Chapter 2: Bill Buchanan

Bill Buchanan marched into District Command and punched the elevator's up button. While he waited for the car to return to ground level, he glanced briefly at his reflection in the stainless steel doors. Not a hair out of place.

He had been summoned by Lynn McGill, a recent hire from the private sector who was making a name for himself by "cleaning up" CTU's domestic units. Firing people was never a pleasant job, but it was even less so when most of your staff carried guns. McGill was known to swing the axe swiftly and mercilessly. Bill supposed that was why he was chosen to sort through the wreckage of CTU's pursuit of Habib Marwan. It would be easier for someone who wasn't there to pass judgement, anyway.

Meanwhile, District bumbled around trying to put together a new staff while they investigated what was left of the old one, and Bill was the one who had to hold CTU Los Angeles together. He had looked at the hourlies, and Edgar Stiles was the one and only person who had been there the entire day. Also one of the few who wasn't under investigation, fired, quit, or dead. Stiles would be the interim director if he weren't the least suitable person in the entire unit. Bill wasn't sure why District had kiboshed him hiring his own interim staff, but he guessed it had to do with the pending investigation.

McGill's secretary let him through, and Bill entered the office, taking it all in surreptitiously. It was a skill he developed in the field that had continued to serve him as he moved upwards through CTU's surprisingly robust bureaucracy. There were two certificates on the wall: a Bachelor's in Social Science from UCLA, and an MBA from same. Bill saw no other personal objects. McGill himself was both shorter and younger than Bill expected. It was a little obnoxious, actually, that District had put this kid in charge of investigation. He couldn't have much experience doing anything, certainly not with CTU.

"Thank you for taking the time to speak with me, Mr. Buchanan. I understand you have the job of running the Los Angeles domestic unit while a replacement is found. You must be very busy."

"It's not a problem. I'd like to help any way I can." Bill paused delicately before continuing, "Though I was wondering why you called me here. Was my report unsatisfactory?"

"I just wanted to go over a few points and make sure I understand the situation completely before I make my own report to CTU Headquarters. Cross the t's and dot the i's. You understand."

"I'm not sure I do. What 'situation' do you mean?"

"The overall context of your decision-making process. When the CTU inquiry is finished, I'll be reporting the findings to the House oversight committee. You'll probably also be called to testify as an eyewitness. I'd just like to make sure we're all on the same page."

"Present a united front," Bill inferred.

"I've already met with Congressman Fulbright, the chairman of the committee. He expressed some concern about CTU's operational parameters. Addressing the committee's questions with in-fighting and finger-pointing isn't the best move for any of us."

"Finger-pointing? In one twenty-four-hour period, CTU Los Angeles saved the Secretary of Defense from assassination, stopped 103 nuclear reactors from melting down, and prevented terrorists from using a nuclear warhead on Los Angeles. I don't see any blame here, Lynn."

"With all due respect, Mr. Buchanan, in that same twenty-four-hour period, CTU failed to prevent a train bombing, allowed one nuclear reactor to melt down, watched Air Force One get shot out of the sky, and let the mastermind behind these attacks escape no fewer than five times."

Bill opened his mouth to speak, but McGill held up a finger.

"And in the process, killed the Chinese Consul and illegally tortured at least one man who has a highly passionate attorney. On top of that, I can't help noticing that the man behind so many of these actions is now dead."

"Regrettably, yes. Jack Bauer is a hero and should be remembered as such."

McGill leaned forward a little bit. His voice became a little softer and more congenial, though his expression didn't budge an inch. "Listen, Bill. The brass wants us to take whatever tack will get us through the House investigation with a minimum of embarrassment. I guess CTU had some trouble proving its authority back when it was created...?"

"Yes, I was there," Bill said, failing to keep a note of flippancy out of his voice. And you were where, the junior high cafeteria? he did not add.

Still, McGill apparently picked up on the temperature drop and stiffened back up. "Frankly, Mr. Buchanan, I was happy enough to be alive the day after two nuclear attacks on Los Angeles. But our elected officials aren't so easy to please, and if you think they aren't going to be asking the hard questions, you are mistaken. I can base my report to Headquarters on your written summary of the day's events, but I thought you'd appreciate the chance to review and clarify before I do that."

Bill bristled at the insinuation that he needed to explain himself, but he just asked, "What do you need me to clarify?"

"Let's start with Behrooz Araz. Were you able to determine why Marwan wanted him so badly?"

"No, we were not."

"I examined the hourly report logs, and there's a red flag item here at 6:30 P.M. that doesn't seem to have been followed up for several hours after it was submitted. It regards the pilot whose identity was apparently assumed for the purpose of shooting down Air Force One."

