Due to some graphic violence, partial nudity, and heavy profanity --
Reader Discretion is advised.

TV
MA

Revivification
24
THE FOLLOWING TAKES PLACE
BETWEEN 8:00 P.M. AND 9:00 P.M.

The gorgeous woman with blond hair slid open the glass doors, her naked body becoming wet as the water from the shower began to soak her worn out skin. The cold, running water seeped from the shower head in a clear and consistent mist, covering her body in drops of pure water. Her hands covering her breasts, she relaxed against the wall, letting the water flow freely, drenching her entire body with water. She leaned against the wall, trying to clear her mind of what had occured over the past few hours, trying to think of other things. But nothing came to mind. She turned her back against the onslaught of water flow, and faced the wall, now stretching out her arms against the white tiled wall. She shook her head and her hair as water drops flew off into the drain below. The blond hair extended down to her upper back, and she ripped out the tie holding it all together. Her face was full of seriousness, of discipline, and of complete self-satisfaction. For the woman with blond hair was a very familiar face, and it was the same as that of Alicia Donaldson.

The black pavement had by now turned to red, the color of human blood. All but a few scattered invididuals had by now fallen to the ground in agony, not dead, just unable to move or communicate in any way. Others had died completely. Sirens could still be heard in the not-too-far distance, but it was too late for that.
People were screaming, bleeding from their noses, mouths, and eyes as the gas burned their insides. Children's cries of agony and pain were prevalent over everyone else that was screaming, becoming the forefront of the scene. It would only be a matter of time until death, not just for the children, but for everyone who stood there.
Most of the ground couldn't be seen, as people covered it as far as the eye could see. The chemical leak had occured at one of the busiest times of day in downtown Los Angeles where many people had been enjoying the atmosphere, only to be murdered by a deadly gas. The street covered with people, the chaos was only beginning.

Ryan Chappelle stood over Kim Bauer's shoulder, as she had the phone to her ear, talking with someone on the other end, and Chappelle didn't care who had it, he wanted the answer to what had just occured.
But it seemed that no one knew, as people were flying everywhere inside the main floor, trying to communicate with someone who could help them. But it wasn't long.
"Mr. Chappelle." Chloe O'Brien flew down the stairs from her desk, attracting the attention of the main floor.
"What is it, Chloe?"
"Mr. Chappelle, turn on all the screens to Video 2." she blurted out quickly.
"Simon, turn on Video 2."
Simon, standing feet away, turned to his computer and hit a few keys. The large screen in CTU came to life, with a frightening image.
Chappelle was in awe. "Where the hell is this?"
"Los Angeles, right outside Kopin Institutes."
Chappelle turned his head to face Chloe, the geeky computer nerd standing about the same height as the Regional Director of CTU, and couldn't believe anything.
The screen showed the streets of Los Angeles, as if a meteor just struck. People lay dead everywhere, what the screen showed was absolutely motionless.
Everyone's faces around CTU were just as horrified, and no one dare move. Everything had completely stopped for a moment, everyone focusing their attention on the image at hand.
Ryan Chappelle finally spoke, "I want to know what has just happened. And I want to know in the next ten minutes."
That said, CTU burst forth into full-throttle, people once again sprinting everywhere. Chloe ran back upstairs, as Simon rushed to Tech 1, with Kim running back to her desk and picking up the phone, immediately dialing a number.

While all this was going on, Jack Bauer had no way of knowing the imminent danger he and his partner were in. He was forbidden from making any outside contact with anyone, and was considered to CTU as a "rogue agent."
Greg Caulfield stood only inches away, staring at Jack as if he were some sort of god. Screaming into his radio, he finally threw it to the ground, giving up on reaching the other two members of his team.
As Jack sat down, Greg spoke the truth, "They're dead, Jack."
He didn't want to believe it. They had just arrived, and already, the body count was two.
But Greg, unlike Jack, knew the mission they both had to complete. "Jack," he announced suddenly, "we need to re-gain our focus upon the task at hand. What do we do now?"
Jack knew the answer, "We find this man."
As he said this, Jack moved to the window of the deserted apartment complex and looked out into the dark night. What he saw, however, was anything but the average Los Angeles night.
"Oh my god."
Outside the apartment building, five floors below, people lay on the ground, motionless.

President Palmer sat in one of the chairs of the conference room, feeling anything but safe. Sitting around him was both Bill and Robbie, both with the same look of grimness on their faces, with more random staff members seated around the table. It was finally General Hadley who entered the room.
Walking to the head of the table, he stated plainly, "Mr. President, as you know, we have a serious situation."
"I know," he said, "how did this happen?" It was obvious that he wanted to know immediately what had happened.
"For now, all we know is that around ten minutes ago, an explosion ripped through the Kopin Instititutes building, releasing a deadly chemical gas, what we know as Sin2.2."
"I've never heard of it." Palmer stated the cold truth, because no one in the room knew what Sin2.2 was.
"You wouldn't have, sir," the General continued. "I would like to go over with you more of this gas, but NHS is sending over a liason to brief you further. For now, I've released members of my division to control the situation in the center of Los Angeles. For now, we do know that at least 1000 people are dead and counting."
Disorder broke out in the conference room, as staff members began starting conversations with each other.
For Palmer, this wasn't good enough, "What do you mean, and counting?"
"Sir, this gas is expected to spread further. Let me show you."
On the screen beside the general, an image of Los Angeles popped up, and then zoomed out a bit.
"This is Los Angeles. And this," the general pointed to a spot on the screen, which then immediately turned red, "is Kopin Institutes. You see, the projected area immediately affected by the gas release is relatively small, only approximately a few blocks. But..."
The image came to life, and red spots broke up all over the screen, sparking randomly.
Hadley continued, "The wind is expected to spread the gas all around Southern California. The good news, is, sir, that this will require no clean up. After a certain amount of exposure to air and other atmospheric conditions, the gas simply...dissipates, if you will."
"Well, that is good news. But how long will that take?"
The look on Hadley's face was grim. "It may take several hours, sir."
"Damnit," Palmer exclaimed. "Then I'm going to have to issue a statement to the citizens of Los Angeles, immeidately. Bill, get Jenny on this."
"Of course."
Pulling out his chair from the table, Bill Lawton slowly rose to his feet and opened the door, closing it shut behind him.
"Sir," it was Robbie was spoke this time, "are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, we already have enough to deal with today, we don't need to start a panic."
General Hadley moved closer to the President. "He is right, Mr. President. My men already have enough to deal with. Once news of this-"
"What neither of you get..." Palmer rose suddenly to his feet, "is that the media is going to find out about this right away. If we don't make an immediate statement, the people of this city will begin to panic. We need to get to the stations before anyone else does."
"Yes, Mr. President," Hadley nodded.
"Good. Now, once we have gathered more information, we'll hold furthur meetings. Until then, Andrew, meet with the other generals, and release your people onto the streets. Make sure everyone is wearing the appropriate protective material. We don't know where this gas is going to spread."
"Of course, sir." General Hadley sat down.
"And Robbie, contact Governor Schwarzenegger. Tell him to send out the state military. We need to control the streets."

