A/N : Sorry I'm taking so long, but I kinda lost my 24 muse. However, now that Season 5 is close to premiering (at least it is here), and I have addicted my friend to the series, so we talk about it all the time, I have a new chapter. Also, sorry for what has to be the longest flashback on the face of the earth. Btw, I always love reviews, good, bad, or ugly.

Also, upping the story rating for mild violence and some language.

And... Happy New Year:-)

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Jack walked aimlessly through the town, still in a mental shock. His mind repeated the same thoughts over and over, like some sort of broken tape recorder. He couldn't run forever, and winter couldn't stop this. As much as he ran from the Chinese now, he realized he had been running for a much longer time. He was running from Nightfall, and Teri's death, and all those he had killed. They haunted him. They would haunt him for forever. He stumbled through the town, falling into a back alley. Except he wasn't in Mexico anymore, he wasn't in this time or even this space. He was lost in a world of the past, in a world of pain, and a world of blood, and he had no idea how to get away.

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He was running with his team through a small ghost town. He motioned for the team to pause, and they collectively fell to the ground melting in with the growing shadows. Jack looked around cautiously, and spotted a single armed guard by the entrance to a grey building. The building was their objective, was their target, and one guard would not stop them. He motioned for the team to split up and surround, with his group coming in from the back. The guard wouldn't see them, and even if he did, he wouldn't have a chance against them. As Jack and two other members of his team made their way around the building, the radio in his ear began to crackle. The small voice told them the guard had moved and was now heading their way. It was unforeseen and Jack was forced to act quickly. Motioning his two teammates behind the corner of a building Jack ran up the back of the alley, and hid behind a dumpster. The guard made his way slowly down the alley, looking for a lighter in his pocket. As the guard passed, Jack rushed out and tackled him, with one hand over his mouth. The guard reacted instantly, reaching for the knife in his belt, and managed to grab it as he spun Jack off of him. Jack lept up, the man had turned to run and Jack took him to the ground once more. This time there was no mistake. Jack reached to the side of the mans jaw, covering the emerging scream, and twisted violently. The man was dead before his head hit the ground, the neck virtually snapped in two.

Jack looked down, feeling nothing, and motioned his men forward. It took them mere seconds to place the charges, and they exited the alley quickly. As they returned to their group, the entire team paused collectively as Jack set the timer for the explosive charges. They had only minutes to retreat before the ensuing explosion, and moved quickly. They managed to get to the edge of the town, as Jack noticed a slight flutter in the bushes. He tryed to tell himself he was being paranoid, but something gnawed at him. There had only been one guard, and almost no activity in the town. This was much less than the minimum projection figures of resistance, and he began to worry. It was seconds later that everything flew from his mind. The town went from empty to teeming as men appeared from midair. They were surrounding them, yelling things in a language he couldn't understand, and what Jack noticed the most, were waving large, highly lethal weaponry. Guns of every size and form, and Jack's mind went into overdrive as he ran scenario's of escape through his mind. Finding none he looked at his team. His eyes told them all they needed to know. They had come on this mission prepared to die, and they would do so. But not willingly. They held their own weapons at the ready, waiting. Then the man who appeared to be their leader stepped forward, and the firing began. Both sides attacked, and men fell in every direction. Jack felt a bullet pass through his side and fell to the ground, he looked up and saw his team, his fellow soldiers, his friends, fall. Then an explosion rocked the ground, Jack rolled on the ground, and ended up on top of a man. It took Jack a second, but then he recognized him. It was the youngest member of his team, the man had been married less than a year. Jack struggled to right himself and looked around him. There was chaos everywhere, as the enemy ran for the building, confused. Jack stared down at his front. He was covered in blood, his hands were red only, no flesh could be seen, and his entire uniform front was covered. He snapped out of it, and looked for an opening to escape. Only a few men had been left to guard the scene and search for wounded, and Jack slipped quietly into nearby bushes. He ran. He ran until he could run no more, rested briefly, then ran again. The shock had all but worn off, and Jack was feeling the full effects of the wound in his side now. He could barely stand, let alone run, as he neared the rendezvous point. Looking into the distance, he spotted the small building, that he was searching for. He also saw the vehicle out front, and a plume of smoke rising from the building. It was being lit on fire, destroyed before it could be found, and Jack moved faster, spurred on by a sense of panic. They had no idea he was still alive, and would leave without him. He broke through the tree line as the last man exited the building. Jack waved and shouted, continuing to run until the man spotted him. Three soldiers leapt out of the large truck, ready to face the intruder, but as he neared they recognized him and lowered their weapons. They ran toward him, to help him, but as they neared, Jack fell. So near, yet so far, Jack couldn't continue. The panic had subsided, and for the first time he felt the full extent of his injuries. Jack looked down at his hands, intently aware that most of the blood he was covered in was not his own. As he passed out, he wondered whether he wished to be dead, or alive.

He woke up in a military hospital four days later, barely coherent. The doctor had explained to him that he was the only one to make it out, and that he would be staying awhile, his injuries were more serious than they had first appeared. Besides being shot, Jack had broken his leg in two different places and cracked a couple of ribs. One of the ribs had almost pierced his lung and they were worried about him moving and causing it further damage. However the more dangerous damage was mental. No one was sure he could recover from this, he had not only been injured but had lost his team. He was kept constantly sedated, but even through the drugs, he stayed panicked and was constantly shaking and twitching...