"I wasn't at CTU Los Angeles when that report came in. I was only supposed to manage the trade."

"You didn't wonder why there was any trade at all?"

"Of course. But there wasn't time to dwell on the details."

"Pretty big detail. I think Habib Marwan was willing to give up something valuable for something worthless because he wanted to keep CTU's attention focused away from the incoming reports. What do you think about that?"

"I guess I think it worked, Lynn. But it wouldn't have if the Los Angeles unit got the budget it needs to hire the staff it requires."

McGill raised his eyebrows. For a minute, Bill wondered if he was going to argue.

"Fair enough. I was also thinking that Los Angeles ought to have a bigger slice of the pie. That particular unit seems to see more action than all the others in this district combined." He made a note. "Moving on, I'd like to hear about Joe Prado."

"Confessed collaborator. What about him?"

McGill pulled a file folder out of his desk. "These are letters from his attorney. He claims Prado was tortured illegally."

"I wasn't able to find a judge to authorize the necessary action, so I spoke with President Logan directly."

"Yes, I see that he did give his authorization. Though I have to wonder why, if everything was on the level, you let Prado go before torturing him."

"Does that matter? We got the information we needed."

"Evidently, it matters a great deal to Amnesty Global. Of course you know they would be pushing even harder if Prado had been innocent."

"He wasn't."

"Not the point, Mr. Buchanan. The constitutional defense against torture is absolute. It doesn't matter if Prado was guilty or not. By violating his rights, you diminished the rights of every citizen of this country."

"We were trying to save lives. That was more important," Bill said through clenched teeth.

"And succeed where Erin Driscoll failed, capturing Habib Marwan?"

"If you're suggesting that I was acting out of self-interest, you couldn't be more wrong. Clearly," he added sardonically, "I didn't do very well for myself."

"Fine," said McGill in the same bloodless monotone he'd had the entire time. He reminded Bill of a telemarketer. "But you didn't capture Marwan, correct?"

"Not that time, no. Because the Secret Service interrupted our raid."

"Because President Logan knew Bauer had defied his orders and tortured Prado."

Bill didn't say anything.

"I recommend coming clean on this point, Mr. Buchanan. The House subcommittee can put the pieces together just as well as I can."

"They won't have to, once they see that report."

It was a coolly delivered jab, but it sparked something in McGill. "What do you want me to do, lie to Congress? Swear on a Bible and make up stories?"

"No, but you don't have to drive a stake through CTU's heart! Who do you think would have stopped Marwan without CTU? Homeland Security is a joke. The FBI and the CIA don't do what we do. No one does!"

"Is that what you're going to tell the subcommittee?"

"They can go to hell. I know I did the right thing because Los Angeles is still standing, and not a crater in the desert."

There was an awkward silence.

Finally, McGill said, "I appreciate your candor, but it isn't constructive. I'll have my secretary bring you a copy of the subcommittee's first investigation of CTU Los Angeles. I found it very useful in giving me an idea of what kind of questions might come up."

Bill snorted. "Lynn, if there is one thing I learned from my time at CTU Los Angeles, it's that you're never prepared to do a thing until you've done it hands on. It's easy to theorize and strategize about what 'should' work or what you're 'supposed' to do, but let me tell you: that means nothing when you're actually out there, on the front lines."

"I'm sure it seems that way," said McGill. God almighty, that calm, glib attitude was getting old. "Anyway, let's move on to the illegal raid on the Chinese Consulate."

"What raid?" Bill asked, knowing full well McGill must have some information.

An annoyed scowl passed over McGill's face for a fraction of a second. "This part of the report will be classified. The House won't see a word of it. However, for the purposes of CTU's internal investigation, we need to know who did what. Did you authorize the raid?"

"No. Jack Bauer and Tony Almeida arranged it without my knowledge."

"But you ran interference with Consulate Security. Were you also responsible for the hourlies that showed Bauer working with Audrey Raines?"

"Yes."

"Why did Bauer and Almeida go behind your back?"

"You should ask them."

Another flicker of irritation. "I'm asking you."

"I suppose they didn't want to risk my disapproval."

"And would you have disapproved?"

"I don't know what intel led them to Lee Jong." Impulsively, against his better judgement, Bill added, "But I can tell you that Jack's instincts throughout the day were flawless."

McGill waited patiently, as if for a punchline. When none was forthcoming, he said briskly, "Right. Is there anything else you'd like to add?"

"I think I've said all I care to."

"Fine. I've got everything I need here. Thank you again for coming in."

They did not shake hands.