Chapter 8

"What is going on?"

Tony looked up and met Chappelle's inquiring look as he approached.

"Michelle had Jack on the phone," he explained, "but we lost him."

"Lost him?" Chappelle asked. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Michelle sighed. "I had just given him the news about Amador, he told me to hold on, then there was a loud bang and the line went dead."

"A shot?" Tony asked.

"More like an explosion," Michelle replied.

"And he didn't say anything else?"

"No, he only asked me to hold on."

"What is the status on Amador?" Chappelle asked.

"The signal from the cell phone he used went dead a few minutes ago," Tony explained with a sigh. "We got no clue where he is now."

"So we lost him too," Chappelle stated and Tony could only nod.

"Unfortunately."

"Unfortunately?" Chappelle repeated irritated just when the phone started ringing. "This whole mission is turning into a complete disaster," he complained angrily while Michelle picked up the receiver.

"Dessler."

"Do we at least have anything from the teams around the exchange area?" Chappelle pressed Tony and he was about to shake his head when he noticed the expression on Michelle's face.

"Yes, patch him through," she spoke into the receiver before she put the phone on speaker. "It's one of our field units," she explained, "they found Jack."

"Where?"

"Not too far from the location the exchange went down."

"Michelle?" Jack's voice echoed through the room.

"Jack, it's Ryan," Chappelle was the first to answer, leaning forward and supporting himself on the conference table. "What the hell went on there? Michelle said there was an explosion?"

"Amador had the virus replaced with a bomb. It went off when I tried to verify it."

"How did you get your hands on it? I thought you said the virus was with Amador."

"With him or with Nina. Turned out to be the latter one," Jack explained. "I got to her in time."

For a moment it was silent.

"Is she alive?"

"She's fine," they heard Jack's answer, and Tony wasn't sure if he sounded disappointed or just annoyed.

"Are you alright, Jack?" he asked.

"I'm fine. Do we have anything on Amador yet?"

"No," Tony sighed. "We're looking into it, but...so far we got nothing."

"So if what Amador sold was a bomb," Chappelle took over again, "what happened to the virus? Do we even know it was ever anywhere near your location?"

"Yes, we do," Jack said grumpily. "Nina verified it when they met but he must have replaced it after that."

"Any chance that she plotted the whole thing?" Tony asked. "She did know you were around and that we need what she just bought."

"No, the bomb was meant for her," Jack replied. "It was her luck that I found it before she did."

"Do we have any idea why Amador wanted to get rid of her?" Chappelle asked.

"Maybe he found out CTU was around, maybe he was planning on screwing her over all along," Jack replied indifferently. "I don't think it makes a difference."

"Jack, I want you to come in. l already gave orders to put you on a transport."

"Yeah, I heard," Jack grumbled, clearly not happy about it. "That's why I'm calling. I need a little more time to speak to Nina first but they wouldn't let me unless you clear it."

Tony glanced over to Chappelle. Was Jack under custody or was Chappelle worried about him pulling the trigger on Nina after all?

"You can talk to her on the plane. Take her with you."

"We might not have time for that, Ryan," Jack objected.

"Why?"

Again there was a short moment of silence as Jack seemed to hesitate.

"She says she knows a way to find out where Amador is heading."

Tony swore inwardly and to his relief noticed that Chappelle didn't seem delighted either.

"Do I dare to ask what she demands in return?"

"She hasn't demanded anything yet," Jack explained and Tony frowned. It didn't seem very Nina-like.

"Good," Chappelle commented. "Bring her in, Jack, we'll press her here."

"It takes too much time, Ryan. We don't know what Amador's plans are for the virus, so the sooner we get to him the better."

"I know that, Jack, but I still want you to come back in."

"Why?" Jack retorted.

"Because something came up here that I need to follow," Chappelle explained vaguely. "Plus, I don't think Nina Myers is the most credible source we got."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I rather have her here and every information she might provide checked out before we take actions than letting you take off without knowing if what she tells you is anywhere near the truth."

"And if she doesn't provide anything?"

"If you almost broke her down there, I'm sure we can find a way to get her to cooperate here. As you know we are equipped for these things, Jack, let us handle it."

"Are you willing to make a deal with her?"

Tony saw Chappelle getting impatient and he couldn't but feel uncomfortable himself.

"You know the drill, Jack."

"Would you make a deal with her, Ryan?" Jack repeated insistently, stressing every word.

