Hi all and thanks again for the reviews. The chapter was supposed to be the last, but as I wrote it, I realized that it was too much for one chapter. I've written long chapters before but this one didn't lend itself to one chapter; it has a point in it that just screams "end of chapter" to me. So I went with that muse and decided to write the chapter in 2 parts. So here is part 1 of The Future.

Once again let me warn you, if you haven't seen the season 5 finale and don't want to know what happens, DON'T READ THIS! It WILL ruin everything!

The Future – Part I

CTU – Los Angeles

Day 5, 6:55 am

It was over. It was finally over. Easily the longest 24 hours of Bill Buchanan's life, and it had finally ended. The relief washed over him like a tide. Oh, there would be long days to follow with dozens of reports to be filed and, sadly, families to meet with and funerals to attend, but this day with its assassinations and hostage situations and nerve gas attacks was over. The ending had surprised even Bill, who thought that he had seen it all at this point. Even he was surprised to find the President of the United States responsible for some of the most heinous acts to ever occur on US soil. He couldn't think of that right now. He just couldn't. He was too tired and too hungry and all that he could think about was getting the next shift up to speed so that he could go home.

Bill was ready to do that when he saw Karen Hayes with her coat on and her bag clutched in her hand. He was amazed at how his opinion of Karen had changed in the last few hours. Less than 12 hours ago she came in to CTU to take over, she even relieved him of his duties for some of the time and he hated her for it. Once she brought him back on board, he realized that Karen had been put in an impossible situation and she had probably handled it better than most people would have. Lynn McGill was put in a similar position and look how badly he had handled it. Karen at least admitted her mistakes and moved on. He respected her for that.

Bill spoke in a quiet voice as Karen approached, "Any word on Logan?

"No," Karen answered, "my guess is he'll try to cut a deal. He'll resign without a fight in exchange for clemency."

"He doesn't deserve clemency," Bill said in a quiet angry voice.

"No," Karen agreed, "but the country doesn't deserve a long impeachment process either with everything that's happened."

Bill nodded slightly. "In any event, we can expect Hal Gardner to be sworn in as president soon. Which means this'll probably be the last time I see this place."

Karen could hear the pain in his voice. Bill Buchanan obviously loved his job. "I don't think so," Karen told him. "Not if I have anything to do with it and I will. You'll be back here running CTU."

"Thank you, I appreciate that," Bill said sincerely.

Karen smiled vaguely. She couldn't help notice what beautiful blue eyes he had. She had noticed that from the moment she walked into CTU, but had quickly put it out of her mind. "When I came in here last night to save the day, I was a little bit condescending and tactless to say the least. I had no idea what you were up against. I'm sorry."

Bill watched her carefully as she spoke. Her sincerity was obvious. He could read it in her eyes. "No, no need to apologize. Mistakes were made. You were right to come in here with a firm hand," Bill said graciously.

"Well, I better go," Karen said with a soft smile as she turned to leave. She wasn't sure why, but she didn't want to go. Of course, part of that was because she didn't feel like going to Division and dealing with the egos over there. But more to the point, she hoped that she had reason to come back. She wasn't sure if it was CTU that she liked or if it was the director.

Bill hesitated for a second and then spoke. "Karen, I was thinking of getting some breakfast before going home." Bill wasn't 100 percent sure why he told her that. An invitation to go with him was implied. He hoped she'd say "yes" but part of him didn't know how he'd react if she did.

"I have to go over to Division for one last briefing. Bureaucracy… Rain check?" Karen asked hopefully as she smiled.

Bill returned her smile. "Sure." He watched her leave both relieved and disappointed that she wasn't joining him for breakfast.

It was another few minutes before Bill was completely finished and ready to leave. He had just dragged himself up the stairs to pack up when his cell phone rang.

"Buchanan," he said. He couldn't hide the exhaustion in his voice.

"Bill, it's Audrey. Jack disappeared. CTU has to find him," Audrey sobbed into the phone. "Please, Bill, you have to find him."

"Audrey, calm down. What's going on? Where are you?"