08:04:46

"Hey Kim."
The young agent Bauer looked up to see the smiling face of Dana Hamilton over her station. The older, more mature agent, a CTU veteran, a relatively tall woman with long, brunette hair, hazel eyes, and was wearing a black business-type suit.
"Hey Dana; I thought you had been sent home for the day."
"I was, but I heard about what was happening, figured that I better come in." she stated.
Kim turned in her chair to face the thirty-two year old agent, and smiled.
"Kim, I heard about Chase, and I'm sorry."
The thought popped again in her mind, and she still continued to smile. "Me too," were the only words she could think of.
"If you need anything, just come and see me," Dana insisted with a quick brush at her hair.
"Yeah, thanks."
With a final nod, Dana walked away from Kim's station, smiling the entire time.

As Dana walked away, Kim's cell phone rang. She fidgeted with it inside her pocket, then finally picked it up after a few rings.
"Bauer."
"Kim...it's me."
Instantly, she knew exactly who was calling, "Chase? What the hell is going on?"
Standing up quickly from her seat, she held the phone to her ear as she pushed her chair into her desk. Heading to one of the side hallways, she walked at a fast pace.
"Kim, I need you to listen to me."
"Chase, what the hell is going on?" she said on she walked into an empty storage room right off of the main floor.
"Kim, what I'm about to say to you must remain between us."
"...fine." she said simply, leaning back against the blank wall in the small but dark room.
"I was forced to kidnap Tony because I'm doing something for President Palmer." he said quietly, he himself hiding in a small closet.
"What? Why would Palmer order you to do that?" she asked quickly.
"I can't explain right now, all I can say is that I need you to make sure that no one focuses on my location. You need to do everything in your power to make sure that all leads on my location are destroyed."
"What?! Chase, if you don't explain to me right now what is going on, I will walk out of this room and tell Chappelle!" Kim shouted, now exhausting her breath.
"Chappelle's there? Damnit!" he said as he checked behind him again to make sure he wasn't being watched. "Listen to me, Kim..."
There was a pause as both of them listened to the other breathe.
"Kim," Chase began, "all I need you to do is to make sure that no one finds out what I am doing, because if you do, you are endangering the life of the President's daughter," he furiously shouted.
Kim remain speechless, at a loss for words, unable to figure out what was going on.
Thinking of what to say, she responded, "Chase, just tell me what is going on."
"All I can say is that I am undercover on assignment, so for me Kim...for us."
Those words meant so much to her. For us. And yet, it was like she was turning herself over to the dark side.
"Kim, tell me now. Promise me. Do whatever it takes to prevent anyone from finding me."
Kim remained speechless.
"Kim!"
She had made up her mind. "I'll do whatever I can, Chase."
"Thank you, Kim."
The line went dead as Chase hung up. Leaning against the wall, in the pitch black, she now realized something.
If Chase was a traitor, she was now, too.

08:07:04

"So, President Palmer will see me?" Adrian Moore asked with a face full of curiousness.
"Yes," Jenny Dodge responded. "Yes, he will. Right now, however, we are dealing with a crisis, so it may be a while."
"Crisis?" the long blond-headed woman asked.
Jenny was about to answer her with a lie, but Adrian's cell phone began ringing.
"Excuse me." Adrian moved away from Jenny and into the hall of the Military Operations Complex.
Flipping open the cell phone, Adrian moved down the hall. "Moore."
"Adrian, it's Steve." he said from his office. "Have you heard what's happened?"
"No," she said, obviously confused. "What's going on?"
Steve, walking around his office, was reluctant to reply. "There's been a terrorist attack."
"What? Where?" Adrian shouted, running into a nearby room.
"Here in Los Angeles, a chemical attack."
"Chemical?" she questioned as the flipped a remote, turning on the television.
Immediately, a frightening image appeared on the screen. Dead bodies lay everywhere, while the female reporter talking was wearing a protective suit.
"Oh my god." she said. "Steve, in a few minutes, I'm going to be meeting one-on-one with the President. Do you know what kind of story it would be if I found out the truth behind this attack before any other source?"
"I know, but be careful, Adrian. You know Palmer's record with press members."
"Don't worry," she stated confidentally. "He's all mine."
Closing the phone, she turned off the television and smiled.
At a time like this time, she was actually laughing in joy. She would finally be reaching the big-time. It was all she wanted.
Fame.

Sitting with Bill in the conference room, they watched the image on the screen. The same breaking news Adrian was watching was on the screen.
"...And We're still waiting to hear from the President. The scene here, for those of you just joining us, outside of Kopin Institutes is purely a massacre. Blood has flooded the street, and the panic is spreading. Now, I am told we are being taken to the other side of town, where Cynthia Chambers is standing by."
The image switched to that of a street full of men chanting some inaudible words. A reporter was standing nearby the lead man.
"Sir, what do you have to say to the American public."
The man grabbed the microphone and pushed the lady aside. "We're tired of it, ya' know. Tired of you mother fckers and their antics. We know they're responsible for what just happened. And we're not gonna put up with it anymore. We're gonna kill all of them!"
Palmer had had enough and hit the mute button. Speaking to Bill, he turned his head and shouted, "How long until the military is ready to be mobilized?"
"At least another thirty minutes."
Palmer rose to his feet and turned his tall body to face the wall, "Innocent people...are going to die."
"Mr. President, innocent people have already died."
A solemn look was cast upon the President's face and he realized that this was only the beginning.

Michelle Dessler felt sick. Garbage can nearby, her hair a mess, and her face as pale as a ghost, she continued to puke her earlier airline food up into the trash. Her knees were on the ground as she tried to get all of her stomach emptied out. Tears covered her face, and her entire body was covered with tears in her clothes, and scrapes on her legs. Thoughts of her husband engulfed her. There was nothing to think about but Tony, the man she had married; the man she fell in love with, was now gone.
Finally, just when she began to feel a little better, she moved her head slowly back against the wall. Her body was weak, her eyes wanting to close.
But just when she had given up all hope, she heard the sound of a light cough ways down the abandoned and dreery hall. Struggling to find her handgun near the side of her, she slowly rose to her feet.
She cocked the gun. Standing tightly against the wall, she waited for another sound. It never came, so she decided to move in the direction in which she had heard it.
Suddenly, she felt the cold metal of a gun pressed against her neck. "Don't move."
A tall man stood behind her, gun ready to blow her head into smitherines.
"I'm a federal agent looking for my husband," hoping it would help.
As the man debated what to do, the darkness aided in helping Michelle to suddenly twist the man's arm, sending a bullet flying to the ceiling. She quickly dove to the floor, going underneath the man. As her body slid away, she fired a bullet into the man's leg, and he immediately fell down from the pain. A loud 'thump' accompanied the man's fall, and Michelle quickly got up and pointed her gun at him.
"You're under arrest."

Once again inside a dark room, General Andrew Hadley picked up his cell phone and dialed. The other end picked up immediately.
"It's beginning," the general said.
"I see that. And is Palmer remaining in Los Angeles?" the deep voice asked.
Nervously, Hadley responded, "I'm working on it. One thing at a time."
"You know, general, that this mission cannot be completed if your part fails."
"Palmer is going to be making a press conference very shortly. It should be done then. That way, the public will learn of his death immediately."
"We'll be keeping in touch."
A short 'click' and the other end went dead, leaving Hadley to ponder what his next move should be.
Walking around the room, he came to a small cabinet. Inserting his key from his pocket, he turned the lock and it opened, revealing a small metal device inside. He slowly took it out, and rested it upon a table directly below it.
He slowly backed away, and hit the small red button on it, activating the bomb. The small light began flashing, and a timer appeared, reading 10.
Knowing that it worked, he quickly hit the red button again, deactivating the timer, and extinguishing the light near the red button.
Quickly, he stuffed the device back into the cabinet, nervously looking around, before walking slowly to the door and opening it, once again revealing the blinding light from outside as well as the bustling of the military complex as everyone continued running along, trying to foolishly protect the country.

