Chapter 7
Ryan was still huddled under the table, when he heard footsteps. He scrunched himself in the corner and tried to listen, but the noise from the generator was drowning them out. ------
"What is going on here?" It was Hassan, the leader.
Ariz was visibly scared, "Nothing Hassan, we were just getting a cup of coffee."
Hassan eyed them suspiciously, and then said to the guard, "Get back to your post." The guard gave him a long look, then quickly returned to the door.
"Ariz, I need you to get to the South door. Mr. Bauer is going to pay us a visit. He is trading himself for his son."
Ariz looked confused, "But how are you going to pull that one off? What happens when he finds out we don't have his son?"
"Doesn't matter. Once he comes in, then we have a Federal Agent as a hostage. They will not compromise the life of one of their own. We're home free." Hassan was confident in his supreme intellect and cunning. He had outsmarted the dumb Americans once again. --------
Ryan wished he could hear what they were saying. "Special Agent Ryan Bauer should never be scared. He will accomplish his mission." His dad was never scared. He scooted between a table and chair to the other side of some plant equipment. He looked out. Both men had their backs turned. He quickly ran across the room and darted under a table adjacent to the men. He could hear them clearly now.
Hassan looked around, "Did you hear something?"
Ariz shook his head, "No, just the generators." He looked up at Hassan, "What if they find out we don't really have any other bombs? We spent all the money we had on the bomb at UCLA and these guns."
"Don't worry, they won't. There is no way they can check that many power plants. Why do you think I chose California? Once they figure it out, we will be long gone." Hassan patted the smaller man on the back. "The plan is working."
"When are you going to tell them what you really want?" Ariz was still worried.
"After we welcome our new guest. Now, go grab two men and get set for his arrival. I am going to call him now to do the trade."
Ryan watched the two men walk away. He wasn't sure what he had just heard meant, but he felt he should tell someone right away. He knew that's what his father would tell him to do. He looked around. The guard at the door blocked his only escape route. He whispered to himself, "It's all up to Special Agent Ryan Bauer. The team is counting on him. He must escape."
"So Jack pulled him out of the car and threatened him for even trying to touch me, and that was the end of that date. And the poor guy was only trying to kiss me." Amy was relaying the end of another Jack story.
Kate looked at her and put her hand over Amy's, "Thanks for being here. I don't know what I would be doing without you." The tears were falling again.
"You know I will always be here for you guys. And everything will work out." Amy was trying to stay optimistic for Kate's sake, but she knew that every hour that ticked away lessened the chance of Ryan's survival.
Kate felt the need to explain, "We did everything we could to ensure Ryan's safety. He's enrolled in school as Ryan Weston under a false address. Even his friends don't know his real name. We have an unlisted phone and address. We have taken every precaution without putting him under surveillance, although Jack thought about it. We thought he would be safe. After what happened to Kim, he wanted to make sure nothing like that would happen again."
Amy went around the counter and hugged her, "Kate, this isn't your fault. Jack will find him."
"Then why hasn't he called?"
Jack was suited up and waiting for the call. He had a tiny earpiece buried in his left ear and a transmitter hidden under his shirt. Scanners would not catch either. He was also wearing a wireless camera on his belt buckle. Unless they knew exactly where to look, it would also go undetected. He had a small gun hidden under his flak jacket and one in each boot. If they searched him thoroughly, they would find them, but he doubted they would check his boots. He put a knife in his pocket to give them something to find.
Agent Goodrich came over to Jack, "Are you ready?" Jack only nodded.
The agent spoke into his mike, "Testing, testing. Can you hear me?"
Jack replied, "Copy."
"Great, you're coming through loud and clear. Here's what we will be seeing." He grabbed a small hand held screen and showed Jack the image coming from his belt-buckle. "Try to get us a picture of the layout, the hostages, and any hostiles you can see. If you get into trouble or are ready and want us to move in, your codeword is 'weather'. Say the word and we are there in thirty seconds."
Jack looked him in the eye and put his hand on the agent's shoulder, "Thanks, Brett."
The terrorist hot line rang in Jack's hand, "Bauer."
"Ok, this is how it's going to work," said the voice. "You will be unarmed. Come to the south door, we will disarm the explosive device. You will enter the building and my men will search you. Do you understand?"
"What about my son?" Jack said through clenched teeth.
"Oh yes, your son. Once you are inside, we will bring him to you to let you know he's safe, then escort him out. If you cooperate, he will not be harmed."
"No, bring him out first!" Jack wanted to make sure Ryan was safe before he went in.
"My terms are non-negotiable Mr. Bauer. You don't see your son until you are in the building."
Jack immediately sensed something was wrong, but had no other choice.
"Ok, I'm coming in." Jack hung up the phone and handed it to a nearby agent. He nodded to Agent Goodrich then put his hands up and headed toward the south entrance.
Agent Jon Joiner, a rookie, watched him go. He leaned in to the agent next to him and whispered, "He's going to get himself killed. Do you think he knows what he's doing?"
The agent whispered back, "Are you kidding me? That's Jack Bauer."
"That's Jack Bauer?"