"I'm at the warehouse where Jack was holding Logan. Jack and I were just about to leave when a man we thought was with Secret Service came up to Jack and told him that his daughter was on the phone for him. The man said that the call had been transferred to a land line inside the warehouse. Jack went in to answer the phone. When he didn't come back after about five minutes I went to look for him. He wasn't there. The agents on site have searched the area and Jack isn't here."

"Did they find anything, any evidence?"

"There was blood in a room near the phone, but nothing else," Audrey told him as she tried to compose herself. She knew that she couldn't help Jack if she got hysterical, but it was hard to get control when you had been awake for over 24 hours and your day had been as emotional as hers had been.

"Can you describe the man who told Jack he had a phone call?"

"I didn't pay a lot of attention. He was Asian and dressed in a dark suit like Secret Service."

"Did you say he was Asian?" Bill asked.

"Yes, why?"

"The Chinese. They still want retribution for what happened at their embassy 18 months ago. That's who's got Jack. It's the Chinese," Bill paused for a second. "Audrey, I'll have one of our agents drive you back here. We have to find Jack before they can take him out of the country. I'll get our people right on it."

Bill disconnected from Audrey and dialed Karen's cell phone.

"Hayes," she answered in a voice as exhausted as his own.

"Karen," Bill said, "where are you now?"

"I'm in the parking lot. I'm just getting into my car. Why?"

"Call Division and tell them you can't make the briefing. I need you to come back in right away. Audrey Raines just called. Jack is missing."

"Jack is missing? What do you mean?"

"Jack's been kidnapped."

"Who would have kidnapped him?"

"It's a long story, Karen. Come back in and I'll explain, but we have to find Jack now."

"I'll be right there," Karen said with a sigh. She hung up, got back out of her car and reentered CTU. This wasn't going to go over well at Division, but she didn't care. She didn't answer to them and she knew that Bill wouldn't ask her to come back if he didn't really need her.

While he was waiting for Karen, Bill called Curtis and Chloe back into the building. They, like Karen, were both on their way to their cars when he got a hold of them. Bill was finishing up his short conversation with Curtis when Karen walked into his office.

"Bill, what's going on?" she queried.

"Jack is missing and I'm afraid that he's been kidnapped by the Chinese government."

"Why would the Chinese government want Jack Bauer?"

Bill explained what happened at the Chinese embassy eighteen months earlier. They certainly hadn't forgotten, he told Karen, and would want to get their revenge.

"I understand your logic, Bill, but that doesn't explain how they found out that Jack was alive," Karen pointed out to him.

"Logan gave him up. Jack knew too much. Even though Miles destroyed the recording that implicated Logan, Jack wasn't going to leave Logan alone. David Palmer saved his life and he was going to make it his mission to bring Logan down. Logan knew that and tipped off the Chinese so they could get rid of Jack for him."

Karen nodded. "I understand. Let me call Mike Novick. He might be able to help us."

"That's a good idea. In the meantime, I'll have Chloe pull up satellite and see if she can follow any vehicles leaving the warehouse during the time period in question. They had to get Jack off site somehow. My biggest concern is that they need to get him off of US soil as quickly as possible. I'll have Jack's picture sent to the airports and to the port of Los Angeles. I want any form of transportation that is headed toward Asia to be searched."

Karen agreed and they both set off to complete their tasks. The next couple of hours were critical for Jack and everyone knew it. If the Chinese were able to get Jack out of the US, there was little hope of ever getting him back. It was Karen who produced the first results.

"Bill," she shouted excitedly as she ran down the steps from his office and into the bullpen where Bill stood next to Chloe and Audrey, who had recently returned to CTU. "I think we've hit pay dirt. The Attorney General got Logan to admit that he tipped off the Chinese as to Jack's whereabouts."

"How did he get Logan to confess?" Bill asked.

"The Attorney General told Logan that he was withdrawing his offer of letting him resign quietly and not telling the American public the truth about his involvement in the Palmer assassination and yesterday's attacks unless Logan gave us enough information to find Jack."