08:11:16
08:11:17
08:11:18
====================
08:15:39
08:15:40
08:15:41

His body began to stir, meaning that Tony Almeida was regaining consciousness. Just feet away, Nicole Palmer and her friend Maurice still clung to each other, scared for what these men wanted from this man. His face still full of scars and bruises, the strange man's eyes opened, and he began to blink. He let out a small groan before trying to pull his body up. But he was weak, and his arms gave way, and his body crashed to the dusty ground. Yet his eyes remained open, staring at the young woman in front of him.
"You're...the President's daughter," was all he could manage.
Nicole, too frightened to respond, only shook her head in acknowledgement.
Again, the man tried to push his body up, but again, he collapsed and moaned, this time closing his eyes.

Outside the room where the three prisoners were, Rob closed his cell phone and threw it onto a table. Watching from afar, sitting on a bench in the middle of the dark and empty room, Chase Edmunds tried not to panic. What he had done...it was going to cost him everything.
His train of thought was broken when Rob came up to him. "Edmunds, get up. We've got some beatings to commence."
"Rob." was what Chase responded.
Turning around, the taller man faced the agent. "What do you want?"
He hesistated for a moment, but then asked, "So what do you need Almeida for anyway?"
Rob stared at the smaller CTU agent with a grin. Just when Chase thought he was going to get killed, Rob responded, "He's got some authorization code we need."
"What kind of code?"
"Why do you wanna know?" Rob asked.
Chase remained silent.
"That's what I thought." came the reply.
Moving away from Chase, the man walked out of the room through a small doorway, and into a hallway.

Michelle Dessler's cell phone was on it's last leg, the battery had been worn down, and the antenna had by now been broken. Nevertheless, she dialed a number and place the phone to her ear. Driving down the dark streets of Los Angeles, the man she had caught before in the backseat with his hands cuffed behind his back, she turned the wheel and continued through the empty streets.

At CTU, mostly everyone was heading to the conference room, but Kim was one of the exceptions. Her phone rang and she picked it up.
"CTU, Bauer."
"Kim, it's Michelle."
"Michelle!" it was quite a surpise to be hearing her voice after what had just happened.
"Kim, what is going on over there? The streets are empty all over Los Angeles." Michelle looked into her mirror to make sure the man was still restrained.
"Michelle, where have you been? There's been a chemical leak in downtown L.A. and Chappelle just arrived here."
"What are you talking about? What chemical leak?" Michelle asked quickly.
"Oh my god. Are you outside in Los Angeles?" Kim shouted, now standing up.
"Well...yes. What...what do you mean, 'leak?'"
Kim interrupted her immediately, "Michelle, get inside a building, get a gas mask on, anything! You can't be driving in the city right now, it's not safe!"
Michelle tried to mumble something, but her quivering lips wouldn't allow for anything to come out of them.
"Michelle; how far away are you from CTU?" Kim now rested her body against a poll that rose from the ground up into the ceiling at the CTU. The phone to her ear, she waited for Michelle's response. Having none, and figuring that Michelle was just scared, she tried again. "Michelle, are you there? Are you near CTU?"
Still...nothing.
Kim Bauer placed her phone lightly back onto her desk, and fell to her chair.
She feared that the gas had gotten to Michelle, and she wondered if it were to come to some other place soon...
...CTU.

08:17:12

Jack Bauer, with Caulfield behind him, stood in thought. He had by now searched the entire place for a gas mask, but came up with nothing. He thought to himself that he had already been exposed, but he couldn't think of that right now. In a way, this acted as an advantage to him.
"Are we gonna die?" Greg questioned of Jack.
"I...no. We'll be fine as long as we remain in this building until we find gas masks."
Jack reached inside his pocket as Greg watched curiously. He found his cell phone and pulled it out of his pocket. He then started to dial when he felt a hand stop him. He looked up to see Greg holding out his hand, stopping him from dialing.
"What the hell are you doing?" Jack asked.
Greg responded with, "Remember what the President said, Jack. We're to remain dark, we can't call anybody."
"I just need to call CTU to-"
"No. Jack, as far as they're concerned, we don't exist."
When Greg finished, Jack gave him an evil look, then threw his phone back into his pocket.
Jack sat down on the rusty metal chair that sat by itself in the middle of the room. He looked around at the dusty, white walls. They were as plain as anything. He thought of Kim, and hoped that she wouldn't be affected by--
"Jack." Greg broke Jack's concentration by saying his name.
"What?"
"I was just thinking. We've got an advantage here, Jack. If this guy is in this building, he's not going anywhere until this gas is gone."
Really needing a drink, Jack's dry lips were able to convey the following message. "You're right."
Pushing himself up, he stood on his feet and grabbed his black jacket off the back of the chair.
"Let's go. Grab your gun."
Leading the way, Jack Bauer opened the door and led Greg Caulfield into the dark hallways of the building.