"Not unless she has substantial information that leads us to the virus," Chappelle answered, sounding just as irritated now. "But as you know that's not my call."

Tony glanced over to Michelle again who was standing with her arms folded, staring at the phone, looking slightly worried.

"Just bring her in, Jack," Chappelle insisted. "That's an order."

"Fine."

"Jack," Tony hurried to say before he could hang up, remembering what he had promised Kim earlier. "She won't get away this time."

"Sure," Jack replied and hung up.

-x-

Nina leaned back and closed her eyes as she felt the pain-killers kicking in before the needle had even left her vein.

"You might feel a bit fuzzy for a moment but it shouldn't last long," someone explained to her but she didn't mind. Seemed like the fighting was over for her and the next time someone would inject her something, it wouldn't feel anywhere near this good. So she kept her eyes closed and tried to enjoy the ease and comfort.

"Nasty flesh wound you got there but no serious damage," the voice brought her back. "You'll survive."

Sure, she thought and opened her eyes, looking down at her arm. It really did look nasty and Jack's treatment had probably not helped matters. But from what she could see, she had to agree. It was nothing serious.

Nothing that would require acute medical attention or get her into a hospital, she summed up, letting her gaze wander over her surroundings. They could bring her in for questioning right away, no further delays necessary. Getting aware of the cuffs around her left wrist again and the guard next to her, she wondered about the transportation arrangements and safety precautions. If CTU hadn't revised its protocols dramatically, she knew what she could expect.

At least her instincts were back. She just wasn't sure if they would get her anywhere.

She was still trying to make up her mind about what had just happened. She had been willing to let Jack shoot her twice within a few minutes. She knew her reasons and the situation still hadn't changed but she had given up too soon. There still had to be a way out of this.

First they had to get her back to L.A. And a lot of things can happen on a plane. No one knew that better than her. And even if they brought her in, she was still in a pretty good position. She could lead them to Amador. That should be worth something. But she knew it was very unlikely they would let her walk away again. She was probably lucky if they reduced her sentence from death row to life-time and considering all the things she knew, they wouldn't just lock her up and throw the key away. Not that that seemed like an acceptable solution either.

And then there was still her client who sooner or later would find a way to get to her, no matter where she was, hiding somewhere or in prison. And even if he wouldn't, there were enough people who would start feeling uncomfortable once the word was out that CTU was grilling her.

No, she couldn't gain from any deal. Not if it meant that she had to reveal her client without any protection against his retaliation.

Still looking around, she caught sight of Jack. He was standing some twenty meters away and was talking on the radio, well out of earshot, unfortunately. But she didn't have to hear him to understand he wasn't satisfied with whatever he had just been told. She didn't even have to see his face. It was obvious in the way he hung his head while he was listening and then jerkily moved it sideways and up again before he spoke, emphasizing his words with more hasty motions.

Finally, he handed the radio back to one of the soldiers and turned around to come walking towards her. He looked a bit better now, she noticed, but he was still far from his usual shape. As far as she could tell. Seemed she had missed out on some changes.

"Is she good to go?" he asked.

"As good as new," the medic answered, just giving the finishing touches to her bandage, and she looked down to examine his work. "She's all yours."

"Good," Jack muttered and gave a sign to the guard.

"Put your coat on. We're leaving."

Carefully she slipped her arm back into the sleeve and cautiously stretched it out in front of her as the guard unlocked the cuff from his own wrist. But looking at her arm and then at Jack, the man hesitated.

"Don't worry," Jack growled, "she can take it," and stepped forward to snap the cuff around her wrist himself, looking straight into her eyes.

Reminded of what he had done to her today and how weak she had let him see her, she felt humiliated all over again and glared back at him. But he couldn't have cared less, of course.

"Come on," he simply said and reached for her elbow to get her to move.

Walking next to her, he led her to one of the cars, waiting for them obviously, with the driver in place and ready to go, along with two more vehicles. Their escort to what was the most likely destination: the closest airfield.

"Your transport and another unit is expecting you at the airfield," an eagerly saluting soldier confirmed her presumption, holding out her briefcase that had been collected. Jack took it and opened the backdoor.

"Jack!"

She looked over her shoulder and saw another soldier, even he in full combat gear, and even he injured - his left hand wrapped up in an impressive bandage. She wondered how exactly Amador had gotten rid off CTU.

"Chase," he heard Jack say, noticing the relief in his voice.