"So what happens next?" Audrey asked.

"Right now President Gardner is on the phone with the Chinese premier. He's hoping to get the Premier to give us Jack's location."

"Why would he tell us that? That's tantamount to admitting that his people kidnapped an American citizen on our own soil. The Chinese will never agree to that," Bill said.

"Actually, President Gardner has a pretty persuasive argument," Karen informed him.

"What is it?" Bill asked.

"Remember the US recognizance plane that the Chinese brought down outside of Chinese airspace in 2001?"

"Of course I remember," Bill nodded recalling the incident in which a Chinese pilot was flying around a US army recognizance plane and accidentally clipped it causing the Chinese plane to crash into the ocean. The US plane was forced to make an emergency landing on a Chinese island. The crew was held for several days before the Chinese finally released them back to the US.

"Well, the recognizance crew had taken pictures that the Chinese government doesn't want made public. Up until now, the US has held them in the strictest of confidence. President Gardner told them that we'll release the pictures to the media if we don't get Jack returned to us in the next two hours. Of course, they're maintaining that they don't have him, but I suspect that the story will change when Gardner puts a little pressure on."

"I hope that works because we aren't getting very far with satellite tracking or airport and port searches. We were able to follow one vehicle leaving the warehouse where Jack was last seen. It looked like it was headed for the port, but we lost track of it, so we're not sure that's where it was going. So far, we've searched two Chinese ships leaving the port and both were clean," Chloe told Karen.

"Are there any other ships that need to be searched?" Karen asked.

"There's one more ship that left the port this morning around 7:30. The problem is that it's already in international waters and the Coast Guard has no authority to board it. The only way we can board is if it reenters US territory. It actually is sailing just outside of the seven mile limit traveling north up the coast. The Coast Guard has a ship following not too far behind. If the Chinese ship wanders within seven miles of the coastline, we'll take the opportunity and board."

"Bill, we have to find a way to board that ship," Audrey said tearfully. "I know Jack is on board. Jack doesn't have a chance once they're out in open waters. They'll kill him and throw him overboard."

"We're doing everything we can, Audrey," Bill assured her as he rested his hand on her arm. Karen noted the gesture and felt a pang of jealousy. She wasn't sure why. It just seemed to bother her that Bill was comforting a woman as young and beautiful as Audrey. She knew that she had no claim to Bill but she found herself strangely attracted to him.

Bill continued, oblivious to the internal battle going on inside of Karen. "President Gardner has the upper hand right now. The Chinese are probably going to be forced to let us board the ship. But even when we do, they aren't going to make it easy for us."

"We've got time, Audrey," Chloe said trying to be positive. "The Chinese aren't going to be in a big hurry to kill Jack."

"No, of course not," Audrey returned sharply. "Because they want to torture him for information first," Audrey said filling in the blanks that Chloe wasn't.

Bill threw Chloe a stern look. No one had to remind Audrey how much valuable information Jack carried with him and how desperately he would protect it. The Chinese could easily beat him within an inch of his life and he wouldn't talk. Chloe returned her "I was just trying to be helpful" look and Bill rolled his eyes. He had long since given up trying to teach Chloe any social graces. If she wasn't so good at her job, he would have had her transferred out of CTU years earlier.

Bill brought his mind back to the task at hand. "Where are Curtis and his team?"

"They're still at the port, sir," answered one of the field ops support personnel.

"I want a helicopter to take them out to the Coast Guard ship. Make sure we send a Chinese interpreter with them. If we get a chance to board that ship, the Chinese are going to do everything possible to keep Jack hidden. Curtis and his men are better equipped to do a thorough search of the ship. Get the Coast Guard ship's Captain on the phone. I need to coordinate this with him."

"Right away, sir," the same woman responded.

"When do you expect to hear back from the President?" Bill asked Karen.

"Mike Novick said he'd be back to me within the hour."