08:18:59

Jason Bulger walked down the stairs of his home, quickly turning the corner and heading down his hallway toward the door to the backyard. Reaching the large kitchen, he pulled open the door and walked outside. Lori and his mother, Kerri, sat talking with other people at one of the tables. Torches were now lit throughout the yard, as were candles, giving the feeling of an intimate setting. People were still swimming in the pool, calling his name, some of them his friends, but right now, he didn't care. He reached the table where his mother was sitting. He interrupted her speaking to his aunt, who eyed him suspiciously.
"Mom, can I talk with you?"
"In a minute, son," Kerri said, obviously uninterested.
"Mom..." He stopped for a moment, hoping she would pay attention. She did, and she turned around to face him. "Mom...it's important."
"Ok...what?" Kerri continued to be bored of the conversation. She really wanted to get back to her friends.
"I need to talk to you in private. It's urgent. Please," begged Jason.
"Fine."
Kerri pushed out her chair and stood up, following Jason to their house. When they reached the door, Jason opened it for his mother and let her move inside first. Since there was no one inside the house now, Jason closed the door behind him and immediately began.
"Mom, Lori has a gun."
Kerri turned quickly around; she faced her son with a look of confusion on her face.
"What?" her voice echoed throughout the house.
"When she was driving me home today, I found a handgun in her car."
There was an eerie silence, one of those silences that seemed to drag on forever.
It was broken when Jason spoke again, trying to ignore the digusted look upon his mother's face, "Mom..."
"Does Lori know that you know about the gun?" Kerri asked, a look of fear still uppn her face.
"No, of course not. I put it back before she realized I had found it."
Kerri finally broke down and dropped to the couch. Her face in her hands, she could not believe it. Quietly, almost in a whisper, she said to Jason, "Get me the phone."
"The phone? Why?" the son questioned of his mother.
"I'm calling the police, let them sort this problem out. Now get me the phone!" The mother's voice began to rise.
"Mom! We can't call the police! We're in the middle of a party!" Jason shouted nervously.
Kerri had had enough. She quickly rose and ran into the kitchen from the giant room they had just been in. "Fine, I'll call myself!"
Just as she started dialing the numbers on the phone, the back door again opened and in walked Jason's aunt, Lori. Kerri dropped the phone to the floor, batteries coming out and rolling all over the floor.
"What's going on here?" Lori asked as the entered the kitchen.
Although extremely nervous, Kerri approached her younger sister, saying, "I don't Lori...why don't you tell me?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" By this time, Lori was completely left in the dark.
But Kerri spoke up, and said, this time to her son, "Jason, go get your father."
The two sisters stared at each other, both completely suspicious of the other one as Jason re-opened the door to the backyard, leaving the house.
Kerri spoke up, "We'll discuss this later. As for now, help me get everyone out of our house."
Lori only nodded her head as the back door again opened, with Jason entering the house, and right behind him was Frank Bulger, a tall, skinny, and dark-haired man who closed the door behind him.
"Kerri, Jason said it was important. What's wrong?"
"I'll tell you about it later; right now," Kerri paused. "help me get these people home. This party's over, we've got a family emergency."
As she finished, Lori saw the almost evil frown she receieved from her once loving sister and couldn't help but wonder what the real emergency was.
At CTU, the briefing continued. Chappelle sat at the head of the table, while Dana, Chloe, and Simon were also present. On the screen, President Palmer, alongside Bill, General Hadley, NSA Director Taylor, and a few other military advisors were all gathered around a table on the live feed with CTU: Los Angeles.
However, right now, a woman's voice could be heard, that of NHS Head Dr. Sunny Macer, visible on another screen. She continued speaking. "What we have been able to depict right now from this gas is that it does gradually dissolve really into thin air over time, a period we predict could be anywhere from three to six hours. But the people who have already been infected by this toxin, Sin2.2, will...die in a matter of time. The time of death depends upon how much and how long you are exposed for. But even if you are exposed to a fairly low level of this gas...death will occur in time."
"Dr. Macer," the President began. "will this gas completely engulf the city of Los Angeles?"
"Mr. President, right now, it doesn't look that way, sir. The explosion that leaked the gas out was not too big, meaning the area the gas will take over is relatively small. But, there will be, no doubt, some form of gas that does get caught in a draft or gust of wind that will carry it to other parts of Los Angeles."
Chloe, clearly nervous, spoke up. "So are we safe, if we remain inside?"
Sunny continued, "Not entirely. But it will help. Places like CTU and the Military O.C., that are built with little outdoor ventiliation should be fine. However, regular houses and apartment buildings are in question. And on a warm night like tonight...people are bound to have their windows open. And then this gas would be breathed in by people as they sleep."
Chappelle rustled in his chair and spoke, "Then Mr. President, what do we do?"
Palmer looked around the room at the faces staring back at him, and though they had talked about it, the plan was about to be finalized, much to his dismay. "I have no choice but to declare, in the press conference, the city of Los Angeles under martial law, and the immediate evacuation of those still alive within the threat radius specified by Dr. Macer. The military will take over the streets, and put a rest to all of the prejudice and uprisings occurring. CTU, we need you to coordinate all of these efforts. Help set-up containment sites at strategic locations around and outside the city. NHS, be ready to handle incoming victims immediately. That'll be all."
The screens went dark as the meeting had ended. At CTU, there was a feeling of nervousness in all of their stomachs, fearing that the gas may make a stop at CTU, turning it into a graveyard. The personnel began walking quietly out of the conference room, Chappelle not moving, only staring at the image of casualty rates: already, almost 2-3% of the city had been infected, and this number continued to increase rapidly as seconds flew by.

Back at the O.C., Palmer took a deep breath as Agent Pierce entered. The room was now emptied save the two of them.
"Mr. President, we need to get you out of Los Angeles immediately," Pierce bluntly said.
"You're going to have to give me twenty minutes, Aaron. We're safe down here, for now." And yet there was unsureness present in his voice.
"Mr. President, if this gas gets down here, we can't protect you."
"I know. But that's just a risk we're going to have to take. The American people need me right now."
Although Pierce had tried to reason with the President before, he knew he wasn't going to change his mind. Knowing this, he hesitantly left the room, closing the glass door behind him. Just as Palmer was about to get up, the phone rang: his private phone. He looked around to make sure no one was watching. The room was empty, as he had forgotten.
"Yes?"
In a dark room, a man was cast in shadow. "Sir, it's me. It's happened."
"What?" although he knew who was calling.
"Sir, your daughter is--"
The connection went dead as Palmer screamed out, "Chase!? Chase!?"
Palmer hung up the phone and looked out the door, then back around the room, hoping that it was all a joke. But it was true.
They had his daughter.

Turning a corner quickly, her blond hair waving as she ran, Alicia Donaldson ran quickly down the hallway, a door at the end of the hall her destination. The hall was deserted, and that was exactly how she wanted it. Finally she reached the door and turned the knob. It was unlocked and she entered the room, closing the door behind her, and locking it with a small click.

08:25:46
08:25:47
08:25:48
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08:30:13
08:30:14
08:30:15

Jack Bauer and Greg Caulfield ducked slowly under a loose wire, guns at the ready. The hallway around them was pitch black, and both of their bodies were cast in shadow. They continued on down the deserted hallway, but not quiet hallway. From outside, the soft sounds of panic, screaming, and terror were heard. And Jack already knew what was going on outside and where these noises were coming from. Jack motioned for Greg to slow down upon hearing noises. Both men stood absolutely still for a moment before a man went flying by the two men as they watched as the man cast in shadow ran across the hallway where two halls intersected. Jack and Greg took off, running as fast as they could. Greg took the lead ahead of Jack as the two pursued the man. Even from behind, it was obvious that the man they were chasing was wearing a gas mask as he looked back over his shoulder every once in a while.
As the man took a sharp left, Greg and Jack quickly followed, staying up with him the entire time, but not firing their weapons. However, Jack had the advantage here.
"Stop right now, or I'll fire," he said loudly.
The man said nothing, just continued running as fast as he could. Jack tried to scare the man by firing shots into the air as they ran, but it did no good. He couldn't risk the man being fatally shot. Not now. He was their only chance. Jack just hoped they would be able to catch him before he got outside, where Jack couldn't go without a mask, and he knew that the suspect they were chasing knew that as well.

The door to the room opened and in walked three men, followed by Rob and finally Chase. Nicole and Maurice, who were started to doze off, awoke at the sound of the entrance. There had been no noise in quite a while, but that was about to end.
Tony, now sitting against the wall, screamed out, "What the hell is going here? Why am I here?"
But Rob only laughed at him and motioned for his three men to grab Tony. As they casually walked toward Tony, Chase watched from behind as everything was happening. He watched with disgust as the man pulled Tony up by his arms and made him stand. Tony tried to fight them, but the extra man only whacked him a few times in the face. Blood again started to ooze from Tony's nose, but no screams.
"Get him up," Rob said as he walked over to Chase.
As one of the men began to pull out some rope, Rob said to Chase, "Yo, we need that CTU laptop now."
"Yeah...ok. Lemme go get it, ok?" Chase said back to him.
"Yeah, so what the fck are you standing around here for? Move your a$$ out of here and get that computer!"
"Yeah," was all he could muster.
Chase turned around and began to walk back to the door, and then left.
Rob then turned around, and with a grin on his face, watched as Tony's arms were hung up. The men pulled on the rope to make sure it was taught, and then began tying it around a pipe. The rope stretched across a pipe on the ceiling and then went down to the ground, where the men were. Tony, now too weak to do anything, did nothing but stare at Rob, who then punched Tony in the stomach. He screamed in pain.
"You see, Tony. What we need is your CTU Director's password so we can log into your system, see?"
Tony spit on Rob's face. "Why the hell do you need it?"
Rob laughed, and then gave another punch to Tony's stomach. "I'll be asking the questions, ok?"
Tony remained silent.
Rob, however, was losing his patience. Even as Nicole and Maurice tried to ignore what was happening, they watched as Rob walked around Tony's body. Tony's torn black shirt and pants gave him the look of a wanted criminal, and yet, Nicole believed that he was an innocent man, just like herself and her friend.
Rob continued as he walked, "So...are we going to do this the hard way? Because you know, Tony, that we here don't have all this fancy equipment you people do at CTU...so we just beat the fuck out of them. So if you don't tell me what I want to know..." he changed his tone to a whisper. "...I promise I will make you wish for death."
Tony still said nothing.

