Hi readers!
Sorry this took SO long to update, I promise I won't be this late in the future! !
I don't own 24.
Enjoy :D
Chapter Nine:
As Michelle continued to lead Ayesha down the corridor towards M5, the emergency lighting started to flicker and fade, before the hallway was only lit by small red lights lining the walls.
"Wow," Ayesha commented "This place could really do with a makeover. Your electrics are rubbish."
At this point, Michelle had heard enough.
"What is your problem?" she almost shouted, glowering at the irritating woman.
Feigning an innocent expression, she replied "I don't have a problem. It looks like you have a problem with me though."
Deciding on honesty, Michelle retorted "Yes, as a matter of fact I do. I am one of the senior officers at CTU, and you won't tell me why you want to see Tony."
Ayesha smirked "Why are you so protective of him?"
Fuming with rage, Michelle snarled "Because he's my husband!"
Much to her shock and fury, Ayesha giggled.
"That makes sense! Oh, this is SO much better than I thought it would be!" She threw her head back as she let out a hysterical laugh.
This last sentence confused Michelle. "What do you mean?"
Her question was answered when Ayesha retrieved a gun from her small handbag, pointing it at Michelle's head.
"You better take me to Tony Almeida now, unless you want the new wall decorations to be your brain."
"Jack!" Curtis called from near the main entrance to the building.
Seeing CTU security guards next to Curtis, Jack headed over to see what was happening.
"Excuse me sir," one of the security men said "This man tried to enter the building without his key-card. Yet one of the computer analysts told me that he saw, before the power outage, that he had already logged in."
Processing the new information through his brain, Jack concluded "So, now we know that the intruder stole your card to gain access to CTU. Is there anyone who has recently had the chance to take it?"
Curtis frowned, running through the events of the day one at a time.
"Yeah. There was this woman, she was really strange, and there was a definite chance that she could have stolen something. Tanned skin, dark hair, she also had a peculiar way of talking. Emphasising words." He proceeded to explain her appearance, yet Jack had frozen.
Tanned skin, dark hair, strange, emphasising words.
He knew who the intruder possibly could be, for he had met someone of the description before, and couldn't help but hope he was wrong.
Michelle reluctantly opened the door to M5, Ayesha's gun still pointed at her head.
Edgar, Chloe and Tony turned when they heard them, as both Michelle and Ayesha entered.
"If you have any weapons, now would be a good time to give them to me. Or she dies" Ayesha added for effect.
"If you dare such as lay a finger on her..." Tony threatened, voice shaking slightly.
She laughed "Or you'll what? Make me pay for what I've done? Even if you kill me, plans have been set in motion, and there is no way to stop them."
"I know you from somewhere." He stated; more of a statement than a question.
The grey paved room was desolate, besides a few storage containers. Even with no threat in sight, he still held his gun raised in case of danger. He kicked open the door that led to the next room.
Inside was a desk supporting a computer monitor, showing several pages of information, some encrypted.
As he was about to contact CTU on the communications device near his ear, a voice said "Give me the earpiece, and any weapons you have, or I'll shoot."
He turned around slowly, yet not dropping his gun. The woman, who had black hair, dark eyes and tanned skin, held an armed rifle in her hands, aimed at his head.
They circled each other cautiously, contemplating who was going to shoot first, before someone behind him spoke.
"She said put the gun down."
The resounding click of a gun being armed echoed around the room.
At this point he didn't know whether to turn and face the second threat, or focus on the first.
Coming to an alternative, he dropped his gun. The second woman walked towards the other, handgun still aimed at Tony.
She also had dark hair, yet her skin was pale rather than the other woman's light brown.
"Nice of you to show up Mandy," The tanned woman greeted, before adding "Have you got it?"
Mandy nodded, taking a bulky silver box from her shoulder bag "Do you really think I'd come here without it, Ayesha?"
Taking the object from the newcomer, Ayesha prised the lid off the container, revealing its contents.
Inside were thousands of wires with a variation of colours from blue to yellow that were all connected to a small screen which read 3:46. The neon red numbers were counting down all too quickly.
Tony searched through all the possible solutions, yet most ended in death, or severe injury. He couldn't run, for Mandy and Ayesha were blocking the only exit.
For a few seconds, he considered the options, deciding on the one that would save the most lives... even if it didn't include his own. His mind automatically drew to Michelle. At least she'd be safe.
The women continued to converse in hushed tones, until Jack's voice sounded through the communications device.
"Tony, have you found anything?"
The two women spun around, both guns raised in his direction.
Ok, he thought This is it.
Mandy shook her head, signalling him to say no.
"No. Not yet anyway. Have you-" He paused, before mentally scolding himself. He had as little as two minutes left; the least he could do was get Jack out of the building.
"What?" came Chloe and Jack's replies, sounding concerned.
"Jack, get out of here now! There's a bomb in the south-west corner of the warehouse!"
After he said this, Ayesha and Mandy immediately sprinted from the room, slamming the door in the process. There were only fifty two seconds left on the constantly ticking timer.
"How far away are you from the explosive?" Jack asked urgently.
Tony glanced at the bomb, the numbers of the screen becoming less and less.
"I'm only a metre or two away."
Walking over to the door, he turned the handle even though he knew it wouldn't open. Sure enough, Ayesha and Mandy had spared time to lock it before they had scarpered.
"What? Why? Get out of there!"
"I can't. The door won't open." He sighed.
Tony could almost hear Jack say "Dammit!" under his breath, and couldn't help but nearly laugh. He always said that. In every bad situation you could hear "Dammit!" in the background.
Why am I thinking about this now?He thought exasperatedly I have around thirty seconds to live and I'm thinking about the word 'Dammit'!
He hardly heard Chloe talk about the bomb disposal unit that was on their way.
The only thing important to him now was conveying a message to Michelle. What would he say? 'I love you more than anything in the world'? - 'I'll miss you even in death'? Or tell her to look up Mandy and Ayesha on the CTU database?
Making an on-the-spot decision, he made up his mind "Jack... Tell Michelle-"
0:03, 0:02, 0:01, 0:00.
"You... You are..." he said whilst attempting to blink away the blurriness from the sides of his vision.
Before he could finish, the door burst open revealing Jack and Curtis, both holding guns of their own that were aimed at Ayesha.
"Shoot me, and she dies!" she declared, pressing her gun to the side of Michelle's head.
Tony couldn't bare seeing Michelle on the verge of terrified tears.
Taking the opportunity whilst Ayesha's attention was directed at Jack and Curtis, he ran forward when she was facing them, before punching her in the face with all the force he could manage. Her nose snapped satisfyingly as she fell to the floor, dropping her gun in the process.
Immediately, he wrapped his arms around Michelle in an embrace. Newly shed tears fell onto his shirt, yet he didn't care. All that mattered to him was the person in his arms.
Meanwhile, Jack had handcuffed Ayesha to a pipe on the wall. Surprisingly, she giggled hysterically.
"Well, well. Jack Bauer! Long time, no see!"
What did you lot think?
Don't worry! This is nowhere near the end! !
Plleeaassee review!
:D