"Good," Bill said. "That should give us enough time to get Curtis' team in place." He looked around at all of his employees engrossed in their work. They were as tired as he and yet they continued to work. Their dedication was momentarily overwhelming to him and he swallowed hard to suppress the emotion. For the last 24 hours, they had worked to save an entire city but now they were giving the same amount of energy to finding one man, a man that many of them didn't even know. Most knew his reputation, but few knew him personally.

Bill picked up his coffee cup from Chloe's desk and started toward the coffee pot. He had drunk countless cups in the last day and he was now doing it out of force of habit. The caffeine could no longer stave off the exhaustion. Karen followed him to the break area. She watched unnoticed as he set his cup on the counter in front of the coffee maker. It was in the process of brewing a fresh pot, so Bill stepped near the window to look out while he waited.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

Bill turned, startled. "I didn't know you were behind me." He hadn't expected Karen to be there, but he was glad to see her. There was something comforting about her. Her demeanor was so calm that it couldn't help but relax him regardless of how hard his insides were churning.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to surprise you. I just wanted to make sure that you were alright."

"I'm fine," he said trying to smile. "I'm just tired, like everybody else around here. I'm worried about Jack. He doesn't deserve this. He's given up way too much for this country to be sold out by a slime ball like Logan."

"Give it some time. I haven't lost hope yet. You shouldn't either. Curtis and Jack did some pretty amazing things in the last 24 hours. No reason to believe that anything is going to change now. I think we're going to get him back."

Audrey and Chloe had moved into the situation room and Bill and Karen joined them there. Bill had just completed his discussion with the Coast Guard Captain when Karen's phone rang. She looked hopefully at Bill as she read the caller ID. "It's Mike Novick," she said, daring to hope for the best. "Mike, I'm putting you on speaker phone. I'm here with Bill Buchanan, Audrey Raines and Chloe O'Brien. What do you have for us?" Karen asked into the phone.

"We've got reasonably good news," Mike replied. "As expected, the Chinese are categorically denying any involvement by the government with Jack's disappearance but admit that they may have a rogue security agent who has taken Jack into custody. Apparently the Chinese have already cooperated with CTU and allowed us to search two ships that are docked in LA."

"Yes, Mike," Bill interjected. "CTU has searched those ships and come up empty. We're more interested in the ship that's headed north along the coast but outside of US waters."

"That's what we told the Chinese. We asked for access to that ship. They balked at first citing the fact that it's in international waters but President Gardner was able to persuade the Chinese premier to agree. The Coast Guard will be permitted to board and they are allowing us a half hour to search the ship."

"A half hour! Mike, that's ludicrous. It'll take hours to search a ship that size," Karen said incredulously.

"Mike, Karen's right. We need more than a half hour," Bill protested.

"Bill, Karen, I understand how you feel, I want to find Jack, too. But this is the best we're going to get unless the Coast Guard can come up with some other reason to continue the search. If they locate drugs or contraband or any evidence that Jack is or has been on board, all bets are off. We'll be able to continue our search. But for now, a half hour search is the best we're going to get. Take it or leave it."

"For now, we'll take it, Mike and hope that we can find a reason to continue," Bill agreed half-heartedly. "Chloe, make sure that Curtis and his team know that they are under a severe time constraint. Tell him that if he can find any reason to hold that ship that he is to do so."

Chloe was already on the line with Curtis. "Did you hear that Curtis?"

"Yeah, I copy. According to the Coast Guard officers, Chinese vessels frequently have contraband on board, so holding this ship may be easier than you think."

"Good, let's hope so," Bill replied.

The next half hour was as tense as any in the last day. Curtis and his team all wore microphones and Bill, Karen, Audrey and Chloe listened intently from the situation room. The Chinese had been very careful and made sure that there was little cause for the American's to search the ship for longer than the half hour agreement. They listened from CTU as Curtis spoke to the Chinese captain through an interpreter.

"Your half hour is up, Agent Manning," the captain said.

Curtis looked at his watch. The captain was right and there was no reason to continue holding the ship. Curtis spoke into his radio. "Our half hour is complete. I need everyone back on deck now," he said. There was no mistaking the defeat in his tone. They had been up against incredible odds but Curtis was hoping to beat them. After all that Jack had done for the country, CTU had failed him.