08:33:27

"This way!"
Jack Bauer called to his partner, or at least, temporary partner Caulfield. They had been chasing this man for several minutes now, and the man was still running.
"For the last time, stop god damnit!" Jack yelled out, obviously tired of running through the building.
But as the two men turned a corner, the man had disappeared. There was silence as Greg waited for Jack to say something.
"Turn on your flashlight," Jack said to Greg almost so even he couldn't hear his voice.
Seconds later, a light flashed on and as Greg pointed it down the hall, a gunshot ran out of nowhere. The flashlight dropped to the ground as Jack saw barely that Greg had been hit.
"Go, Jack...don't worry about me," Greg blurted out as blood began gushing from his shoulder.
"Just hang on, Greg, just lie down and try not to move it."
Having that said, Jack took off down the hall toward where he heard the gunshot erupt, the light guiding him down the hallway.

Her suspect in front of her, Michelle walked into the main CTU floor. Seeing Kim up ahead, she decided that Kim was who she needed to talk to.
"Kim." she said.
Kim turned around, and was surprised to see Michelle looking at her. "Michelle, thank god. I thought the gas...oh thank god..."
"Yeah, sorry about that. My phone went dead."
It was at this point that Kim realized that Michelle was holding onto a man in handcuffs and asked, "Who's he?"
"Someone I believe has information about what is going on today. Listen, Kim, I need to ask Gael a favor. Do you know where he is, he was supposed to be in charge."
Kim turned away from Michelle and said, "Michelle...Gael's dead. He was the one who led the team to the place where the chemical was released. He didn't make it."
"What?" Michelle was extremely surprised by this news. Gael had been one of her closest friends. But for now, there were other things that needed to be done. "Who's in charge, then? Chappelle's here?"
"Yeah, he's up in Tony's office..." Then she remembered: Tony was gone. "Have you...found anything?"
"I hope so." She motioned to the man standing next to her. "Look, Kim, I'm going to talk to Chappelle to get caught up after I put this guy in for processing."
"Yeah..." Kim said.
But as Michelle was walking away, she remembered why Kim was looking so upset. "Kim...I..." She couldn't do it. She couldn't tell Kim that she had evidence that proved that Chase was a traitor to the country. Instead, she came up with something else. "Any word on your dad?"
"No...he said he had to do something for the President."
"It's alright, Kim. Everything's going to be fine. It will all turn up well."
Michelle just hoped that for once, those words would have true meaning to them.

08:34:43

Kim watched as Michelle walked away from her with the man she had arrested. When she was out of view and after she had cleared her mind, she turned around and walked toward the hallway out of the main floor. From up above sitting at her desk, Chloe looked down over CTU as she watched as Kim left the main floor.
Now in the hallways of CTU, Kim walked quickly. She knew what needed to be done. Reaching one of the first doors down on the left, she opened it, making sure no one knew where she was going. Once inside, she closed the door quietly behind her and moved into the room.
The room was obviously a techie room, as computers lined all of the walls. Kim knew which one she wanted, she needed the computer that was hooked up to the entire CTU server. She walked up to the large monitor and started typing on the keyboard. Soon, a file of stored images was brought up and Kim began filtering through the picture files for the right ones. As she scrolled down, she finally found the ones she had been looking for: The satellite files of Chase's escape from CTU hours earlier with Tony. She kept on telling herself that Chase was doing what he was doing for the good of the country, and if he had called Kim for help, she was going to fulfill his wishes. She clicked on one of the images, and she knew that she would have to delete all of them so they couldn't follow where he was going. She knew that security was at this moment tracking Chase via satellite, and Kim had to end this. She hit 'Delete' and the screen went temporaily blank. Then she pressed more keys and began doing the same thing. Another image popped up and her finger moved to the delete key.
But her finger never made it to the key. Kim was tackled to the ground as she saw Chloe holding her down. "What are you doing, Kim? You're helping Chase, aren't you?"
"Chloe, get off of me!"
"No, Kim. I won't let you get into trouble!"
"Chloe, get off of me for the last time!"
Suddenly, Kim slipped her hand out of Chloe's grip and began hitting Chloe on the face. Chloe, as a result, rolled off of Kim and onto the floor. Kim stood up as Chloe rolled over to her side to see Kim diving at her. A full-blown catfight ensued as Chloe and Kim began slapping at each other, throwing their bodies around the floor.
Outside of the room, Chappelle walked by, and hearing the commotion and seeing the door open, he stopped walking and turned around.
"Kim, stop it! You're going to get into so much trouble." Chloe said as Kim delivered another slap to her face.
"What the hell is going on here?" Chappelle screamed out.
The two woman immediately stopped fighting. Their clothes were now ripped, and Chloe's hair looked like she had just been struck by lightning.
Chloe stood up and screamed out, pointing at Kim, "Kim was trying to help Chase! She was deleting satellite images of him!"
"Is this true, Kim?"
Kim, still sitting on the ground, said nothing.
Chappelle ignored Kim's look of sadness. "Chloe, can we get the images back?"
Chloe walked over to the computer and began typing. "Let me see."
Chappelle gave another dirty look to Kim. Chloe stopped typing and turned around. "No. The images are gone. Not all of them, but...it's most likely that we won't be able to track Chase's location now."
Chappelle stomped his foot on the floor, "What the hell were you thinking, Kim? You just committed treason against the United States of America!"
Chloe turned her head away and looked down. The room was silent.
"Kim...come with me."
Chloe O'Brien watched as her once-friend Kim Bauer stood up. After shaking her head at Chloe, Chappelle led Kim toward the doors, opening them, and leading Kim out before closing the doors behind him, Kim never saying a word.

08:36:29

President Palmer, with Bill beside him, walked out into the hallway where Adrian was waiting for them. Jenny stood beside her.
"Mr. President, Jenny said that you would be meeting with me now."
"I'm sorry Miss Moore, but right now, we have an emergency as I'm sure you've heard and I'm going to have to ask you for a favor."
"What is it?"
"I'm going to need your help with a private announcement I'll be making in just a few minutes. Because of what's happened, there will be no press reporters allowed in the conference room and that's where I need you to come in. Jenny, please take Miss Moore to a private room to explain to her what she will need to do."

"Of course, sir. Right this way, please." Jenny said as she opened a door and led Adrian out of the hall.
When she was gone, Bill spoke up, "David, do you really think that it is right to have a member of the press around here? On a day like this?" He then moved closer to the President, making sure no one could hear him. "Do you sincerely believe that this man demanding that we keep this woman here is serious? He called two hours ago, and we still haven't receieved a follow-up call. Are you absolutely certain that this whole thing isn't just a...hoax?"
Palmer looked away from his Chief-of-Staff for a moment before saying, "We can't chance it, Bill. If this man is serious and knows where the weapons are...we don't really have a choice."
Palmer could tell that Bill disagreed with him, but for now, it was time to reassure the American public that everything would be fine.
General Hadley walked by the two and said simply, "Mr. President; Bill."
"General," Palmer said, nodding to the man as he walked by, and then disappeared around a corner. Once he was certain that he was alone, he smiled to himself once again, realizing that at least so far, everything was going perfectly.

