It was a mere glance down at her lap, but it was enough - they both knew it. She had willingly given Jack the edge, but she was going to speak first, and take it back, show him how she could easily take control back.
"That looks sore." A statement, he observed, probably aimed at his nose, which was still bleeding. But was there a hint of something else in her voice? Not sarcasm, perhaps it was a pinch of belittlement. She grinned, she could see he was trying to figure out her intentions, she wondered if he would pick up on the threat she was implying to him. 'Your hurt, these people know me, I can make it worse.' She guessed he did, he was a smart man. Jack still hadn't spoken, but he let a grin like hers form on his face, he knew what she was trying to do and he didn't give a sh!t. This was his show, he would run it - not her.
"Ni-"
"Shhhh," she interrupted loudly, getting his attention long enough to stop him from continuing his words. She smiled inside again - she had him, he was giving her the control, letting her cut him off and speak over him.
"Nice place, isn't it... just a table and chairs... no mirror..." She spoke as though she was observing any normal room, on any given day. Jack got her drift and immediately scanned the room - there were no visible listening or viewing devices. Of course he understood that Nina hadn't been telling him this, she had been warning him that there could still be a hidden device, so he would be cautious of what he said. Not that he wouldn't have been careful before, he thought to himself angrily that Nina had given him this information.
He closed his mouth and decided he would say no more, he wouldn't be a willing participant in her game. Before Nina noticed his change of tactics the door was thrown open and two men walked in. The first was an older men, dressed in a well tailored suit. By the way he held himself Jack could see he was a man of pride, and from the look on Ninas face he was probably a leading figure in the terrorist world. He smiled at the two of them, but said nothing. Jack recognised the man stood next to him easily, it was of course the man who had sent two beatings his way; he tensed his jaw unknowingly as he eyed him up with a stare cold. Jack averted his vision when he realised the elder man was looking at him intently.
"Jack Bauer... Jack Bauer... I think your the last person I expected to bump into today. I assume your back working with CTU again?" Jack said nothing, if he said yes they may want his information, but if he said no, they could think that they had no use for him. So he stayed silent and decided to let them chose his fate, he wouldn't help them make any decision.
"And Nina Myers... its been a while hasn't it?" He said looking at her, she too stared back, as Jack had, her face giving nothing away. "So, I think were right in assuming your helping the government, seen as you were captured with a federal agent, on a plane which had been requisitioned by the government? See, its been a while, Nina, but you haven't changed. Did they give you a pardon? Offer to free you if you stopped the bomb? I bet you jumped at the chance."
"They offered me nothing and I told them nothing." She said blankly.
"Really?"
She didn't justify his question with an answer.
"What if I don't believe you?"
"You and I both know how big a part I played in this bomb, so you better believe that if I had helped them, the bomb would be squared away by now."
Kinglsey said no more, she was making sense; why would they still have possession if she had indeed helped?
"Then what's he doing here?" He asked, motioning to Jack.
"I guess you'll have to ask Jack that one."
Jack stayed silent, watching Nina as she worked, he could tell she was already up to something, she certainly had an influence over the two men holding them captive. She could use that to her advantage, or his disadvantage, he noted silently, not allowing himself to change facial expression, he wouldn't give nothing away.
"So... Your saying your still in with us here? You may need to prove your loyalty." Kingsley said, grinning in amusement.
"I have no loyalties with anyone but myself."
They broke out in laughter at this, clearly impressed with her, it was the same old Nina. If she had something to hide she would be trying to get on their good side; but she wasn't. And Nina didn't bluff, thought Mandras, foolishly.
Peter nodded to Mandras who walked over and began to free Nina from the chair, Kingsley moved over to Jack and began to speak with him quietly.
"So what do we do with you? You probably hold a great deal of information, on the bomb and other matters. But then again Jack, your a man of many talents, you could be a very useful tool."
'And you can keep Nina in line,' he thought quietly.
"So just what do we do with you?" Jack said nothing, he didn't look at the eyes boring down onto him, he didn't know what to say, nothing would help him here, the situation had fallen to Ninas advantage.
"I doubt Jack will be willing to co-operate, will you Jack?" She taunted as she stood up, now free from the chair, they hadn't restrained her. "But your right Peter, his information and skills are invaluable. He knows much more than me about the way the feds are tracking the bomb, don't you Jack? After all I was considered a traitor... and they don't give people like me classified information, I know nothing."
Jack looked at her quizzically. What was she doing here? He raised an eyebrow in answer as he thought about what she was saying, was she helping him here? They wouldn't bother questioning her, yet she had given him information - she told then they needed to go to San Diego... That was a valuable piece of information, for there could be contacts involved in this there... Was she trying to protect that information?
"I'll be back to chat with you about your options in a moment Jack, please excuse me."
He left the room, Mandras and Nina following, the door closing tightly behind them. He leant his head back against the chair and closed his eyes, rapidly questioning how was he going to get out of this, and what Nina was playing at? The San Diego line could have been a safety net so she wouldn't be in the blast, and he could gain the upper hand here by telling Peter about this... But what if it really was a lead and he lost it? He couldn't take the risk, he would have to let Nina do whatever the hell it was she was trying to do right now, as much as he didn't want to give her the upper hand here; he had no choice.