WASHINGTON, D.C.

NOW

Audrey Raines was putting a diamond earring in her left ear when the doorbell rang at. She wasn't expecting any visitors. She had been preparing to leave for her father's sixtieth birthday party at the White House and was running a little behind as it was.

"Coming!" she said with an exasperated sigh. As if I'm not late enough. Dad's never going to let me hear the end of it if I show up late to his birthday party.

Audrey opened the door. A young man stood outside with a Fed Ex envelope in his hand.

"Audrey Raines?" he asked.

"Yes, that's me," Audrey said.

"Would you sign for this, please?" Audrey signed for her unexpected package and took it from the man.

"Thank you, ma'am," he said politely. "Have a nice night."

"Thanks, you do the same," Audrey replied. She shut the door and eyed the envelope for a moment before she opened it. Inside was a DVD. It was blank, no writing or markings on it.

"What is this?" she asked out loud. Just then Audrey's cell phone, startling her a bit. She regained her composure and rolled her eyes. "Relax, Dad. I'm coming as fast as I can." Audrey was certain she would hear the voice of her father, recently elected President of the United States James Heller, on the other end wondering why she wasn't at the White House yet. That theory went out the window when she didn't recognize the number on her caller ID.

"Audrey Raines," she answered.

"Did you get the package, Miss Raines?" asked a voice on the other end, almost a whisper.

"Who are you?" Audrey demanded to know.

"My name is Hong Wai, and would like to see justice served, Miss Raines," the voice replied. "That DVD has evidence proving Jack Bauer's innocence in the death of Qing Wangsia. You must take that to your father."

"Is this some kind of damn joke?" Audrey felt herself starting to seethe. "What do you know about Jack Bauer?"

"I know that Mr. Bauer is in grave danger, and is being punished for a crime he didn't commit. I assure you, Miss Raines, I am very serious. Watch the DVD if you don't believe me."

Audrey reluctantly turned on her television and placed the DVD into her player.

"What exactly am I watching?" she asked impatiently.

"Security footage taken at the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles on May 23, 2005," Hong Wai told her. Audrey was stunned. That was the date of the raid on the Consulate, the one Jack had been in charge of. She watched the video closely.

"All right, you have my attention now," Audrey said.

"Good," Hong replied. "You remember the events of that fateful day."

"Unfortunately, I do." She never took her eyes off of the video.

"You are well aware that Jack Bauer led a raid on the Consulate that evening in an attempt to locate Lee Jong, who was suspected of aiding Muslim terrorists. You are also aware that Qing Wangsia was killed during that raid."

"I don't need to be reminded of that day anymore!" Audrey nearly shouted. "Tell me the point of all this?"

"As the security footage proves, Miss Raines, while the Americans violated the sovereignty of the Consulate, they are not responsible for the death of Qing Wangsia. You see that the Americans never fired their weapons."

"You're right," Audrey said. "They never opened fire. So…"

"The Chinese wanted to shift the blame for their Consul's death. They were afraid of the truth, that their own agents shot Qing Wangsia. It was easier to accuse Mr. Bauer and his team. So that is what they did."

"And Jack is being held in some Chinese prison for no reason!"

"That's not entirely true, Miss Raines. Mr. Bauer did violate international law, but that's not what the Chinese government accused him of. They tried and convicted him for the murder of Qing Wangsia. As I said, Mr. Bauer is imprisoned for a crime he did not commit."

"What do you want to get out of this, Mr. Wai?" Audrey asked.

"I don't expect any reward, Miss Raines. Jack Bauer's trial and imprisonment is an injustice. As we speak, he is being tortured in Taiping Prison. That place is hell on Earth. It is a miracle that he's survived this long."

"Jack doesn't how to quit," Audrey said, tears swelling up in her eyes. "There's something in him that could never be broken. I'm going to take this to my father. But what do I tell him about you?"

"Your father already knows of me, Miss Raines," Hong told her. "I have been an American spy operating within my own government for three years. I cannot allow Cheng Zhi to punish an innocent man."

"Cheng Zhi," Audrey repeated. That name sounded familiar. She remembered. "The Security Director at the Chinese Consulate."

"He is a ruthless man, Miss Raines. He makes a mockery of what the People's Republic is supposed to stand for. And he must be stopped. Hurry, take that to your father immediately. He will know how to reach me." Hong Wai ended the call. Audrey wasn't worried about running late anymore. She grabbed her package and was determined to make it to the White House in record time.

THE WHITE HOUSE