Jack was now walking slowly in a large room. He was certain that the man was somewhere nearby. Gun drawn, he moved closer to the center of the room. A figure jumped on top of him, forcing Jack to the ground. Jack threw the man off of him and the man fell hard to the floor. Jack regained control of his gun and aimed it at the man who was now staring straight up at him lying on his back.
"Don't move," Jack said to him, reaching for his handcuffs as he stood up fully. "Stand up...slowly."
Not wanting to be killed, the man cast in shadow forced his body to stand, and he quickly put his hand on top of his head. Jack grabbed his left arm and cuffed it, then grabbing his right arm and doing similarly.
Once under control, Jack began unstrapping the gas mask on the man's head and began ripping it off.
"What the hell are you doing?" the man asked.
"Saving my life," Jack responded casually. The man was obviously not happy losing his life protection, but he didn't have any choice. Seconds later, the mask was completely removed as Jack began to fasten it around his head. The man didn't dare move.
After Jack was certain that it was as tight as it could be, he said, "Let's go."
Forcing the man to lead the way, Jack moved out of the room and back into the empty halls. He then realized that he knew where he was: he had been here before. He looked to the left and sure enough, his partner Greg's body could be seen lying on the ground, completely still. Jack ran over to him with his suspect, and knelt down.
"Greg, Greg...do you hear me?"
There was no answer as Jack checked for a pulse. There was none.
Jack sighed. "Damnit...you killed this man," he said to his prisoner.
But the man noticed something Jack didn't. He hadn't killed the man. He only fired one shot.
And what the man saw that Jack didn't:
There was more than one gunshot through the dead agent's body.

Adrian Moore was at the podium in the empty room. "...The President and I have been friends for quite a while, and he has asked me to help him here today. And that's why I am here. So without further delay, ladies and gentlemen...I give you the President of the United States."

Adrian stepped off the podium and passed by the President as she left the small room where a lone camera was in the back of the room.
As Palmer stepped up to the podium, General Andrew Hadley stood outside the room, watcing through the glass of Palmer began his speech. Up his sleeve, a small device, blinking red, was attached to his hand underneath his usual General attire.
"Good evening. Because I am short on time, I would like to get right to the point. At approximately 7:57 this evening, there was a chemical leak here in Downtown Los Angeles. While I cannot go into further detail describing this gas, I will say that it is..." he hesitated for a moment. "...very deadly."
General Hadley knew it was time. Trying not to grab attention, though it wasn't hard because the few amount of people who were around were watching Palmer, he moved his fingers to the inside of sleeve, and pressed the red button. He began counting down in his head: 10, 9, 8...
"...because of the panic spreading throughout the city of Los Angeles, I have no choice...but to declare that the city of Los Angeles..."
3, 2, 1...
General Hadley began to back away.
Palmer takes a deep breath and then continues.
"...has been put under martial law until this crisis passes."
Just as Hadley was about to throw himself to the floor, he realized something.
Nothing had happened.

08:39:42
08:39:43
08:39:44
====================
08:43:19
08:43:20
08:43:21

President Palmer, now finished with his speech, walked out of the room where he was making his speech, and was immediately approached by Agent Pierce.
"Mr. President, we need to again lock you down, sir. I'm sorry."
"What's going on now, Aaron?"
"It's Alicia Donaldson, sir. She's somehow slipped back into the complex, and we've found three dead guards and one dead military official so far."
General Hadley, upon hearing of this news, realized why the bomb hadn't gone off, and immediately took off down the hall.
"Please, sir, follow me."
Palmer followed Pierce as more Secret Service agents began pouring into the hallways, guns drawn, searching for the missing woman.

Frank Bulger moved into the master bedroom where his wife, Kerri, was sitting on the bed, still in horror.
"So tell me this again, Kerri. What exactly did Jason say?"
"He said...he said that he found a gun inside of Lori's car." Frank could tell how difficult this was for his wife. He felt the thoughts swarming through his wife's head.
Still, Frank said nothing. He wasn't sure what to say at a time like this.
"What are we supposed to do, Frank? She's my sister for god's sake! She's my sister and she has a gun! Why the hell would an accountant carry around a gun?!"
"Maybe it's for protection."
"Screw protection. Why have one in your car?" Kerri finally broke down completely. "You know what, I think it's time we let the police sort this out."
Kerri dove for the phone on her dresser, but Frank stopped her. "No...no! You need to talk to her before we bring the authorities into this."
But Kerri seemed reluctant. "Frank...I don't know if I'll be able to talk with her. It won't be the same..." and still, the tears were hard to hold back.
"You have to...c'mon. Just try to clean yourself up a little bit...and then we'll talk to her." But what he said next changed everything. "...for Jason."

08:44:32

Jack Bauer, gas mask securely in place, picked up a metal chair and motioned for the man to take a seat on it. He did, and then Jack got right down to business.
"So...I see your name is Lawrence..."
The man named Lawrence said nothing but, "Am I safe in here? With that gas loose outside of here?"
"Yes, as long as we keep everything closed."
The man seemed sure he was safe, and the steel door entrance to the room only heightened his confidence.
"So, Lawrence...why don't you tell me this: When and where are these missiles going to be delivered?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, don't give me that bullsh!t about not knowing anything. You were firing at a federal agent, you're obviously up to something."
The man said nothing.
"Damnit, I am running out of time here. Tell me now! When are these missiles going to be delivered?"
The man finally smiled and said to the federal agent, "Don't you get it, Jack? You're never going to survive this."
Jack starred the man in the eyes, "How do you know my name? And what do you mean by 'this?'"
The man realized that he now had the advantage and he was going to use it.

Tony's screams of agony echo through the room. Nicole and Maurice are now huddled together once again, scared for their lives, and scared at having to watch the brutal beating of the man in front of them. Chase stood just behind where Rob stood, the look on his face showing that he hated what was going on and hating what he had gotten his friend into. But it was his duty.
The beating continued. The three men continued to pound Tony all over his body. Rob now motioned them to stop for a moment.
Tony's body was a wreck. He ached all over, and he was too weak to even speak.
"Now, Tony. Let's not be silly here and waste my time. Because if you do..."
Rob reached his arm up to Tony's hand and grabbed his index finger, pulling it backwards until a loud 'snap' was heard. Tony screamed like he had never screamed before. He could no longer hold in the tears, tears of anger, tears of pain, tears of betrayal.
"You see Tony. I just broke one of your fingers. And I will break another one if you don't give me the god damn password!"
Tony said nothing and didn't even try to move.
"Fine...have it your way."
The men then began to beat him again without remorse.
Almost out of the shadows, Chase emerged and yelled out, "Stop! Stop for a second."
The four men looked at the agent and waited for what he had to say. "You're going to kill him! At least give him time to regain his thoughts."
Rob smiled at this remark and then beckoned for his men to back away from their prisoner. "You're right, Chase. We don't want to hurt anyone too bad now, do we?"
Without any warning, Rob pulled out a gun and aimed it at Nicole.
"What the hell are you doing?" Chase screamed.
"Chase, if you keep going against me, I promise you, I will kill you in the most painful way imaginable. Now, shut the fck up!"
Rob turned to face Tony, "If you don't give me the password now, I will kill the President's daughter.
Tony's mind went into a panic. He couldn't let Palmer's daughter die like that, and if he told them what they wanted to know, he was certain that they would just kill him.
"Come on, Tony. You are out of time! You're going to tell me now, or she dies!"
Nicole, gun aimed directly at her head, dared not move. Tears streamed down her face. She was too frightened to do anything so she remained perfectly still and closing her eyes, hoping that when she would open them again, she would wake up and be out of this nightmare. But unfortunately for her, this was no nightmare. It was reality.
Rob was done playing games, "Fine!"
He turned the gun from Nicole to Maurice and fired a single shot into his forehead. He was dead before his head touched the ground.
"No!!!" Chase screamed out.
Nicole Palmer looked over to her friend's body and saw the expressionless look upon his face. "Nooo, oh god no!"
Putting her head down to his heart, she wept in utter silence as Tony realized his stubbornness had cost him an innocent life.

