Chapter 3
Jack was en route to the power plant in Beverly Hills when his cell phone rang.
"Bauer."
"Jack, it's Michelle. They are calling again, demanding to speak to whoever is in charge. I assume that we have jurisdiction."
"Yeah, patch them through to me. Oh, Michelle, did you trace it?"
"It is definitely coming from a land line inside the plant. Ok, Jack, go ahead."
"This is the Director of Los Angeles CTU, Jack Bauer, who am I speaking with?"
A deep voice with a Middle Eastern accent answered, "That's not important right now. Mr. Bauer, how would you feel if your wife and children were being threatened and your current way of life ceased to exist?"
"Don't you dare threaten my family you son of a bitch!" Jack was getting angry, which was getting him nowhere.
The voice said, "Just think about it." The line went dead.
"Damnit!"
Jack quickly dialed the phone. He let it ring five times until the machine picked up, "Hi, this is the Bauer residence. Jack, Kate, and Ryan are out right now. Leave a message." It was Kate's voice. Where was she? Jack was getting worried; he had been through this before and was not eager to repeat it.
Jack left a message, "Kate, it's Jack, call me back as soon as you can. It's important."
Jack dialed again, this time someone answered, "Bauer."
"Kim, it's me. Do you know if the kids made it over to our house yet?"
"I think they should be getting there in the next couple of minutes, why? What's wrong dad?"
Jack sighed, "Probably nothing, but could you send an agent over to the house to check on them?"
"Sure, you don't think the kids are in any danger, do you?" Kim was starting to worry.
"No, I just want to make sure they are safe. Get back to me." Jack hung up and hoped that Kate had just stepped outside to call Ryan in.
Kate walked back into the house from the garden, carrying a basket filled with roses. Kim and Chase's kids would be here any minute and she wanted to refill her vases before chaos ensued. Three kids running around was always trouble, but she loved the house filled with children's laughter. She was thankful for the distraction to keep her mind off of Jack.
She didn't notice the furiously blinking light on the answering machine.
Just then, two kids came bursting through the front door. Nine-year-old Angela was as tall as Ryan, and had long brown hair braided into two pigtails and resembled her father. She was followed by six-year-old Christopher, who was the spitting image of Kim. He and Ryan were often mistaken for brothers, although Ryan was actually Christopher's step-uncle. It was a strange family dynamic, but it worked for them. Ryan loved having relatives his own age to play with.
"Hi Kate!" Technically, Kate was their step-Grandmother, but there was no way she was ready to be called Grandma, her son was only eight. So "Kate" was fine with her. Jack was affectionately known as "Grampa Jack."
Little Christopher asked, "Where's Ryan? I want to show him my new Rescue Hero."
"He's outside riding his bike, he should be back any minute." She glanced at her watch realizing that he had been gone for a while now.
Angela shook her head, "No he's not, his bike is laying in the front yard."
Kate ran to the front door and looked out. Ryan's bike was laying in the front yard near the street. "Oh my god. Angela, you and Christopher go search the house for Ryan."
She ran to the coffee table and grabbed the portable phone. She called Tommy, then Jake's house, but neither had seen Ryan since they left the house earlier. She couldn't think of any more of Ryan's friends to call, when she saw the light blinking on the answering machine.
"Kate, it's Jack, call me back as soon as you can. It's important."
Angela and Christopher returned to the living room shaking their heads.
Starting to panic, she quickly dialed Jack's extension at CTU. His voice mail picked up immediately, "This is Director Jack Bauer, I am currently unavailable. If you need immediate assistance, call Michelle Dessler at extension 342."
She hung up without leaving a message and dialed Kim's extension. "Bauer."
"Oh, thank god! Kim, do you know where Jack is?" Kate sounded hysterical.
"Yeah, he had to go handle something, what's wrong? Are Angela and Christopher there?"
Kate replied frantically, "Yeah, they're fine, I just need to talk to Jack, please! Ryan's missing!"
