"Jack, where are you?"

"On my way back over to the FBI. I need a favor."

"I heard about what happened last night. I've already gotten an earful from the feds, they aren't happy. Why do you always get shot at everywhere you go?"

"Chris, I don't like it. They won't let me in the investigation. I've been reduced to an informant. I need some information on this Sam Murphy."

"Jack, I don't know, I can't go snooping around one of their agents."

"Just get what you can. I need something I can use against her." Her? Chris's eyebrows raised when she found out Murphy was a woman.

She sighed, "I'll do what I can, but Jack, watch yourself. I got the feeling someone is gunning for you over there."

"I can take care of myself. Get back to me." Jack hung up the phone and turned into the FBI parking garage. He went through the same process as yesterday and was led to the same conference room. However, this time, Sam came in to get him almost immediately. "Follow me."

Jack got up to follow Sam, again trying to keep his gaze above her waist. "So, are you going to tell me what you know?"

She looked over her shoulder at him, "Like I said, 'need to know only'."

Jack didn't reply, but thought to himself, 'We'll see about that'.

She led him into yet another, larger conference room and shut the door. "The others will join us in a minute, we're getting a replacement for Denton. I wanted to talk to you before they come in though. Sit down."

Jack didn't sit and instead stepped in front of her, his face in front of hers. "You are going to include me in this investigation, or I'm out of here." He challenged her with his gaze, and their eyes locked.

Sam's knees almost buckled being so close to him again. She told herself to get it together. Every time he got near her, she blabbered like a love struck idiot. What was wrong with her? Men didn't usually have the affect on her that this one did. She was a tough FBI agent, this was her job, her life on the line. Jack's phone rang, breaking the intense stare off between them.

He looked down and grabbed his phone, "Excuse me, I have to take this." She nodded as he answered, "Bauer."

Chris asked, "You ready?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

"Ok, here's what I got. Samantha Murphy, 33 years old. Dad was a fed, retired after 30 years on the job. Only child. Mother deceased. Three years in LAPD a couple years after college, transferred to the Bureau five years ago. Working her way up, she hit a snag when she was caught in an affair with her married boss. This is her first lead assignment."

Jack studied her as he listened, "Are you sure?"

"That's what it says. It doesn't make sense. Why would they put something this big in her lap?"

He didn't take his eyes off of Sam. "That's what I'm going to find out."

"Jack, be careful on this one. I'll keep digging, but something is definitely going on."

"Yeah, copy that." He closed his phone and sat down. Sam was thankful he had backed off because she could breathe again.

"Something wrong?" She didn't like the way he was looking at her.

"Why did you bring me in here?"

She shook her head and sat opposite him. "I told you, I need information."

"I know what you told me. Why was CTU not involved in this investigation from the beginning?"

She looked down at the table and studied her hands. "I don't know, I wasn't told." This had bothered her at the time, but she was so excited about getting her first lead assignment, she didn't question it.

"Is this your first lead?"

Sam's temper was rising, "Yes, but I've earned it. I am a damn good agent, Bauer. Look, I had to fight to get you in here. You don't exactly have the best reputation around here. I had to agree to take responsibility for everything you do."

"And why do you think that is?"

"Because they don't trust you."

He lowered his voice a little, smiled at her and asked, "But do they trust you? I'd be willing to bet you that the agent they send to replace Denton is either another rookie or a screw up."

"Why would they do that?"

Jack looked around the room for recording devices or cameras and although he didn't see any, he didn't trust that they weren't there. He rose and circled around to her side of the table, leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I think they want you to fail."

Ignoring the goose bumps that shot down her arm from his breath on her ear, Sam stood up quickly and faced him again. Her temper flared, "What are you talking about?"

Jack put his finger over his pursed lips then pointed at the walls. "I think we should discuss this over dinner."

She looked around the room, she had never thought about the office being bugged before, but his caution made her nervous. "Dinner?" She wasn't sure she was ready to be alone with him again, she didn't trust herself. Despite every rational thought in her head telling her not to, she nodded.