Not as many reviews as last time, but I'm still floored. Thanks you guys.

Freelancer-babe: You have your wish, just sit tight.

Trudelutt: Chloe, huh? Interesting…

Ourania211: Will do, thanks for reviewing.

Amy: Carrie, huh? That makes sense. And you're right, Michelle is pretty experienced in the field, my bad.

Dazzi: Don't worry, there will be fluff, in this story, that's a promise I make to all of my readers, just sit tight.

Chapter 5 – The Not-So-Perfect Plan

Tony's POV

I let out a sigh of frustration as I saw my name and next to it were the words 'not immune'. I checked over the list to see who was immune and I saw Chloe, Curtis and Keri were. Send Chloe into the field? The thought just made me groan. And Keri? I can't really trust her. In fact why shouldn't she be immune? She must be working for them, and they probably have an antidote or vaccination for the virus. But at least there was Curtis, he was a good asset in the field. They're probably opening their results right now. With that Keri walked in to my office with a smile on her face, I'm guessing she knew about her not being immune.

"Tony, here are the reports you asked for," Keri said, handing them to me in my office.

I looked them over and said, "Alright, I need you to take part of Chloe's load then, she's a little busy."

"Why?" Keri asked, I knew exactly where she was going with this.

"I put her on something else," I responded, playing it cool.

"Like what?" she asked.

"Playing solitaire," I replied sarcastically. "An assignment, what else would I put her on?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Tony," Keri said, knowing something was up. Of course something was up, I was having Chloe monitor Keri's system, but like I'm going to tell her that. "You and I have been through this before," she added, fire in her eyes.

"And look where it got you," I said in a harsh tone, referring to her crappy, low-paying job at Division due to her demotion for CTU. And I put in a bad word for her; I could tell she still wasn't over it. But I wouldn't just do that because I didn't like her, although that was part of it, it was that she didn't work well with others and instead of doing her own workload she kept trying to snoop around and find something that others were doing wrong. In fact, I'm the one who demoted her.

I could see the anger bubble in her eyes, and quite frankly, I enjoyed it. "You took the words right out of my mouth," she snapped, - and I'm pretty sure she was referring to my time in jail, suffering marriage and unemployment - and walked away furiously.

I picked up my phone and dialed Chloe's workstation.

"O'Brian," she answered.

"Did you find anything on Keri?" I asked, for that was the "assignment" I had put her on.

"Well, she seems clean so far, but there's one thing I can't explain."

"What's that?"

"She spent some times on an unlisted file, which I can't retrieve, and it wasn't for Division because it didn't have a ROW Major format."

"You think it could be an out-of-state file?" I asked, trying not to jump to conclusions.

"No, she wasn't assigned any out-of-state files."

"What about transfer agencies?"

"No, she doesn't have that kind of clearance."

"I see, where is the file now?"

"She sent it off somewhere I can't trace, but it could've been anything, an e-mail, a logged in phone call, a database, anything."

"So let's say that there's a perfectly logical explanation for this unknown file, then she'd be completely clean, right?"

"Exactly."

"Alright, thanks Chloe, call me when you have something."

After I hung up, I looked up the log-ins to Edgar's, Curtis's, Chloe's, Keri's and the two other specialists systems. I looked up the time of the attack and what they were doing on their systems at that exact time.

The only ones who weren't on an assignment were Keri, and myself. Everybody else was in the clear. Now I was 100 sure it was Keri who was leaking information.

With that, Bill came into my office and said, "You have an idea on who the mole is?"

"My strong feeling is that it's Keri Turner," I said, knowing Bill was unaware of our history.

Then I explained to him all of the information I found. "So that pretty much narrows it down to her." I said.

"So we should take her in for questioning then," Bill said.

"No, not until we have proof." I sighed and asked, "How is Edgar coming along with those satellite photos, then?"

"That's why I asked if you had found the mole." He sighed and said, "They've been deleted."

"What?" I asked in disbelief, "but then we can't know who went inside the hotel during the time of the attack."

"Well someone must have deleted it."

"But Keri doesn't have that kind of clearance, she couldn't have…"

"Which is why I think she's working with someone up in Division, they have that kind of clearance. It's the only way she could've deleted the photos."

"Well, we can't make that our top priority, yet," I said. "We need to find Jack and Michelle and that vial before it's too late. In the meantime, have someone monitor Keri's work and give her low security assignments."

"And how are we going to find the vial?" Bill asked, as we walked down the stairs to the main floor.