To Be Continued...
Jack was en route to the power plant in Beverly Hills when his cell phone rang.
"Bauer."
"Jack, it's Michelle. They are calling again, demanding to speak to whoever is in charge. I assume that we have jurisdiction."
"Yeah, patch them through to me. Oh, Michelle, did you trace it?"
"It is definitely coming from a land line inside the plant. Ok, Jack, go ahead."
"This is the Director of Los Angeles CTU, Jack Bauer, who am I speaking with?"
A deep voice with a Middle Eastern accent answered, "That's not important right now. Mr. Bauer, how would you feel if your wife and children were being threatened and your current way of life ceased to exist?"
"Don't you dare threaten my family you son of a bitch!" Jack was getting angry, which was getting him nowhere.
The voice said, "Just think about it." The line went dead.
"Damnit!"
Jack quickly dialed the phone. He let it ring five times until the machine picked up, "Hi, this is the Bauer residence. Jack, Kate, and Ryan are out right now. Leave a message." It was Kate's voice. Where was she? Jack was getting worried; he had been through this before and was not eager to repeat it.
Jack left a message, "Kate, it's Jack, call me back as soon as you can. It's important."
Jack dialed again, this time someone answered, "Bauer."
"Kim, it's me. Do you know if the kids made it over to our house yet?"
"I think they should be getting there in the next couple of minutes, why? What's wrong dad?"
Jack sighed, "Probably nothing, but could you send an agent over to the house to check on them?"
"Sure, you don't think the kids are in any danger, do you?" Kim was starting to worry.
"No, I just want to make sure they are safe. Get back to me." Jack hung up and hoped that Kate had just stepped outside to call Ryan in.
Kate walked back into the house from the garden, carrying a basket filled with roses. Kim and Chase's kids would be here any minute and she wanted to refill her vases before chaos ensued. Three kids running around was always trouble, but she loved the house filled with children's laughter. She was thankful for the distraction to keep her mind off of Jack.
She didn't notice the furiously blinking light on the answering machine.
Just then, two kids came bursting through the front door. Nine-year-old Angela was as tall as Ryan, and had long brown hair braided into two pigtails and resembled her father. She was followed by six-year-old Christopher, who was the spitting image of Kim. He and Ryan were often mistaken for brothers, although Ryan was actually Christopher's step-uncle. It was a strange family dynamic, but it worked for them. Ryan loved having relatives his own age to play with.
"Hi Kate!" Technically, Kate was their step-Grandmother, but there was no way she was ready to be called Grandma, her son was only eight. So "Kate" was fine with her. Jack was affectionately known as "Grampa Jack."
Little Christopher asked, "Where's Ryan? I want to show him my new Rescue Hero."
"He's outside riding his bike, he should be back any minute." She glanced at her watch realizing that he had been gone for a while now.
Angela shook her head, "No he's not, his bike is laying in the front yard."
Kate ran to the front door and looked out. Ryan's bike was laying in the front yard near the street. "Oh my god. Angela, you and Christopher go search the house for Ryan."
She ran to the coffee table and grabbed the portable phone. She called Tommy, then Jake's house, but neither had seen Ryan since they left the house earlier. She couldn't think of any more of Ryan's friends to call, when she saw the light blinking on the answering machine.
"Kate, it's Jack, call me back as soon as you can. It's important."
Angela and Christopher returned to the living room shaking their heads.
Starting to panic, she quickly dialed Jack's extension at CTU. His voice mail picked up immediately, "This is Director Jack Bauer, I am currently unavailable. If you need immediate assistance, call Michelle Dessler at extension 342."
She hung up without leaving a message and dialed Kim's extension. "Bauer."
"Oh, thank god! Kim, do you know where Jack is?" Kate sounded hysterical.
"Yeah, he had to go handle something, what's wrong? Are Angela and Christopher there?"
Kate replied frantically, "Yeah, they're fine, I just need to talk to Jack, please! Ryan's missing!"
To Be Continued...