"What the hell…?" Michelle mumbled. "Why?"
"What? Why would I take restaurant customers hostage?" Nina asked, smiled still spread across her face.
Michelle nodded.
"I was actually going to call CTU and then they'd get me on the phone with the president, since he is out of hospital now, and I'd get pardoned. Jack Bauer is the exact person I need to speak with."
"So you grabbed a bunch of restaurant customers?"
Nina came over and slapped Michelle on her cheek. "I was going to kill them off one by one until I got pardoned, but now that I've got you, what's the need? I'm sure if Tony really loves you he'll get me pardoned within the hour!"
"This was our first date!" Michelle pleaded, beginning to cry again.
"Oh boo-hoo! Deal with it!"
Nina turned around and started typing at a computer.
Jack and Tony were in Jack's SUV driving to CTU. Jack was probably going 100 kilometers off the speed limit, but he really didn't care. When they arrived at CTU, they quickly went through security and walked straight into the bullpen. It was a quiet Saturday, except for a few analysts and I.T people.
"Jack! Tony!" the new analyst Chloe O'Brien called from the conference room. "There's an urgent call for both of you! Come in here!"
They hurried into the conference room, and Tony pressed the speakerphone button.
"Who is this?" Jack demanded.
"Never mind that, Mr. Bauer and Mr. Almeida, the point is, I have one of your agents here. I believe Michelle Dessler's her name?"
"What do you want?" Tony demanded.
"An official pardon signed by president David Palmer,"
"Wait!" Jack said. "I know that voice! It's Nina!" There was both hurt and anger in his voice.
"What? Jack are you sure?" Tony asked, scratching his face.
"Positive."
The two men turned back to the phone.
"What's going to happen if we don't get you the pardon?" Tony asked, biting his lip and scratching his face again.
"I've got three guns and Michelle here in this room. What do you think is going to happen?"
Tony's heart sank. Why did he have to choose that exact restaurant? Why did it have to be on this exact day at this exact time? This was all his fault.
"How long do we have to get you the pardon?" Tony demanded, angry and scared at the same time.
Jack put his hand on the speaker. "Are you kidding me? We are not going to give in to Nina's demands! She is a fuckin' terrorist for fuck's sake!"
"What about Michelle?"
"Two hours," Nina spoke up.
"Okay," Tony replied, ignoring Jack's decision.
He clicked the off button on the phone and sighed.
"Think about it, Jack. We'll get her a pretend pardon and she'll tell us where Michelle is!"
"Yeah, okay. Whatever. You're the director of CTU, not me. It's your call." Jack said, hurrying out of CTU.
Tony decided that while he was at CTU, he should probably get some work done. He headed up to his office and dialed the numbers for the president's line.
"President Palmer's office?" The secretary picked up.
"Yeah, uh, this is Tony Almeida director of CTU LA division. I need to speak with the president immediately. It's very important."
"Please hold, Mr. Almeida."
"No, I can't hold! Someone's life is at stake!"
"One moment, please, Mr. Almeida."
Tony waited a minute and finally the president picked up.
"Yes, Tony Almeida? What is it?"
"President Palmer, how are you feeling?"
It was required that, if ever on the phone with the president, you ask him how he's feeling after the assassination attempt.
"I'm fine, Mr. Almeida. Now, what was so important?"
"Well, we just received a call from a terrorist named Nina Myers, the same Nina Myers who killed Jack Bauer's wife, demanding an official pardon signed by you, sir."
"What did she say she'd do if I said no?"
"That she'd kill one of our best agents. Michelle Dessler helped prevent our country from going to war. She was the one who helped Jack find evidence that the Cyprus Audio was a forgery."
"How did she get Ms. Dessler?"
"Well, sir, I was on a, uh, date with her and three or four men were taking hostages and grabbed Michelle."
"I am sorry if you have a personal relationship with Ms. Dessler, and I understand that this is tough for you. Do you have any suggestions on what we should do?"
"We're trying to trace her call, but Nina's smarter than to allow herself to be found through phone connections. I was wondering that if we get her to give us her location, and then maybe you could pardon her for only a few of her crimes and crimes to come?"
"She is a terrorist and I believe that that is out of the question"
"Yes, sir, I understand, but as much as I want to catch Nina, I want to save Michelle."
Michelle was once again blindfolded. She had a piece of cloth was tied over her mouth so she couldn't talk.
"I hope Tony loves you. I'm sure this isn't how you'd want to die, eh? That pardon is something I need, and I'm sure you're something Tony needs."
Michelle felt alone. Very alone. Like there was no one in the world that could help her. Like she was the only one on the planet, with no company, no Tony.
Nina continued. "Don't worry, Michelle, you're death will be quick and painless."
Michelle was always strong, but for this one moment in time, fell apart.