"Agent Manning," a voice crackled through Curtis' radio.

"Yeah," Curtis returned.

"I'm down near the engine room and I've found a substance on a door frame that appears to be blood. I'd like to investigate further."

That's our ticket! Curtis thought. "Hold your position. I'll be right there." Then he looked at the interpreter. "Tell the captain that we've found blood on a door frame by the engine room. Based on the terms of our agreement, we're extending this search."

The interpreter spoke to the captain, who disagreed vehemently. Curtis ignored his protests and raised his radio to his lips. "All teams converge on the engine room. I repeat, all teams converge on the engine room."

Searching the engine room proved far harder than anyone expected. In addition to the main engine room, the area was filled with storage rooms and work rooms and all were poorly lit. It was almost another hour before Curtis worked his way into a tight crawl space and found Jack bound and gagged and lying in a pool of his own blood. He drew a quick breath as he reached out to take a pulse and released it only when he felt a weak but steady thump beneath his fingers. Jack was alive, badly hurt, no doubt, but alive.

"I found him," Curtis said into his radio. "He's hurt, but he's alive. We're going to need to bring in a med-evac helicopter to take him to the nearest hospital.

"What kind of injuries are we dealing with?" Bill asked.

"He's unconscious, so he may have some kind of head injury. He's clearly been badly beaten. I don't know, Bill. He could have internal injuries and broken bones, too."

"Alright, we'll alert the nearest trauma center. There's a Coast Guard med-evac on stand by. I'll get you an ETA as soon as I can."

"Bill, what do we do with the ship? Do I have the Coast Guard arrest the captain?"

"Negative, Curtis." It was Karen who answered. "We get Jack, but the ship and the crew go free."

"What?" Curtis shouted. "Yes, we've got Jack, but he's in bad shape. He could die and you're telling me that I have to let these bastards go?"

"I'm sorry, Curtis. I feel the same way you do, but I have my orders. The ship and the crew is to be released unharmed as soon as Jack is secured. Do you understand?"

"I copy," he said in a disgusted voice. "We're going to move Jack up onto the deck. Let me know the ETA on that chopper."

At CTU, the mood had improved considerably. They had found Jack and he was alive. Everyone seemed willing to live with the injustice of having the Chinese get off without any charges being filed as long as Jack was alive. Their jubilance was, unfortunately, tempered by the fact that Jack was injured and at this point it wasn't clear how badly he was hurt. Bill could tell that Audrey had relaxed a bit, but that she was still very worried.

"Audrey," Bill started, "as soon as we know where Jack is being transported to, I'll arrange to have you taken there as well."

"Thanks, Bill, I appreciate that," she said gratefully.

"You haven't even had a chance to visit your father yet, have you?" Bill asked suddenly remembering that Jim Heller was in the intensive care unit of one of the local hospitals.

"Not yet. I've talked to his doctor and to the nurses, though, and he's doing fine. He's been sleeping a lot so I'm not sure that he even realizes that I'm not there."

"Would you like me to have one of our people take you to the hospital? Then when we get word on Jack we'll have you taken to see him."

"Thanks, Bill, but I know my father's doing well. I think I'd like to stay here until I get more word on Jack."

"That's fine, Audrey. We can work this out any way you like."

Karen watched the interaction between Bill and Audrey. She was impressed by his kindness. He was strong and capable but he was also incredibly warm and caring. At the same time she tried to shake off the feeling. She again found herself attracted to Bill but didn't want to be. She was in the process of ending a marriage in which she was badly betrayed. It had been such a traumatic experience that she hadn't stopped wearing her wedding ring because she knew if she did that people would ask questions and she didn't want to answer them. It was easier to put the ring on every day and let people think that her life was status quo. But in point of fact, the divorce would be final in a matter of days. She had been so hurt that she had already decided that no one else would ever get the chance to do that to her again. She was intelligent and self sufficient and, with her children all grown and out on their own, she was going to start a new life without a man in it.