So that was him. Edmunds. Jack's partner. She eyed him inquisitively.

He seemed young, the shaved head making him look like a navy recruit rather than a CTU field agent. No wonder the Salazars hadn't seen him as a greater threat. But they had obviously underestimated him. He might have been stupid enough to get captured but he had somehow managed to stay alive. And to escape.

"Get in," Jack ordered roughly and pushed her onto the backseat, slamming the door shut after her.

She cast a quick glance at the driver and towards the other backdoor but it wasn't like she could just jump out and run. Not with the cuffs, not without a gun and most importantly not with the whole cavalry around. She wasn't holding much hope, but if she still wanted to keep a chance to get away, she had to be patient and wait until the moment was right.

She turned her head back to the window and looked outside, watching Jack taking a few steps away from the car and approaching his partner. Again she wasn't able to hear what was being said, but the way Edmunds pointed at his bandaged hand and shrugged his shoulders, he was probably assuring Jack that he was alright.

Always worried about your partners, Jack, aren't you? She couldn't see his face but she knew the expression. That look he had always given her, together with the apologies. Afterwards, when everything had worked out alright and he was sorry for the trouble he had gotten her into. For leaving her alone to take all the blame and try and clean up the mess he made. And if it was a good day, even sorry for his bad mood and his frustration taken out on her. Back then she had often wondered if she had been willing to put up with him like that if she hadn't had her own agenda. Hardly.

Thinking back now, thinking of Tony, of George and Alberta, even Chappelle, she wondered how anyone could ever believe she would be willing to take all that shit. That she was so in love with him that she was humiliating herself like that and allowing them to humiliate her even more? Well, not Tony maybe, but the rest of them. Alberta rubbing it in every chance she got, and George - George had just been the best of them. It had been so obvious he had wanted her himself, and no matter how much he had tried to enjoy humiliating her, it had probably never made up for his own injured pride. How she had enjoyed to see his face at the end of that day, when he had known just to what extent she had played them all, before they had taken her away. How she had enjoyed to just smile at him, displaying her contempt and superiority. And as for Alberta - she had gotten her satisfaction there as well, finding her to be one of her interrogators. It had been humiliating to be tortured under her eyes but withstanding the pain and standing firm surely had made up for it.

She had played them all. And that had been the only reason why she had put up with all of them, including Jack.

He was still talking to Edmunds, as far as she could see getting into a bit of an argument now. She could figure out what they were discussing even before the younger agent glanced towards her and before they took a few more steps aside, making sure their conversation really stayed confidential. It wasn't too hard to guess, Edmunds placing a hand on Jack's shoulder and obviously trying to calm him down. Vainly, of course.

Guess I don't have to worry about anything after all.

And being over rather quickly, she even knew how the argument had ended. She could tell by the way Jack lost his patience, making a last remark and turning away abruptly then, and the look on Edmunds face as he stared after Jack. A well-known scenario even that. Jack's way of saying: just do what I ask you to.

She wondered if that really still worked but apparently it did. Glancing over at her again, Edmunds seemed to resign to his fate and shrugged his shoulders. She could relate to the feeling, at least partly. If she liked it or not, not everything back then had been an act and as good as she had played her part - as time had passed, it had become more and more a part of her.

The door opened and Jack slid onto the passenger seat, telling the driver to go, and a moment later the convey started to move. She threw a last look out of the window, glancing over to the shed and the dead bodies being carried out. She should have known Jack couldn't be amongst them.

-x-

Chase watched the convoy disappear into the night while in his head he went over the conversation with Jack once more. Should he have done anything else? Should he have tried harder?

Call Kim, Jack had told him, so he got his cell phone out and dialed the familiar number as he shrugged his shoulders and turned away.

"Chase," he heard Kim's voice, and it surprised him how relieved he suddenly was. Just to hear her voice made it all somehow...better.

"Yeah, it's me."

He should have tried to call earlier. But with everything that had happened, with knowing Jack was still with the Salazars and with Nina, all on his own. He just hadn't felt up for it.

"Are you alright?" she asked worried and he knew how she meant it. Of course she had been informed about his escape, probably also about his injury but that he was okay.

"Yeah, I'm alright."

"I was so scared." She merely whispered. And he closed his eyes, seeing her face, her eyes, the expression in them. And he just wished he could touch her, feel her, just hold her for a moment.

"I know. I'm sorry."

For a moment they were both silent, the sound of their breath reassurance enough.

