It took three tries but Tony finally had Carrie on the line. "Where were you?"
"Chappelle had me working on the new threat."Carrie explained.
"I want you to stay focused on this situation."Tony ordered. "Patch President Palmer through."
"I've been trying."Carrie lied as she sat down behind her desk. "From what I've heard from Chappelle, Palmer has problems of his own right now. We might not be able to count on his help."
Tony glanced over at the dark house. "Keep trying."
"I'm sorry Tony, but I can't."
Tony's eyes narrowed sharply. "What the hell do you mean you can't?"
"Chappelle's pissed at you and I'm not letting this situation ruin my career."
"You still work for me, Carrie. Get Palmer on the line, now."
"I have to go."Carrie replied as she hung up the phone and leaned back in her chair a smile on her face.
"Carrie...."Tony began but all he heard was a dial tone. Frusterated Tony closed the phone and put it in his jacket pocket.
Jack looked over at him. "Carrie jumping ship?"
Tony sighed. "Like it was the Tiantic. Chappelle's freezing us out. He doesn't care about Michelle at all. Even though she practically kept CTU running after the explosion."
"How are we going to meet Auda's demands without CTU's backing?"Jack asked.
"We'll fake him out."Tony replied. "Tell him what he wants to hear. Anything to keep him from freaking out and hurting her."
Tony handed Jack the phone as he said. "I hope your connections with Palmer are as good as you say they are."
"They are."Jack promised as he took the phone and began to dial.
*******
With the last knot free the ropes fell away and Michelle slowly rose to her feet. Her legs were stiff and numb from sitting so long and her injured shoulder was throbbing.
"Thank you."Michelle whispered as she took slow steps testing to see if her legs would hold her.
Auda picked up the gun as he stood and leaned against the post. "I will give him twenty minutes."
Michelle nodded too tired to try to reassure him any more. She knew Tony was doing everything he could to get her out. Michelle just had to try to keep her strength up until the rescue came.
"Do you have anything else to eat?"Michelle asked as she turned back to face her captor.
Yusuf nodded as he motioned toward the bag of supplies resting on the floor. "I believe there's a few candy bars left."
Michelle walked toward the bag and began to rumage through the contents. Anything to stall for time. She really didn't want to be tied up again.
Michelle took out two candy bars and stood. She walked over and gave one to Yusuf before she walked over to the nearest wall and leaned against it.
"This will be over soon."Yusuf assured her quietly.
"I hope so."Michelle replied. "I want everyone to walk away from this."
"So do I."Yusuf said as he opened the candy bar. "I just don't see that as a possiblity."
*********
"Thank you, Mr. President. Hang on for a minute."Jack replied as he lowered the phone and looked at Almedia. "I gave them Auda's phone number and they're willing to patch the President through on your order."
Tony nodded. "Thanks."He picked up Jack's cell phone and dialed Auda's number.
"Yes?"Auda answered.
"I have President Palmer on the line. He's willing to talk to you."Tony replied his voice carefully controlled.
"Good."Auda stated as he moved away from the post. "I was beginning to think you weren't taking my demands seriously."
"Let me talk to Michelle first."Tony demanded.
Auda shook his head. "No, you talked to her already. Patch Palmer through."
Tony wanted to protest but bit his tounge. "He's being patched through now."
Jack spoke quietly into the phone and then nodded to Tony.
"Mr. President, this is Tony Almeida."
"Yes, Mr. Almedia."Palmer acknowledged.
"In a moment you'll be talking to Yusuf Auda. Has Jack brought you up to speed?"Tony asked.
"Yes."Palmer replied. "I'll do whatever I can to help Ms. Dessler."
"Thank you, Sir."Tony said. "Auda, you can speak to the President now."
"Mr. Auda, this is President Palmer."Palmer began as he leaned forward in his chair. "What can I do to end this situation peacefully?"
"Chappelle had me working on the new threat."Carrie explained.
"I want you to stay focused on this situation."Tony ordered. "Patch President Palmer through."
"I've been trying."Carrie lied as she sat down behind her desk. "From what I've heard from Chappelle, Palmer has problems of his own right now. We might not be able to count on his help."
Tony glanced over at the dark house. "Keep trying."
"I'm sorry Tony, but I can't."
Tony's eyes narrowed sharply. "What the hell do you mean you can't?"
"Chappelle's pissed at you and I'm not letting this situation ruin my career."
"You still work for me, Carrie. Get Palmer on the line, now."
"I have to go."Carrie replied as she hung up the phone and leaned back in her chair a smile on her face.
"Carrie...."Tony began but all he heard was a dial tone. Frusterated Tony closed the phone and put it in his jacket pocket.
Jack looked over at him. "Carrie jumping ship?"
Tony sighed. "Like it was the Tiantic. Chappelle's freezing us out. He doesn't care about Michelle at all. Even though she practically kept CTU running after the explosion."
"How are we going to meet Auda's demands without CTU's backing?"Jack asked.
"We'll fake him out."Tony replied. "Tell him what he wants to hear. Anything to keep him from freaking out and hurting her."
Tony handed Jack the phone as he said. "I hope your connections with Palmer are as good as you say they are."
"They are."Jack promised as he took the phone and began to dial.
*******
With the last knot free the ropes fell away and Michelle slowly rose to her feet. Her legs were stiff and numb from sitting so long and her injured shoulder was throbbing.
"Thank you."Michelle whispered as she took slow steps testing to see if her legs would hold her.
Auda picked up the gun as he stood and leaned against the post. "I will give him twenty minutes."
Michelle nodded too tired to try to reassure him any more. She knew Tony was doing everything he could to get her out. Michelle just had to try to keep her strength up until the rescue came.
"Do you have anything else to eat?"Michelle asked as she turned back to face her captor.
Yusuf nodded as he motioned toward the bag of supplies resting on the floor. "I believe there's a few candy bars left."
Michelle walked toward the bag and began to rumage through the contents. Anything to stall for time. She really didn't want to be tied up again.
Michelle took out two candy bars and stood. She walked over and gave one to Yusuf before she walked over to the nearest wall and leaned against it.
"This will be over soon."Yusuf assured her quietly.
"I hope so."Michelle replied. "I want everyone to walk away from this."
"So do I."Yusuf said as he opened the candy bar. "I just don't see that as a possiblity."
*********
"Thank you, Mr. President. Hang on for a minute."Jack replied as he lowered the phone and looked at Almedia. "I gave them Auda's phone number and they're willing to patch the President through on your order."
Tony nodded. "Thanks."He picked up Jack's cell phone and dialed Auda's number.
"Yes?"Auda answered.
"I have President Palmer on the line. He's willing to talk to you."Tony replied his voice carefully controlled.
"Good."Auda stated as he moved away from the post. "I was beginning to think you weren't taking my demands seriously."
"Let me talk to Michelle first."Tony demanded.
Auda shook his head. "No, you talked to her already. Patch Palmer through."
Tony wanted to protest but bit his tounge. "He's being patched through now."
Jack spoke quietly into the phone and then nodded to Tony.
"Mr. President, this is Tony Almeida."
"Yes, Mr. Almedia."Palmer acknowledged.
"In a moment you'll be talking to Yusuf Auda. Has Jack brought you up to speed?"Tony asked.
"Yes."Palmer replied. "I'll do whatever I can to help Ms. Dessler."
"Thank you, Sir."Tony said. "Auda, you can speak to the President now."
"Mr. Auda, this is President Palmer."Palmer began as he leaned forward in his chair. "What can I do to end this situation peacefully?"