To Be Continued....
Ryan was still huddled under the table, when he heard footsteps. He scrunched himself in the corner and tried to listen, but the noise from the generator was drowning them out. ------
"What is going on here?" It was Hassan, the leader.
Ariz was visibly scared, "Nothing Hassan, we were just getting a cup of coffee."
Hassan eyed them suspiciously, and then said to the guard, "Get back to your post." The guard gave him a long look, then quickly returned to the door.
"Ariz, I need you to get to the South door. Mr. Bauer is going to pay us a visit. He is trading himself for his son."
Ariz looked confused, "But how are you going to pull that one off? What happens when he finds out we don't have his son?"
"Doesn't matter. Once he comes in, then we have a Federal Agent as a hostage. They will not compromise the life of one of their own. We're home free." Hassan was confident in his supreme intellect and cunning. He had outsmarted the dumb Americans once again. --------
Ryan wished he could hear what they were saying. "Special Agent Ryan Bauer should never be scared. He will accomplish his mission." His dad was never scared. He scooted between a table and chair to the other side of some plant equipment. He looked out. Both men had their backs turned. He quickly ran across the room and darted under a table adjacent to the men. He could hear them clearly now.
Hassan looked around, "Did you hear something?"
Ariz shook his head, "No, just the generators." He looked up at Hassan, "What if they find out we don't really have any other bombs? We spent all the money we had on the bomb at UCLA and these guns."
"Don't worry, they won't. There is no way they can check that many power plants. Why do you think I chose California? Once they figure it out, we will be long gone." Hassan patted the smaller man on the back. "The plan is working."
"When are you going to tell them what you really want?" Ariz was still worried.
"After we welcome our new guest. Now, go grab two men and get set for his arrival. I am going to call him now to do the trade."
Ryan watched the two men walk away. He wasn't sure what he had just heard meant, but he felt he should tell someone right away. He knew that's what his father would tell him to do. He looked around. The guard at the door blocked his only escape route. He whispered to himself, "It's all up to Special Agent Ryan Bauer. The team is counting on him. He must escape."
"So Jack pulled him out of the car and threatened him for even trying to touch me, and that was the end of that date. And the poor guy was only trying to kiss me." Amy was relaying the end of another Jack story.
Kate looked at her and put her hand over Amy's, "Thanks for being here. I don't know what I would be doing without you." The tears were falling again.
"You know I will always be here for you guys. And everything will work out." Amy was trying to stay optimistic for Kate's sake, but she knew that every hour that ticked away lessened the chance of Ryan's survival.
Kate felt the need to explain, "We did everything we could to ensure Ryan's safety. He's enrolled in school as Ryan Weston under a false address. Even his friends don't know his real name. We have an unlisted phone and address. We have taken every precaution without putting him under surveillance, although Jack thought about it. We thought he would be safe. After what happened to Kim, he wanted to make sure nothing like that would happen again."
Amy went around the counter and hugged her, "Kate, this isn't your fault. Jack will find him."
"Then why hasn't he called?"
Jack was suited up and waiting for the call. He had a tiny earpiece buried in his left ear and a transmitter hidden under his shirt. Scanners would not catch either. He was also wearing a wireless camera on his belt buckle. Unless they knew exactly where to look, it would also go undetected. He had a small gun hidden under his flak jacket and one in each boot. If they searched him thoroughly, they would find them, but he doubted they would check his boots. He put a knife in his pocket to give them something to find.
Agent Goodrich came over to Jack, "Are you ready?" Jack only nodded.
The agent spoke into his mike, "Testing, testing. Can you hear me?"
Jack replied, "Copy."
"Great, you're coming through loud and clear. Here's what we will be seeing." He grabbed a small hand held screen and showed Jack the image coming from his belt-buckle. "Try to get us a picture of the layout, the hostages, and any hostiles you can see. If you get into trouble or are ready and want us to move in, your codeword is 'weather'. Say the word and we are there in thirty seconds."
Jack looked him in the eye and put his hand on the agent's shoulder, "Thanks, Brett."
The terrorist hot line rang in Jack's hand, "Bauer."
"Ok, this is how it's going to work," said the voice. "You will be unarmed. Come to the south door, we will disarm the explosive device. You will enter the building and my men will search you. Do you understand?"
"What about my son?" Jack said through clenched teeth.
"Oh yes, your son. Once you are inside, we will bring him to you to let you know he's safe, then escort him out. If you cooperate, he will not be harmed."
"No, bring him out first!" Jack wanted to make sure Ryan was safe before he went in.
"My terms are non-negotiable Mr. Bauer. You don't see your son until you are in the building."
Jack immediately sensed something was wrong, but had no other choice.
"Ok, I'm coming in." Jack hung up the phone and handed it to a nearby agent. He nodded to Agent Goodrich then put his hands up and headed toward the south entrance.
Agent Jon Joiner, a rookie, watched him go. He leaned in to the agent next to him and whispered, "He's going to get himself killed. Do you think he knows what he's doing?"
The agent whispered back, "Are you kidding me? That's Jack Bauer."
"That's Jack Bauer?"
To Be Continued....