"Just think, if you were a terrorist, where in L.A. would you release a deadly virus?"

"What about a big hotel?" Edgar asked, overhearing our conversation.

"No, they tried that last time. They wouldn't do it again. Besides, people in hotels would simply tour L.A.; that would only spread the disease throughout the city. They'd target something bigger…"

"What about the airport?" Curtis asked.

"Actually," I said, "that's a good suggestion. Curtis, I want you to monitor the L.A. airport for any suspicious behavior."

"Alright," he said, and walked away.

I walked up to my office and sat down in my chair, thinking about Michelle. Horrible memories came back about us fighting, me getting drunk, her crying; there were too many of them.

"Michelle, this is crazy and you know it!" I yelled.

"The only thing that's crazy is you!" she yelled, shutting her suitcase.

"Michelle, you're going to come back and you know it! Now unpack the suitcase!"

"I'm not coming back, Tony! Why won't you understand!"

"What, so you're leaving me? I spent a year in jail, threw away my entire life for you, and this is the thanks I'm getting!" I yelled throwing our wedding album on the wall.

She took one last look at me with her tear-stained face. "I don't even know you anymore, Tony. You're a mess. And if you want to live a life of nothing, then fine! You can do it without me!" she picked up her suitcase and stated to leave.

"I'm a mess!" I yelled in disbelief. "I'm a mess because of YOU! I don't deserve this Michelle! I don't deserve unemployment or being branded a traitor at all! I made a mistake, ONE mistake!"

I could tell Michelle's face had softened and she had tears welling in her eyes. She had dropped her suitcase and I could tell she felt sorry for me, but then I pushed it too far.

"And that mistake was marrying YOU!"

She got herself together and simply said, "I'll mail the divorce papers to you," and then she left, and walked right out of the front door, right out of our marriage, right out of my life, OUR life.

And here I am today, waiting to her any news from her. Waiting in vain. I couldn't live with myself if she got hurt, I just couldn't.

Michelle's POV

"You ready?" Jack asked.

"Yeah," I muttered. I didn't like this idea one bit.

The co-pilot for the airplane that had the database on it was walking by and Jack suddenly jumped in front of him and covered his mouth and nose with a dirty rag. He gave him a hit in the head and knocked him unconscious.

"How many people have we knocked unconscious today, Jack?' I asked him, rolling my eyes.

He simply smiled and dragged the body into a corner. After dressing in the pilot's clothing, Jack put his gun in his pocket and said "Let's go."

The plan was that Jack would board the plane and "highjack" it, just as the man told Marwan. This way we can ground the flights and close off the airport, and Marwan won't know that there are Federal Agents here. He'll think that it's one of his own men trying to get the database from the plane. This way, if the virus does happen to get released, it can be contained within the airport. In the meantime I'll be waiting at the vent for Marcus Smith to come and open up the security system change the timer on the vial. One the system is open, my job is to take him down and turn off the vial. Once that is done, I'll signal to Jack that it's done, and he'll land the plane. Hopefully, for once, our plan might actually work.

"Be careful Michelle," Jack said, as he was about to board the plane.

"Thanks, you too," I said as I watched Jack board the plane. This better work.

Tony's POV

I had been sitting there for about ten minutes, thinking about Michelle, until phone ringing interrupted my thoughts.

"Tony," Keri said, "I need clearance to get into Edgar's system."

"Why do you need it?" I asked.

"Because Chloe asked me to get some work done and I need his system to do it."

I sighed and said, "Keri just do what you're told to do. Are you finished with the hourly?"

"No, but…"

"Then do that," I said and hung up on her. I got up and walked down to see how Edgar was doing in recovering the deleted satellite images.

Before I could even open my mouth, Keri pops up out of no where and starts with me, "Tony, I need clearance."

"Well, you're not getting any," I told her.

"Why don't you give me any higher clearance assignments, you may as well have me alphabetize the filing cabinet!" she exclaimed, clearly pissed.

"That's a good idea, why don't you get started on that and get off my back?" I responded coolly and walked of to Edgar's station.

"Tony!" she exclaimed, following me, "this is unfair; you can't just let a grudge affect my work. What's wrong?"

I sighed and blurted out, "What was the unknown file you were working on?"

"What?" she asked, taken aback.

"Chloe detected a file which she couldn't trace or retrieve on your system. What was it?"

"None of your business," she replied solemnly after a pause.

"Well it better become my business quick if you want to keep your job."