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Sara had closed the cafe, and wrapped herself tighter into her coat. The coat was old though, and worn down, and provided little protection against the cold. She had closed a little later tonight then normal, since another one of her bosses tantrums had delayed her. She held her knife tight in her hand as she walked, since it was later, and darker, she had no idea what kind of people were out, and didn't want to be surprised. She walked quickly, scanning the shadows for movement. Halfway home she paused, she had seen a shadow move. Her heart began to beat faster, as she peered into the ally way. If it was a cat, she would relax, if not... well, she had been pretty good at track, back in the day. She saw the shadow flinch again and she panicked. Then she saw the leg. The leg was lying across the pavement, twitching slowly. Her mothering side took over, as she abandoned all precautions and hurried into the ally way. She bent down beside the figure, partially obscured by cloth and shadows. 'Probably some sort of drug overdose,' she thought to herself. They were common, and she had seen more than her share. She gasped in shock, as she pulled back the cloth and stared at Jack. She checked his arms for track marks, but he hadn't seemed like the type to shoot up. She felt him twitch and flinch against her arms as she held him down, and watched as an expression of panic crossed his face. She was worried and tried to wake him up. 'Maybe he's epileptic, or something...,' her mind searched for a viable alternative, anything that wasn't drugs. She patted him lightly on the cheek while calling his name and he stirred slightly. She called louder, and he snapped out of it, almost like, waking up.

He stared up at her blankly, then sat up abruptly, breaking himself free of her grasp. Rubbing his eyes and head, he started apologizing.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you or anything, just fell. Are you okay? I mean, it's really late, and it gets kinda dangerous at night, you should be home-" She cut him off before he could continue babbling.

"Stop! Don't even bother trying to tell me you fell. Falling doesn't make people do...well...that! Now, you could be really injured. We need to get you to a hospistal."

"NO, no! I'll be fine, really. Just happens every now and then." She was ignoring him though, while checking his head.

"Uh oh, you've got a pretty good gash here, are you sure you don't want to go to a hos-" She stopped as Jack silently brought an arm up. His manner had changed and he was staring at something behind her. She turned slowly and jumped. Three young men dressed in baggy clothes were blocking the entrance to the ally. And one of them, had a pipe.

Jack felt his demeanor change as his agent-self moved into place. It surrounded him like a shield, and he savoured the feeling. He focused on his opponents, and felt all other concerns drift away. All that mattered was getting Sara to safety. The simplicity of it calmed him. This was his objective. To have one goal, one mission, one thought, it filled his being, and he had missed this feeling. He stood quickly, unconsciencely putting himself between the thugs and Sara.

"We have nothing of value, I swear." He didn't think it would work but hey, it was worth a shot.

One of them stepped forward, eyeing Sara lewdly.

"Maybe you don't, but she does. Come on man, just leave us alone, let us get what we want, we'll let you walk." Jack shook his head.

"Not a chance in hell. You go through me." His voice had once more aquired it's hard edge, and he turned further still into the soldier he was.

Mr. Talkative moved further forward with his pipe.

"Dude, are you blind or something. We'll kick your ass from here to next week. Or maybe we'll leave you conscience to watch." Jack spoke up once more, his voice still on edge.

"I'm warning you, don't try it. You can leave now and we'll forget this whole thing." Behind him he felt Sara shrink farther into the wall. The thug just laughed, then attacked.

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Jack saw the attack coming, almost in slow motion. He threw up an arm in a block that caused the pipe to angle toward the ground. Using his leverage on his now off balance opponent, he drove a knee into the guys stomach. Watching him go down, Jack grabbed the pipe, and spun to face the other two attackers. They were nearly on him, and Jack realized late that one of the had a tire iron. He pulled the pipe up on one side, blocking the tire iron, while throwing a side kick at another one's chest. It may have been three on one, but Jack had more experience at actual fighting then all of them combined. And a lot more pent up hostility. The pipe was dislodged from his grip as the tire iron hit it, but the thug lost his weapon as well, so it remained even. Jack spun and punched, then spun again. He made short work of the other two before he realized the first man had gotten up. He had just delivered a knockout blow to one of them, when the first thug hit him on the head. Jack wasn't sure what he'd used, but it stunned him. Long enough for the thug to move in front of him, and deliver a full kick to his ribs. Jack heard his chest crack, and fell. Stunned and barely conscious, he lay on the ground. Then he heard Sara whimper. It kicked his senses back into high gear, and he launched himself towards the sound. As this, he felt no pain. He was a machine, with one duty, to keep Sara safe. He would never fail his mission, ever. Tackling the enemy, he landed on top of him, and left him no advantage. Immediately he delivered a fast blow to the chin, stunning the thug, followed by a shot to the temple, knocking him out... just for good measure. He dropped his arms to his side, as blackness clouded his vision, and he rolled off the guy. Sara appeared above him, but he couldn't quite make out what she was saying. Then his world went dark.

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A/N : Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed. And I always love reviews, good, bad, or ugly.