"Where is my dad?" she asked then.

"He's alright, Kim," he tried to calm her down.

"I know. Tony just told me. But where is he?"

"He's...on his way back."

"With her?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, sensing the slight tremor in her voice.

"What happened down there?" she demanded to know. "I wanted to ask but everybody's busy, or maybe they just don't want me to know the details."

"I don't know everything myself, Kim, but what is important is that Amador took off with the virus."

"They are bringing her in for questioning, aren't they?" she ignored his remark and he hesitated for a moment, knowing how sensitive the issue was. Kim hadn't talked about it a lot but every time she had...

"Aren't they?" she repeated.

"Yes." He wasn't sure what to tell her. "Jack says she claims to know a way to get to Amador."

Again there was silence and he wished even more he could be with her now, put his arms around her and pull her close.

"Look, Kim, I told Jack as well - even if she has information and even if she's gonna share it, they won't let her walk away."

"No? They did last time."

"I know."

"After everything she has done. They just let her go."

"Which is exactly why they won't this time," he tried to get through to Kim. "Maybe they'll offer her some kind of...I don't know...mitigation of her sentence. But they won't let her walk."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," he assured her, glad he didn't have to lie. And he was relieved. He didn't know her at all, of course, the glimpse of her silhouette in the car was all he had seen of her, but he knew enough. And that was also why he hadn't done more to stop Jack. Cause he knew, of course, what Jack was up to. And why he had asked him to do what he had to do now.

"Kim, Jack wanted me to tell you something."

"What?" she asked.

"That you shouldn't worry and that everything will be alright." He paused. "Whatever happens."

She seemed to hesitate.

"What? Why? I thought he's on his way."

"He is."

"Then why should he... Is there something you're not telling me?"

Chase bit his tongue. He should have known she wouldn't let this go.

"Chase?"

"Look, Kim, I gotta go. I'm sure he'll give you a call himself -" he started but she cut him short.

"No, you're not gonna hang up on me now. I need to know, Chase." She sounded angry. "What is going on?"

"Kim," he struggled, "I really can't -".

"What is going on with my dad, Chase?" she added. "Please?" And the weakness in her voice, the worry and the fear, barely hidden underneath her anger made his knees turn weak. Why did he have to be stuck out here in the middle of nowhere? Now of all times.

"I only talked to him for a minute, Kim. He told me Chappelle had given him order to bring Nina in, and that they wanted to question her. I told him the same I just told you, that he wouldn't have to worry about Nina getting away again."

"And?" Kim pressed him. "What did he say?"

"He didn't say anything," Chase stated, not sure anymore if he could keep his suspicion from her any longer. He knew he shouldn't, couldn't tell her. If at all he would have to tell Chappelle or Tony or any of his superiors.

"But?"

Come on, he told himself. She knows it anyway. She knows you're hiding something from her. And he gave in.

"He asked me to...He told me it was better if I didn't know anything but he asked me for my gun."

"What?"

She sounded exactly as he had, confused at Jack's request, only minutes ago.

"Why?"

"He wouldn't tell me," he repeated, feeling more and more uncomfortable now. He should have insisted on an explanation. Then again he didn't need any explanation. It was clear as daylight anyway.

"Did you give it to him?" Kim surprised him to ask.

"What do you think?" he retorted and she remained silent for a moment.

"Kim, you can't tell anyone about this," he urged her, but when she replied her voice was suddenly calm again, no traces of worry or insecurity.

"I won't. It's alright."

He scratched his forehead.

"Kim, you know what this probably means. Don't you?"

She took her time before she answered, confirming what he had suspected.

"Yes," she stated loud and clear and she didn't have to say any more. He could practically hear her thought. He's going to kill her.

Chase wiped his neck. He didn't know what to think. He could understand her of course, just as much as he could understand Jack. But still a part of him was shocked at how okay she seemed with it. How easily she had taken it in, almost seeming to welcome it. He wasn't sure but he didn't dare to ask.

What's wrong with you, he questioned himself. You would do the same thing if you were in Jack's shoes. And the same thing if you were in Kim's shoes.

Probably. He probably would have done the same but he wasn't in Jack's shoes, neither in Kim's. And as much as he agreed that Nina Myers didn't deserve anything better than this, he still didn't feel good about what Jack was going to do. Cause what else could he be up to? The thought of his wife's murderer getting pardoned again or even rewarded in any form - it just had to tip him over the edge.