2:24
.
President Bartlett is informed of the situation. He knows that CTU needs an answer, and quick. Vice-president Hellar and secretary of state Vinick give him their best counsel.
.
Hellar: This isn't a good situation, but we have to consider the best bad option.
Vinnick: You mean let them murder Americans?
Hellar: Bauer could sell his cover to the terrorists, and they'd lead us to the remaining nerve gas.
Vinnick: That assumes that Omar and Navi don't release them one at a time, they could bring Bauer to one at a time.
Hellar: Once Bauer establishes his credibility they will want all the codes. Mr president, I know this isn't easy.
Vinnick: It is illegal and we have no right to do it.
Hellar: We knew there could be collateral damage if we made this alliance with Sangala.
Vinnick: We also agreed to do whatever we had to do to stop future attacks.
Hellar; And that's what we'll do. We'll either have to live with one 9/11, or nineteen.
.
As Bartlett contemplated his decision teenage Jennifer completes her shift at "pizza time" at the local mall food court. Her boyfriend Mark is here to celebrate the two of them having the rest of this weekend off. They plan to get some burgers, while deciding what movie to see later. The two of them see a child's birthday party as their chaperone hands the children balloons, and a middle-aged couple drag their son to buy shoes for their son. All of these people are merely going about their business because none of them know that terrorists they've never met have chosen this mall as their target, or that their president is deciding whether their lives are less important than others. Tony Almeida follows them from a distance, and hopes that president Bartlett makes the right choice. Finally he gets a call from George Mason.
.
Tony: What's his choice?
Mason: He says we need to stop as many cannisters as possible. Jack is to give them the real code for this cannister. It's 837, I'm sorry. I don't like the situation anymore than you do.
.
2:32