Chapter 5
Nina set the briefcase down and took a seat, knowing that she seemed perfectly calm on the outside. Calmer than she really was. Her blood pressure was just a little higher than normal, her stomach felt a bit funny and her mind was running on high-speed. She hadn't been lying to Jack - this really was when she felt the most alive.
She had known it for a long time now, felt it, fought it in the beginning when it had frightened her and made her feel sick and guilty. But once she had accepted it, life was just much less complicated.
Not to give a wrong expression - she didn't enjoy it. And now and again she still wondered where that twisted perception was coming from, why she needed the challenge and the excitement, the arousal and the fear. Cause it was fear she felt. Fear could be her best friend at times, telling her when to watch out or look over her shoulder, resign from a job or just take off. Not that she ever had resigned or just taken off, too aware of the reputation she had worked for so hard. But she had never had the feeling that she couldn't handle a situation so far and knew that she really would pull out if she ever got that impression. She could trust her own judgment cause she knew that she was good at what she was doing. She always had been. Even back at CTU, she had done a good job. As long as her assignments hadn't collided with her other interests, she had done her job the best way she could. And she probably still would if things hadn't turned out the way they had.
She felt Ramon's guy standing behind her. Xavier. On the way here she had thought about starting a conversation, playing a little innocent and naive with him. But just looking at him she knew what kind of guy he was. Silent and calm. Not because he knew what he was getting into and felt up to the task, but because he was too stupid to worry. He was used to taking orders and do what he was told and his brain capacity was probably not much higher than it would take to pull a trigger. Still stupidity meant inconsistent and illogical acting which could make things unpredictable. Better not to underestimate that and stay on alert. But he wasn't anything of a threat to her. If it was just him she would be out of here in no time. But now it wasn't up to her anymore.
Pretending to be bored she turned her head around, letting her gaze wander over their surroundings. It was hard to make out anything in the darkness and she wondered where Ramon had placed his men. Surely not where Jack had showed her on the map. She just wondered if Jack had learnt about the changes and knew more than she did. Would he have told her if he had had a chance? Probably not.
She could sense Xavier moving behind her, and looking up she spotted the approaching headlights. Amador. One of the factors she had no control over. He had already surprised her once today, bringing Jack into all this despite everything he knew. But he had probably fallen for Jack's little performance. Probably best to leave it at that. Why complicate thingsā¦
-x-
Shutting the door slightly harder than it was his custom, Amador walked away from the car, over to where Nina was sitting. She had someone with her, fully in accord with his instructions, but it was none of the men she had been surrounded by during the auction or at the church. She was obviously full of surprises today.
"Nina," he exclaimed, stopping about ten feet away from her. And letting his hand brush over the line of buttons on his coat, he glanced round, displaying a bored expression while his own escort took care of his business. A short plopp told him it was done and he turned his eyes back on Nina.
Not as much as blinking when the man behind her sank to the ground, she just returned his gaze, unmoved and calm as usually.
"How big a fool exactly did you take me for?" he asked her, trying not to let his anger show. "You really thought I wouldn't see through this?"
She didn't answer right away but glanced over her shoulder first, casting a contemptuous look at the dead body.
"I wasn't completely sure you would," she sighed, "but luckily you did."
Her statement took him by surprise and not sure where she was going with it, he put his hands in his pockets and allowed her to elaborate.
"Oh come on," she said with an almost condescending smile. "Don't tell me you haven't figured it out by now?"
"I figured out that you weren't intending to stick to our arrangements when I learnt about the snipers you had put in place. Seriously, Nina," he shook his head, "using the radio even though I specifically told you that we're monitoring all the frequencies - you're losing your touch."
"I hope you took them out quietly," she said calmly, ignoring the mockery in his comment. "Otherwise you might have warned the people who sent them."
He started to feel uncomfortable with the way she just kept sitting there, not making the expression that she felt threatened at all.
"You've got anything you want to tell me, Nina, you better do so now. Otherwise your time is up," he declared, putting his hands out of his pockets and straightening his tie.
She glanced over to his escort, who was still aiming his gun at her, and sighed.
"Alright, Michael, let me fill you in. The Salazars weren't too happy about you inviting a second bidder. And they were even less happy about me winning the auction."
"I noticed," he interjected. "Get to the point."
"After you had left they paid me a visit. They made it pretty clear that they really need this virus, and they were very convincing that it would be in my best interest to help them get it."
"In your best interest?" he asked, seeing now where she was going but not sure if he was buying it.
"They killed all my men, brought Bauer along," she explained, finally showing some emotion, "and you know the history between us."
I do. And actually I was the one who brought him along. But she either didn't know to which degree Bauer's presence was his fault or she didn't care. Asking for his help now, she probably felt it wasn't the time to bring it up either.
"I'd say I didn't really have a choice but to go along with their plan," she argued.
"And that was?"
"To use my buyer's money to pay you, let me pick up the virus, and kill me the moment they get it."
