen and the living room that was only half done.
Michelle winced as pain shot through her injured shoulder as Auda forced her into a sitting position with her back against a pole. Yusuf knelt and pulled Michelle's arms behind her and wrapped them around the pole. He circled her wrists with the rope then he used the remaining length to secure Michelle's waist to the pole.
"You don't have to gag me."Michelle pleaded as Auda looked around for a piece of cloth. "I won't scream."
Yusuf shot her a dubious look as he tore off part of an unused paint cloth. "Some how I don't find that likely."
Auda retraced his steps and placed the makeshift gag over Michelle's mouth and tied it securely behind her head.
"I won't be long."Yusuf promised as he stood and pocketed the gun.
Auda picked up his coat and left the dark beach house leaving Michelle to wonder if he was coming back.
*********
Tony closed his eyes and mentally counted to ten. His phone call to Chappelle had already lasted longer than he planned. At the moment Chappelle was starting to tick Tony off but Almedia knew telling his boss off wouldn't help the situation any.
"No, Sir. We don't need anybody from District. We have it covered. Yes, Sir we're still working on the bomb.....but Michelle's kidnapping....Sir, you can't possibly give......No, Sir, I'm not questioning your orders.....Yes, I'll call with an update as soon as we have anything."
With a muffled curse Tony slammed the satellite phone down onto his desk not caring if the expensive piece of equipment broke. It was taking every ounce of his self-control not to punch a hole through the wall.
Tony had always known Chappelle was a self serving weasel. But he never thought the man would willingly sacrifice a human life. Tony sank back into his chair scrambling to come up with a new plan. Chappelle had only allotted him five hours to get Michelle back.
Five hours.
It didn't seem like nearly enough time but it had to be. It was all they had.
Reaching for the phone consol Tony hit the button for the intercom. "Jack, can you come up here for a minute?"
"Sure."Bauer replied.
A few minutes later Jack knocked on the door and Tony waved him in.
"I just got off the phone with Chappelle."Tony stated as he rose to his feet. "He's given me a deadline."
Jack's eyes widened. "You're kidding."
Tony shook his head. "He had the nerve to tell me that we had five hours to find Michelle. When that time's up he wants all personnel working on Second Wave."
Jack glanced at his watch. "It's quarter to two now. I'll let Carrie know the clock got sped up. How do you want to handle this?"
Tony rested his hands on the surface of the desk. "I don't give a damn about Chappelle. We'll do what we have to do to take Auda down without Michelle getting hurt. Anything on the land holdings?"
"It's slow going. What little documents they've given us have been in Arabic. It's taking time to translate them."
"Whatever you need to get it done, I'll get it."Tony promised. "Those documents are our only chance of getting a lead on Auda's whereabouts."
"We should have the first ten translated in about forty minutes."Jack replied as he headed toward the door."I'll bring them up as soon as they're printed."
"Thanks."Tony acknowledged as Jack left.
Auda had no idea what he was going to do now. Desperation had made him make a difficult choice and now he had to live with it. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt anyone. And if his plan worked out he wouldn't have too. But in order for that plan to work he had to keep communication open.
Yusuf looked around the living room and spotted a coil of rope laying in the far corner. He stood and walked toward it keeping an eye on Michelle in case she decided to make an escape attempt.
"What are you doing?"Dessler asked warily as she watched him pick up the rope and come back toward her.
"I have to go out for a little while."Yusuf replied as he grasped Michelle's right arm and dragged her to her feet. He led her to the wall separating the kitchen and the living room that was only half done.
Michelle winced as pain shot through her injured shoulder as Auda forced her into a sitting position with her back against a pole. Yusuf knelt and pulled Michelle's arms behind her and wrapped them around the pole. He circled her wrists with the rope then he used the remaining length to secure Michelle's waist to the pole.
"You don't have to gag me."Michelle pleaded as Auda looked around for a piece of cloth. "I won't scream."
Yusuf shot her a dubious look as he tore off part of an unused paint cloth. "Some how I don't find that likely."
Auda retraced his steps and placed the makeshift gag over Michelle's mouth and tied it securely behind her head.
"I won't be long."Yusuf promised as he stood and pocketed the gun.
Auda picked up his coat and left the dark beach house leaving Michelle to wonder if he was coming back.
*********
Tony closed his eyes and mentally counted to ten. His phone call to Chappelle had already lasted longer than he planned. At the moment Chappelle was starting to tick Tony off but Almedia knew telling his boss off wouldn't help the situation any.
"No, Sir. We don't need anybody from District. We have it covered. Yes, Sir we're still working on the bomb.....but Michelle's kidnapping....Sir, you can't possibly give......No, Sir, I'm not questioning your orders.....Yes, I'll call with an update as soon as we have anything."
With a muffled curse Tony slammed the satellite phone down onto his desk not caring if the expensive piece of equipment broke. It was taking every ounce of his self-control not to punch a hole through the wall.
Tony had always known Chappelle was a self serving weasel. But he never thought the man would willingly sacrifice a human life. Tony sank back into his chair scrambling to come up with a new plan. Chappelle had only allotted him five hours to get Michelle back.
Five hours.
It didn't seem like nearly enough time but it had to be. It was all they had.
Reaching for the phone consol Tony hit the button for the intercom. "Jack, can you come up here for a minute?"
"Sure."Bauer replied.
A few minutes later Jack knocked on the door and Tony waved him in.
"I just got off the phone with Chappelle."Tony stated as he rose to his feet. "He's given me a deadline."
Jack's eyes widened. "You're kidding."
Tony shook his head. "He had the nerve to tell me that we had five hours to find Michelle. When that time's up he wants all personnel working on Second Wave."
Jack glanced at his watch. "It's quarter to two now. I'll let Carrie know the clock got sped up. How do you want to handle this?"
Tony rested his hands on the surface of the desk. "I don't give a damn about Chappelle. We'll do what we have to do to take Auda down without Michelle getting hurt. Anything on the land holdings?"
"It's slow going. What little documents they've given us have been in Arabic. It's taking time to translate them."
"Whatever you need to get it done, I'll get it."Tony promised. "Those documents are our only chance of getting a lead on Auda's whereabouts."
"We should have the first ten translated in about forty minutes."Jack replied as he headed toward the door."I'll bring them up as soon as they're printed."
"Thanks."Tony acknowledged as Jack left.