08:47:26
08:47:27
08:47:28
====================
08:51:45
08:51:46
08:51:47

Kim Bauer sat with Michelle in the CTU Conference Room. Ryan Chappelle was speaking to her, but her mind was elsewhere.
"Kim!" Ryan said, "Kim!"
Finally, Kim was brought back to reality. "What?"
"Kim, let me just refresh your mind. You were caught by Chloe deleting records of Chase Edmund's escape from CTU, he's a suspect now in a federal crime in which he kidnapped Tony Almeida and you were caught hindering the active investigation! It's as plain as that!"
Kim wanted to tell them both the truth of what Chase was doing, but she knew that wasn't what he intended for her to do with the information he had given to her.
Michelle remained silent, too wrapped up in her own thoughts to do much of anything.
"Kim, you know what? I want you to leave." Chappelle bluntly stated.
"What? Why? I can be an asset to what is going on!" Kim said back to him.
"Oh, you can be an asset by halting investigations and beating up CTU employees? Not going to happen, Kim, not today at least. If you leave now, I'll have all charges against you dropped...if you leave now. You shouldn't have been here in the first place with your boyfriend suspected of a crime and your father going dark. You have five minutes to get out of this building."
"But what about the chemical!"
"You can pick up a mask on your way out. Just do yourself a favor and get out of Los Angeles before something else happens." Having said that, Chappelle stood up and left the room.
"Kim--" Michelle started, but Kim stopped her.
"You don't have to, Michelle. Let me get out of your way."
Kim gave a brief smile to Michelle and then also stood up, and left the room.
Michelle couldn't help but to feel sorry for Kim. While she did do something wrong, she didn't believe that she should be sent out of the city for one mistake. But since Chappelle was here, she had no choice.
She, too, stood up, and began walking toward the door when she all of a sudden felt dizzy and nauseous. She placed her hand on a chair to support herself, and then seconds later, it went away. 'It couldn't be,' she thought to herself. But then again, she couldn't be sure. She hoped that what had just happened to her was just the stress of the day, but somehow, she didn't think so.

"You are going to tell me what you know, now."
Jack Bauer was losing his patience with the man, who was still smiling at him.
But it was then that Jack got an idea as he looked toward the window. "If you don't tell me now...I'll bring you outside and I'll leave you out there until you die."
The smile on the man's face instantly faded and it turned to a frown of disbelief. "You wouldn't..."
"Yes, I would if you don't tell me what I need to know." Jack began to walk to the window. He unlocked the window.
"Tell me now...or I'll open the window." Jack smiled underneath his mask.
"The gas may not even come in." Lawrence said, although not too convinced.
"Maybe not...why don't we...test it?" Jack began to open the window before the man screamed out.
"Stop! Stop, I'll tell you! I haven't been making the calls; I don't know anything about what is going on today. But I do know that I haven't made those calls to the President. I was only relying the calls through a phone feed so it would look like the calls were coming from this location. I didn't make them. I only sent them. I was trying to protect an old friend..."
"Who have you been covering up for, huh?"
"...Adrian Moore...the press reporter who's been with the President for the past few hours. She's been doing this whole thing for her own benefit, that's what she told me!"
Jack couldn't believe it. "Do you believe her?"
"No...because I know that she has terrorist connections."
"Oh my god...Are you telling me that the President's life is in danger?"
Lawrence hesitated for a second, "I don't know..."
Jack grabbed his phone and began dialing a number. He had to get through with the President, at least to warn him.
"...we're sorry, but the number you are trying to reach is not available. Please hang up and--"
"Damnit!" Jack was frustrated now. He would have to try and call again.

08:54:05

"Jason, could you excuse me and my sister for a few minutes. We need to talk."
Jason looked over to his mother. "Sure mom. I'll be upstairs...with dad."
Kerri watched as her son ran up the stairs and out of sight. When he was gone, she moved closer into the kitchen toward Lori, who stood up.
"Who do you think you are by bringing a weapon into my house?" Kerri immediately got to the point.
"What are you talking about?" Lori said, a shocked look upon her face.
"I'm talking about this!" Kerri revealed a handgun that has been hidden behind her back since she came downstairs.
"It's not mine!"
Kerri looked into her sister's eyes and saw the fear inside her body, then said ominously, "You're lying to me. It is yours, isn't it? What are you doing with a gun?"
A small grin had formed across Kerri's face, one which could only be from the look of an insane person. "Tell me the truth. Tell me that this is your gun and tell me why you keep a gun in your car."
Lori slapped her sister, "It's not mine. I'm telling you the truth. I don't keep guns and I don't know why there would be a gun in my car."
Kerri was astonished at what her sister had just done to her. "Did you just hit me?"
"God damnit, Kerri, even when I was a child you didn't believe anything I said or did, remember that? You remember that, right? And now, you live the good life. You have friends and a family. What do I have? I have nothing but my job and you guys. You're the only family I've got and now you're trying to deprive me of that! You know what, I've had enough of it!"
Her last words were shouted. As she finished, she gave one last disgusted look to her sister, then found the door downstairs to the guest room, opening the door, and then slamming it shut behind her.

President Palmer sat with Bill in a small room, where they were waiting for the lockdown to end. Palmer had been pacing for a while now, and Bill finally inquired of him as to what was on his mind.
"David...what's wrong?"
Palmer pulled out a chair and began to sit down. He looked at his hand, the hand that had been scarred years ago. He breathed heavy, then spoke. "I did something I shouldn't have, without telling anyone...I think my daughter may have been kidnapped...by terrorists."
Bill stood up immediately, "What!? David, what are you talking about?
"I sent an agent undercover so that we could track my daughter. I've known for weeks now that this could happen. Nicole's been involved with the wrong type of people and now...I just receieved a call about a half-hour ago from that agent...telling me that it has happened. That they have my daughter."
"Oh my god..."
Palmer sat in silence for a moment, thinking what to do. It came to him, and he realized that it was something he had to do.
"Give me the phone."
Bill looked back up to the President.
"What?"
"Give me the phone."
"Why?" Bill asked.
"Please...just give me the phone. Can I have a moment...alone?"
"...sure." Bill gave Palmer the phone in his pocket and then stood up again and left the room. Palmer began to dial a number he had on memory.
It started to ring. It rang twice. Right on the third ring, someone on the other end picked up. It was a feminine voice, one that he recognized well.
"Hello?"
"Sherry...it's David."
"David...David, I saw your press conference, what the hell is going on?"
"I'm in Los Angeles right now, but I'll be leaving soon."
"Oh my god, David. You have to leave now! You can't be in Los Angeles tonight after what just happened!"
"I know Sherry, but we're having some issues here right now. But what I want to talk to you about has nothing to do with what has just happened in Los Angeles."
"Alright...what is it, David? What's happened?"