She seemed confused at first, but then her face drew a look of pensiveness as she pieced it together. "Do you…? You can't possibly… do you think I'm leaking information?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes, I do," I replied bluntly. "You were in charge of maintaining connection and it just happened to get cut off. You were working on an unknown assignment at the time of the attack, you were working on an unknown phone call, and you just "happened" to be immune to the virus. I was going to wait until I had proof until I confronted you, but the evidence speaks for itself. Now, are you going to tell us what we need to know, or do we have to put you in a holding room?"

"This is insane!" she yelled, drawing the attention of many of the people on the main floor. "Look, I know this all seems like I'm leaking information, but you have to believe me, I'm not doing anything wrong!" she said, hysterical.

"Then what was that file?" I asked.

She let out a sigh and started quietly, "It was an e-mail…, to my ex-boyfriend. He's threatening me. I didn't want to deal with it in the middle of all of this, so I just e-mailed him to stop. And I didn't want anyone to know, that's why it was encrypted."

"Can you bring it up for us? And then Chloe can check it out and see if you're in the clear." I said. I was almost beginning to believe her.

She wordlessly led me to her computer and brought it up. Chloe checked it out and said, "Yeah, it's the one I saw, she's clean."

I sighed for the millionth time today as Keri said, "Are you happy now?"

"I'll get you a level four clearance," I told her and walked up to my office, completely puzzled.

If it's not Keri, than who can it be? I racked my brain for an answer, until the phone rang.

"Almeida," I answered.

"Tony, you asked me to tell you if there was any unusual behavior at the L.A. airport." Curtis said into the phone.

"Well? Did you find anything?"

"Yeah, all of the planes have been grounded, and all flights have been cancelled and the airport has been closed down. No one can come in or out."

"Why?"

"Apparently there was a high-jacking on a plane to Chicago, and airport security has a reason to believe that there are more terrorists within the building. The pilot was able to identify the high-jacker as a blonde man, about 40, before he was taken out."

Blonde man? About 40 years of age? It suddenly pieced together. Jack! He was trying to close down the airport in case the virus was released, or if it was already. But it doesn't make sense, the terrorists will find out that Jack is on that plane, what is he thinking?

"Thanks for notifying me Curtis," I said, and hung up before giving him time to speak.

If Jack was there, then Michelle must be as well. They must have figured out that there was a mole and pretended that they were captured.

As I pieced together everything that happened, I realized that I needed to push this mole situation aside and get myself all the way over to the L.A. airport. I couldn't tell anybody about my leaving, for all I know, anybody could be the mole.

I grabbed my jacket and my gun and headed out the door.

Michelle's POV

RING! I was in the basement with Marwan's man who had a bullet in his ankle, was now awake, and whose name I now know is Zarine; when his phone rang.

Lying helplessly on the floor, he took out his cell and said weakly, "It's Marwan."

I took out my gun and held it against his head. "Answer it, and tell him exactly what we went over. One mistake, and I won't hesitate to pull the trigger. You understand?"

He nodded and picked up the phone, saying "Yes, Marwan."

Marwan: What is going on? I asked you to retrieve the database, not to close down the airport. Now the virus is going to be contained inside.

Zarine: How did you know about the airport being closed down?

Marwan: My insider told me that a report of a highjaking was sent out to all government agencies.

Zarine: Relax, Marwan. It's a fake status report I had the airport security send out. The airport is running fine and well.

Marwan: Why did you do that?

Zarine: Think about it, Habib. Why would CTU suspect a closed down airport to be the location of the virus? They wouldn't; they'd just think that it's a simple highjacking. And they won't give much thought to the airport's closing down, because they're first priority is to contain the virus. It's the perfect plan.

Marwan: (sighs) Alright, but you should have run this through me first.

Zarine: My apologies, it'll never happen again.

Marwan: Good (hangs up)

"You did well," I said, taking the cell phone from him and putting the gun in my holster. Now that we had Marwan out of the way, we need to stop the vial from being released.

The plan was to wait until Smith opened the security system, for it can only open with his fingerprint.

As I stated to leave, Zarine called, "Wait! You're not going to leave me here, are you?" He asked, cringing from the pain in his leg. I decided to put him out of his misery and knocked him unconscious with the butt of my gun and headed out the door.

I arrived outside the ventilation system and hid behind a steel cabinet. It was only a matter of minutes before Smith showed up. I recognized him from the two pictures I have seen of him and was certain it was him. He was a tall, slender man, with dark blonde hair.