"Mr. Buchanan," Chloe said, interrupting Karen's thoughts. "The ETA on the chopped is 20 minutes. I've already called Curtis. And I've arranged for Jack to be taken to UCLA medical center so he'll be at the same hospital as Secretary Heller."

"Good work, Chloe. Thank you," Bill added.

"I've also arranged for one of our agents to take you over there, Audrey. He's waiting out front whenever you're ready," Chloe told her.

"Thank you, Chloe," Audrey said gratefully as she gave her an awkward hug. Chloe was amazing. One minute she had the sensitivity of a goat and the next was going out of her way to do something nice for someone. "I'll keep you posted on Jack's condition."

"Thanks," Chloe replied. She and Jack had a special bond. It wasn't romantic and neither of them could ever explain it, but it was special nonetheless. Audrey knew that Chloe was, in her own way, as worried about Jack as she.

Audrey said a quick good bye to Karen and Bill and then headed to the exit to catch her ride to the hospital. She would get there before Jack, but that would allow her time to see her father before Jack arrived.

"I think the next shift can take over from here," Bill announced as he ran his hand through his prematurely gray hair. "Let's all go home and get some rest."

"You won't get any argument from me," Chloe said.

"That'd be a first," Bill said sarcastically with a smile on his face. "You usually argue with everyone about everything."

Chloe smiled back. "Point made, Mr. Buchanan. See you tomorrow," she said as she left the situation room.

Bill turned to Karen as Chloe left. "Thank you for your help. I don't think we would have had any chance of rescuing Jack if you hadn't used your connections with Mike Novick."

"I'm glad I could help. I just hope that Jack's alright. He's pretty unconventional, but his record speaks for itself. His accomplishments are impressive."

There was an awkward silence between them as if both wanted to say more but neither knew what to say. Bill finally broke the silence.

"Well, I'm going to spend a few minutes briefing the shift commander, and then I'm going home. You should do the same."

"Sounds like a good idea," Karen agreed. "I left my coat and bag in your office. I'll just get those and head out."

Bill left the room to find the shift commander while Karen slowly climbed the stairs to Bill's office. She couldn't believe how tired she was and yet she dreaded the idea of going home. That was the reason that she worked so many hours these days. She hated going home to the empty condominium. After living in a big house for all of those years with three raucous kids and a husband, you would think that she would enjoy some down time, but in fact she hated it. She hated the quiet. She hated knowing that she was alone in LA, that her children were scattered all over the country and that her marriage was over. As Karen picked up her coat and bag she wondered how a 47 year old mother of three grown children with almost 25 years of marriage behind her was supposed to start over.

Karen started to leave Bill's office to face the rest of the day alone just as he was coming up the stairs. "You're still here? Let me get my things and I'll walk you to your car," Bill told her.

Karen waited for a minute while Bill put on his topcoat and picked up his briefcase. He locked his office door and followed Karen down the steps, toward the exit. They both greeted the security guard at the exit and stepped out into the cool air that bathed the parking garage. Bill's car was parked near the door in the spot marked "reserved for CTU director". Karen's car was parked a few spaces further down.

"Thanks again for all of your help, Karen," Bill said as he unlocked his car with the remote control and reached for the door handle. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"Bill," Karen called as he was about to sit down behind the steering wheel. He turned in her direction. "Remember that rain check you offered a few hours ago?"

"Yeah, did you want to cash it in?"

"If I could," Karen returned almost shyly. As soon as it came out of her mouth she couldn't believe that she had said it.

"Sounds great," Bill told her. "Follow me. There's a really good diner a few blocks away that serves breakfast all day."

"I'll be right behind you," Karen smiled.

I have to admit, I toyed with ending the story here and leaving the rest up to your imagination, but it left too much hanging. It also didn't allow me to develop Elise's character, something that I still hope to do. And we can't forget about our gallant hero, Jack. We need to find out what happens to him. So if you want to make up your own ending feel free to stop reading at this point, but I'd love to have you continue with me. I'd also love to hear your opinion on the subject, so keep those reviews coming!