He believed her. He had wondered himself why she would try to rip him off. And thinking about it now, it all made sense. The voices on the radio had been talking with a heavy accent and now he remembered having seen her deceased attendance with the Salazars earlier. He believed her.
Who would have thought that everybody is allying against you, Nina? Not your lucky day.
"And you thought that was a good alternative?"
"I was counting on you to help me out," she replied.
"Alright, Nina," he said and gave a signal to his escort to go and get the product, "let's take care of business first. And then we'll see what we can do about your little problem."
He could still go through with his plan. And actually these recent developments suited him just fine. He couldn't have planned it better. The whole point about bringing a second bidder in had been to get someone involved he could shift the blame on later. It had never been a question who would win the auction. Now the Salazars had played into his hands as if he had orchestrated them personally. It was prefect. The bomb would go off as planned and all he had to do was point his finger at them. And conveniently, they would all be dead. The least he had been able to do after how they had undermined the deal.
Sure, Nina, I will help you out.
-x-
Ramon started to get impatient.
"What is taking them so long?"
"She's gonna have to verify the virus first. The procedure can take some minutes," Jack explained and shifted his weight from one leg to the other. He seemed more and more nervous and Ramon gave him a surveying look.
"I think I need something after all, Ramon," he said, casting his eyes down. "I'm not feeling too well."
Obviously not. He was shaky and sweaty and Ramon thought about shooting him right away. He had already outlived his usefulness. But he remembered his earlier thinking and changed his mind. Besides the note of sympathy, he couldn't deny that it gave him a good feeling to see the great Jack Bauer broken, so desperate that he was begging him for a last fix. Well, he didn't know yet it would be his last one.
"Alright, Jack. Go outside and ask Carlos. He'll get you something."
"Thanks," Jack mumbled without looking up to him and after a second he hurried outside.
Staring after him, Ramon laughed. At least you'll die a happy man, Jack. Getting his gun out he emptied the magazine until there was only one bullet left. He would grant Jack the pleasure of avenging his wife's death, but he would make sure the woman would be the only one Jack killed. Before it was his turn to die.
Putting the gun away again, Ramon walked over to the window, picking up the spyglasses Jack had left and peering into the direction Xavier and the woman had disappeared. Still no sign of them, and he wondered how long it could take to check the virus and transfer the money. He should have asked her before they had left.
"Where is Bauer?" he heard Hector yell and turned around. A second later his brother came barging inside, his expression fierce and his eyes wild.
"Outside with Carlos," Ramon answered with a yet calm voice, eyeing him skeptically. "Why?"
"Get him," Hector yelled at one of his men before he bothered answering him.
"Hector!"
"I told you this was a setup, Ramon. But you didn't believe me."
"Are you out of your mind?" he asked, darting a killing glance at his brother. How could he dare to disrespect him like that. And in front of all their men. They kept coming inside now, standing and watching Hector's tantrum.
"I am not the one who is out of his mind, Ramon," Hector yelled back at him boldly. "I warned you all the time. I told you we can't trust Bauer. I told you we can't go through with this after Edmunds escaped. But you didn't want to listen. You never listen to me, Ramon. Always talking down on me."
"Hector -" Ramon warned him a last time but got cut short.
"I told you to get out of here before it's too late but you didn't listen."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"They are already here, Ramon. I was right all the time."
Ramon hesitated and it dawned on him that something had happened. Something had to have caused Hector to lose it like that.
"What is going on?"
"You don't know, Ramon?" Hector mocked him. "You don't know? I thought you always know everything."
Ramon gave him another murderous glance, noticing at the same time that almost everyone was gathered inside now. No one was on watch and the woman and Xavier could return every moment. It was stupid. He had to get rid off this problem now.
"I will only ask you one more time, Hector. What is going on?"
"Pablo and the others, they are not answering anymore. I told them to give me their positions on the radio, but they are not answering anymore."
Ramon just stared at his brother, baffled and perplexed.
"They got to them. CTU. They took them out and they will come for us next."
He wanted to say something, tell him not to jump to any conclusion when the man who had been sent to get Bauer returned. Alone.
"I couldn't find him," he explained.
"He got away?" Hector yelled, frantic now. "That's it. We're leaving. Now!"
"No," Ramon yelled. There had to be another explanation. It couldn't be that Bauer had fooled him twice. There had to be a way out of this.
"We still have to obtain the virus," he shouted. "Maybe Bauer escaped, maybe he knew that you were going to kill him after what happened to Claudia. But the woman doesn't know and she still has Xavier with her. She will come back with the virus."
"Wake up, Ramon," Hector yelled at him. "Xavier is probably dead already. Maybe the woman too. What do you think happened to Pablo and the others? Bauer's friends got to them and I will not wait here until they are coming for us too."
He turned around, ready to walk away from him, and Ramon knew he had lost him. He had lost his brother. And if he didn't do something now, he would lose everything else as well.
"Hector," he let out another yell while he pulled his gun out, noticing out of the corner of his eyes that his men had started to separate themselves from Hector's. Too late he remembered he only had one bullet left.
