One year and one month after Day Three

Five months later

Istanbul, Turkey

They had left the States within hours of the crash, arriving on the other side of the ocean less than a day later. Having laid low in Russia for a while, Alex and Nina had waited for instructions from Schulze. He had gotten in touch with them, which was why they were waiting for someone in the city. They had asked to follow someone who was betraying him, and Nina knew what that meant.

"There he is," she spoke as she noticed the traitor walking out of a nearby apartment block. The man was a German with red hair and blue eyes, who had no idea who was watching him from a nearby roof. As he got into a car, Nina pulled out her phone and dialled a number.

"Hans? It's Nina. Victor sends his regards," she spoke in German as soon as he answered. Hans had no time to react before the bomb underneath his car exploded, killing him in an instant. Chaos broke out on the street as nearby pedestrians fled the area. It would be of great use to the siblings, who were currently running down the stairs of the apartment block. Within hours, they would be out of the country thanks to Schulze. Only Nina knew their next destination.

Psychiatrist's office, Los Angeles

Kim had long lost interest in the conversation. The psychiatrist she was seeing seemed more interested in applying labels than treatment. Whilst she knew he could help her, it didn't feel that way so far. This wasn't her first session with him, either.

"That's all for this week, Kim. Should we say the same time next week?" The psychiatrist asked. He had seen her three times now, but she had seen little progress. It didn't help that the sessions were expensive.

"Yeah, that should be fine. Look, could I bring Chase with me next time?" Kim asked. If Chase had an active part in the session, it could be beneficial for both of them as well as their relationship.

"Sure, although I'm not an expert in couples therapy. It could help us understand the underlying causes, though," he replied to her relief.

Moments later, she was climbing into Chase's car where he had been waiting for her. He smiled and kissed her cheek before they set off.

"How was it today, sweetheart?" He asked, knowing that so far the sessions had not been great.

"Could have been much better. I want you to come in next time," she replied in a firm voice. Even if it was for only one session, she knew they had to try it.

"Sure," he replied. He was unsure how useful it would be, but he was willing to give it a try.

Kim looked at him and smiled. For the first time, she was actually looking forward to one of these sessions. Maybe they really could help them with their issues after all.

Istanbul, Turkey

Nina's contact in the city owned a motorboat, and it was currently speeding along the coast. Heading eastwards, they would soon be arriving at a private airfield.

"We'll be going to Mexico. The boss wants us there for a few months," Nina spoke. The boat's pilot was a trustworthy friend of the contact, so she was able to discuss her plans.

"Does he need us to do something?" Alex asked. It seemed as if they spent far more time waiting for something to happen than doing anything. Not that he particularly minded.

"He didn't say," Nina replied, although she had some idea. If Schulze asked her to be in Mexico, that usually meant that he wanted her to lie low. It seemed rare that he wanted her to do much in that country. Of course, the virus auction had been one of those rarities.

"That Hans guy, did you know him?" Alex asked.

"I knew of him, why?" Nina replied. She had never worked with him, not even knowing his name until the order to kill him. All she had known was that he was a German who had been in a similar position to her as a mole within German intelligence. She could only assume that he had been talking to his former employers to cut some sort of deal.

"Curiosity, I guess," he replied. He had little idea of how big Schulze's group was but estimated that the man employed at least a few thousand.

"I rarely work with his other employees," Nina spoke, although it wasn't the whole truth. She did work with his other employees, but only a very select few of them.

Alex nodded and the conversation died away. Still, he contemplated what he could be doing right now with his position. It would be a very risky move, but if he was to get in touch with CTU and feed them information it could bring down Schulze. Yet if he were to do that, it would put Nina in danger and not only from the American government. Schulze would likely blame her for his actions.

Nina glanced over at him and noticed that he was deep in thought. She didn't suspect him of anything, but the question about Hans had come out of nowhere. If she could get inside his head at that moment in time, she would have a dilemma on her hands.

Tony's house, Los Angeles

This was not the cosy life with Michelle that he had dreamed about, far from it. As he took a swig of cheap beer from his beloved Cubs mug, he could only wait for the alcohol to kick in. She had been waiting for him on the day of his release and had apologised for not keeping in touch. He had immediately forgiven her, instead wanting only to focus on their future. That had not lasted long. He had become aimless without a job and alcohol had been there to fill the emptiness. As his drinking grew worse, Michelle grew more tired before she ended up leaving him. Even then he still had some hope that the relationship was salvageable. Then she had shown up with divorce papers, and that had only made his drinking worse. Now all he did was drink beer, watch baseball and eat takeout for every meal. A stark contrast to the once sober and healthy Tony Almeida that he was beginning to forget ever existed. Setting the mug on the table, his eyes wandered over to a picture of himself and Michelle that hung on the wall. He couldn't remember when or where, but the relaxed and happy looks on their faces seemed strange to him. Had they been happy working at CTU? Or had being together meant that life was easier despite the stress of the job?

Poyraz, Turkey

The plane taking the siblings to Mexico was about to set off. Nina had drifted into a light sleep, whilst Alex was gazing out of the window at nothing in particular. Onboard along with them and the pilot were a couple of armed men who said they worked for Schulze. Alex couldn't decide whether they were there to protect them or to watch them. Nina falling asleep around them made him think they were there for protection, but why? They hadn't needed it so far. Was there a threat against them that had recently arisen? Their being in the US had to have appeared on some radars back home. He would have to see how things went once they landed. One thing was for sure, Nina was very well suited for this life with her over-active mind. Her analytical skills and ability to think many moves ahead were massive advantages in such a dangerous world.

CTU Los Angeles, Los Angeles

Michelle was walking past that spot again, wishing that there was some other way she could get to the tech rooms. Every time she passed, she remembered that first kiss they had shared together. She could visualise them right there, years later, as if she was watching them via camera footage. The memory lingered as she entered the tech room she had been heading towards and tears formed. Taking a deep breath, she was glad that nobody else was in the room with her. Even though he was now free from prison, she still felt as if he was still locked away somewhere far away. It had broken her heart to seek a divorce, but she loved him too much to watch as alcohol strangled the life out of him. Sighing, she remembered why she had come to the room in the first place and tried to keep her mind busy on that.