Palmer stood up. "It's Nicole...she's been kidnapped...by people who have known terrorist connections."
Sherry was paralyzed with astonishment at first, but then said to her ex-husband, "Oh my god, David. How did this happen!? How did this happen, David!?"
Her voice was rising, her breathing sounded like she was panicking.
"Look, I have an undercover agent right now watching over Nicole, one whom I trust with my life. And if he get can Nicole out before she is handed over to...terrorists, the problem will be resolved."
"David...I'm scared."
"So am I. I have to go now, Sherry, but I'm going to have Secret Service come get you and to meet me aboard Air Force One in a few hours."
"Oh god..." Sherry cried.
"Sherry...we need to be strong. Just hold yourself together...and we'll get through this."
"Be..." she stuttered, "...be careful David."
"I will be. Goodbye Sherry."

08:57:00

As panic spread through the Military Operations Complex, General Andrew Hadley was calmly searching through all of the rooms for Alicia before the Secret Service found her. He continued down the hallway until he found a door that no one had checked yet. He quietly turned the knob and entered the room.
Once inside, he moved into the room and shut the door quickly, but quietly, behind him. The room was dark, and he was about to leave when the lights turned on, and he realized that someone was holding him at gunpoint. It was Alicia.
"Hello Andrew. Yes, I know that you are surprised that I am alive, but as you've just seen, I'm smarter than you."
Andrew was furious, "You stopped that bomb from going off that would have killed Palmer! Fck you! We were supposed to be working together today; not against each other!"
Alicia hit him on the head with the gun, "You stupid a$$whole sent me to my death. Lucky me that I have my double. I was certain that you were sending me on a suicide mission, you told me that gas would do no harm to me. So just to be sure, I had one of my associates go instead of myself."
Andrew said to her after a prolonged silence, "I thought you loved me."
"I did love you until you became too selfish for your own good. I would love to be with you, Andrew, you really are a decent man; but our group has split and you're not welcome by my superiors. Our entire faction has become a constant war. We can't live together, or we'll both be killed. That's why you need to be killed. Because what is going to happen today...is more importanat than your life. You were using me so you could get information from me to tell him and that's not acceptable. Especially not today..." She stopped for a moment before continuing. Andrew was now sweating all over his body. "...it's over, Andrew. If we don't take our lives, they're going to find out more than they should know."
When she finished, she motioned to another gun that was sitting on a table that Andrew hadn't seen. "Die nobly for your cause, Andrew. Take your own like. I don't want to kill you."
Andrew stopped staring at Alicia, then slowly reached for the gun. Already ready to go, he put the gun to his head.
"For freedom, Andrew." Alicia said.
"For freedom..." After just seconds of though, he pulled the trigger, blowing his head into smitherines, and killing him. Blood splattered all over the walls, and his body fell to the ground.
Having watched her former lover commit suicide, Alicia turned away from the ghastly sight, and put the gun to her head. Just as she was about to pull, the door flew open, and Alicia was thrown to the ground before she could take her own life. She reached for the gun, but the room was filled with Secret Service and military personnel in seconds, and she couldn't do anything.
Cuffing her hands behind her back, Agent Adam Longley said into his radio, "We have Alicia Donaldson in custody."

President Palmer sat alone in the room when Bill entered. "We've got her." As Bill left the President alone once again, he breathed a big sigh of relief. He could finally leave Los Angeles. But just as happy that this situation was finally over, he couldn't help but wonder if Chase had been killed a half hour ago. If so, all hope was lost. He thought of memories of Sherry, himself, and their children living together under one roof, but those days were never to happen again. He hoped that he hadn't made a mistake by calling Sherry, but he knew that it was his obligation to her to keep her informed of what was happening with their children, and yet, as he sat there alone, he could only hope that Sherry would do nothing stupid this time around.

Chase Edmunds could do nothing as he watched as the men beat the living crap out of Tony. He kept on shaking his head when they weren't paying attention to him; he was so disgusted with himself. Nicole sat only feet away, still holding her head to her friend's heart, hoping that it would suddenly come alive. She was alone now, there was no one there for her. She would have to escape from this situation herself. She watched as the most recent punch to Tony's head sent blood trickling all the way down his body, the drops of blood beginning to form a small red pool at his feet. His screams of agony continued.

Kim Bauer, a gas mask around her face, drove through the streets of Los Angeles. While being stopped every so often by the military, she showed them her CTU badge so she could make her way out of the city as quickly as possible. But for now, the streets around her were deserted. Yet she couldn't concentrate on driving, not now, not after what had just happened. The tears in her eyes were making it hard to see where she was driving. Thoughts of her father, Chase, and thoughts of those poor people exposed to the deadly gas raced through her mind. But the one thing she yearned for at this moment was a mother. She remembered Teri, and how much she loved her and how much she loved when her mother stroked her blond hair gently like any mother would. She wanted her mom back.

Panic ensued on the streets of Los Angeles as more military officers arrived every minute, trying to enforce martial law upon the citizens. There was panic as people began coughing up blood, while others were attacking other people. A small child sat on the curb, her entire face covered in blood, crying, and holding her kitten in her arms. She watched as a group of people crowded around a Middle Eastern family, hitting them with bats and clubs. Military personnel were trying to control the situation, but the panic was too much. They were forced to start killing people who got out of hand. An older man was screaming for help, one sympathetic to the Middle Eastern people. He motioned some military over to the other side of the street, where a mother holding her child had been killed. A rookie military officer, stepping out of the van, cried out in agony, "My fuckin god..."

The wind blowing her white dress and her beautiful brown hair, Kerri Bulger stood on the edge of her yard staring down into the valley below, totally oblivious to everything that was happening just miles away. She needed some time to think things over, to contemplate whether or not her sister was actually telling the truth. She felt sorry for her son, who watched from inside the house, knowing that this entire situation was hitting his mother the hardest.

Jack continued trying to reach the President, but he couldn't do it. Frustrated, he hung up the phone and placed it on the table.
"Is there anything else we could do while we wait?" Jack asked Lawrence.
With hesitation, Lawrence replied, "...I have Adrian's cell phone number."
Jack looked up and began to formulate a plan inside his head. "Good...this is what we are going to do. You're going to call this woman, and you are going to tell her that you need to talk with her in person. And then you are going to set up a meeting with her someplace in the city, got it?"
"Yeah..." The man nodded.
"Good. Now what's the phone num--"
Boom.
A loud noise just cut Jack off. Seconds later, it happened again.
Boom.
Jack looked toward Lawrence, and saw that he was smiling.
"What the hell is going on?"
Boom.
"They're here, Jack." A huge grin formed across his face.
"Who? Who's here?" Jack asked the man.
Boom, boom.
The man only smiled.
"Who are they!? Who's here!?"
"They're here for you, Jack. They're here to kill you."
Jack grabbed his gun off the table and looked over to Lawrence one last time.
Then it came.
Bang. Bang. Bang.

Outside the room and behind the steel door, an army of men waited in silence for the door to open.

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