As he approached the door of the system, I got out my gun and silently crept closer to him. I cocked the butt of my gun and got ready to fire.

I'm not sure how he managed to see me at the last minute, but I guess it was just bad luck. With that, I fired a few shots, all of them missed.

He took cover behind a pillar and started to fire shots at me. It went on this way for a couple minutes until I realized that I was running low on ammo.

I saw that Smith had opened the door before I started to fire the shots and that if I was careful, I could get inside.

I decided to take a chance and darted into the ventilation room. After a few minutes of running I thought I had lost him.

I kept my gun in hand just in case he came at me again. It didn't take long to find the vial, it was in front of one of the biggest fans. I approached it and found that there was a control panel on there. If I pressed the off button, it would only turn the vial off temporarily, but if used Smith's fingerprint on the control panel, I could turn it off for good. I pressed the off button and decided to take the vial with me back to CTU.

This way, Smith won't be able to turn on the vial again. Just as I thought, I had everything solved and that this was the perfect plan, I heard a click of a gun and somebody say, "Drop the vial, and put the gun down, now."

I turned around and it was Smith, standing there with a gun pointed at me. I put my gun down and my hands up. "Now step away from the fan." I obeyed and stepped away.

"How much do you know?" he asked. Answered with silence, he repeated angrily, "How much do you know!" Once again, silence greeted him. With that, he swung his arm and the back of his hand struck my face, knocking me over.

"You know too much," he said, "you shouldn't have come here." I simply sat there, propped up against the wall, figuring that it was over.

He pulled back the butt of his gun and I closed my eyes, expecting him to pull the trigger. It was just then I heard shots fly through the air. Everything seemed to darken, but it took me a couple of seconds to realize that was because I had my eyes squeezed shut.

I slowly dared to open them and through the smoke I saw a wide eyed Smith, with two bullet holes in his stomach. He collapsed to the floor, revealing the shooter, -- gun in hand, teeth gritted, and eyes steel cold -- and I have never been more relieved in my life.

Tony's POV

The look of relief on her face relaxed my tense muscles and I put the gun down. I slowly started to walk towards her knelt down besides her.

"Michelle?" I asked softly.

"Yeah," she mumbled, nursing the bruise on her face where she had been hit. None of us really knew what to say, so I just wordlessly helped her up.

After an awkward silence she started, "How did you find me?"

I explained to her about the mole and how we were still on square one on who it was, the call, me piecing everything together and coming here.

"How did you know what vent to look in?"

"I didn't," I told her, "I was going to check every vent, and this was the third vent that I checked and I happened to find the door open."

"Oh," was her quiet response.

"And what's going on with your guys' plan here? Where's Jack?"

Then she explained to me about Zarine, and the database, Jack on the plane, them and thinking that there's a mole.

"I should give him the signal that the virus is caught," she said. She took out her phone and dialed Jack and then put it on speaker.

"Hey Jack, we have the virus, and Smith's dead."

"Who's 'we'?" he asked.

"Hi Jack," I said, and I told him everything I found, and everything that had happened.

"Alright," he said, "I'm landing the plane now, you guys should see me in about ten to twenty minutes. Bye"

Michelle put her cell phone in her pocket and said. "So I guess we better be leaving before anyone comes looking for the vial, huh?" she added.

And I simply gave her my usual, "yeah."

We both started for the fan and then she suddenly stopped, "Um, Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks," she said, with the hint of a smile on her face.

I simply smiled at her, and we both sort of stared for a minute until I broke the silence and said, "So where should take the vial?"

"With us, back to CTU. We can use it to come up with a cure, perhaps." She said.

"Alright then did you turn it off?" I asked.

"Yeah, but only temporarily," she said, "We need a fingerprint to turn it off permanently, and I'm guessing that it's Smith's."

We dragged the body up to the fan and held out his hand. I pressed Smith's thumbprint onto the screen on the control panel and after scanning it for a few seconds, the screen on the vial read, 'Outbreak has been stopped.'

"I think it worked," Michelle replied, "Let's go, Jack's probably landing the plane right now."

"For once, one of our plans actually worked, huh?" I said, and we both laughed at that. I think this actually was a perfect plan.

But just as we headed out the door, we heard a click of the gun and a familiar voice say, "Not so fast."

O.K., chapter six will initiate the T/M stuff. So basically now the two of them are captured together and have to work together to get themselves out. So for all of you T/M fans, JUST SIT TIGHT!

And as always, reviews are greatly appreciated. Thanx!