Act Four
“24″
“2 P.M. - 3 P.M.”
FADE IN: SUPER: EXT. 6TH & E STREETS
A black CTU vehicle pulls out of a parking garage and starts driving.
MATCH CUT TO:
EXT. 6TH & E STREETS / INT. VEHICLE
CHASE
(on phone)
Alright, I got a schematic of the garage…we can have teams at both entrances and on the roof.
JACK (O.S.)
Negative. We need to be discreet. He wanted Audrey to come alone…if he sees CTU he may run.
CHASE
Alright, how do you want to play it?
MATCH CUT TO:
EXT. 16TH STREET NW - CONTINUOUS
Jack is standing outside the vehicle looking around while talking to Chase.
JACK
I want as many vehicles with tinted windows as you can spare inside the garage, but they have to enter separately and make sure they look parked and empty. And I want you to station a team in the AFL-CIO driveway across the street…make it look like you’re part of their security apparatus.
CHASE (O.S.)
Alright, got it.
JACK
Did you get a feed of the garage’s surveillance cam?
INTERCUT:
CHASE
Scott’s working on that now. We’ve got satellite coverage in place, and Mollie’s doing a thermal scan of the building now.
JACK
Alright. I want Tony to run point.
CHASE
What about the Secret Service? Are they going to be on site too?
JACK
I’m working on it…I’m not going to give them our location until I can get the President to put them under my command…otherwise I’m afraid they’ll compromise our covert positions.
CHASE
Aren’t they going to notice that Audrey’s missing?
JACK
Mike’s covering for her until he can update the President…he’s going to tell them she’s in the Counsel’s office. How soon can you get here?
CHASE
Five minutes.
JACK
Alright, I’ll see you then.
BACK TO:
EXT. 16TH STREET NW / EXT. VEHICLE - CONTINUOUS
Jack hangs up and his phone rings again.
JACK
This is Bauer.
HELLER (O.S.)
JACK, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?
JACK
Sir, I know you’re angry, and I’m sorry I had to go behind your back on this. But Audrey believes the guy she’s meeting may have information that could help us find your son and get to the bottom of all this.
JUMP CUT TO:
INT. WHITE HOUSE - CONTINUOUS
HELLER
You knocked out a Secret Service agent, hijacked a government vehicle, and put my daughter in a potentially dangerous situation…I’m beyond angry. I’m sending Secret Service to pick up Audrey and I’m having you arrested.
BACK TO:
EXT. 16TH STREET NW / EXT. VEHICLE - CONTINUOUS
JACK
No you won’t, sir. Because if you do that, you will not only compromise our position, you’ll create a public spectacle that would put Audrey in more danger. After this is over, I will turn myself in, but right now, if you want to protect her, you’ll call Secret Service now and put them under my command so I can position them covertly.
BACK TO:
INT. WHITE HOUSE - CONTINUOUS
Heller sighs angrily and turns to Mike.
MIKE
Sir, I don’t think you have a choice but to go along with him right now.
HELLER
Fine. But if anything happens to her, I will have your head.
BACK TO:
EXT. 16TH STREET NW - DAY - CONTINUOUS
JACK
She’s going to be safe, I promise.
HELLER (O.S.)
How do you know that, Jack? How can you know this isn’t some kind of a trap?
JACK
I don’t, sir. But if it is we’ll be prepared.
HELLER
‘We’ll be prepared’ isn’t good enough, Jack. We’re talking about my little girl here.
Jack walks away from the car and takes a deep breath.
JACK
With all due respect, sir, I had to bury the woman I loved once. I’m not going to do it again.
CUT TO:
INT. CTU WASHINGTON/BALTIMORE - CONTINUOUS
SCOTT
Alright, I got a feed of the surveillance cam.
SUSAN
How long before our teams are on site?
SCOTT
Less than five minutes.
The phone rings. MOLLIE LANGDON answers it.
MOLLIE
CTU, Langdon. Alright, what’s your frequency? I’ll get it set up now.
She hangs up and turns to Susan.
MOLLIE
Secret Service is on board…they want to hook up to our COMM-SAT so everyone’s on the same system.
SUSAN
Alright, get that set up now. Make sure they understand the chain of command.
MOLLIE
Yes, ma’am.
INT. PARKING GARAGE / INT. VEHICLE - CONTINUOUS
JACK
Did you get a hold of Tad?
AUDREY
Yeah. He’ll be here in a few minutes.
JACK
How are you feeling?
AUDREY
I’m…I’m a little scared.
JACK
I don’t blame you. Are you sure you want to do this?
AUDREY
I don’t have a choice, Jack. These terrorists kidnapped my brother, and there’s every indication that they’re planning further attacks. If people die and there’s a chance I could have done something to prevent it I could never forgive myself.
Jack nods.
AUDREY
I realize now that’s probably what drives you to extremes.
JACK
Something like that, yeah.
AUDREY
I guess I never really understood that until now.
JACK
How could you? You’d never had to make these kinds of decisions.
AUDREY
Yeah.
JACK
I’m sorry about what I said earlier. I was way out of line.
AUDREY
No, you weren’t…like you said before, you didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know…that’s why it stung so much. I’ve spent the last three years feeling guilty about the way I treated you that day. You saved my life and all I could do was criticize and question you.
JACK
Audrey, you’d been to hell and back that day. Anyone in your situation would have reacted the same way. You had every right to be angry with me.
AUDREY
That doesn’t make it okay.
Chase knocks on the window. Jack motions for him to get in the car. He climbs into the back.
JACK
Hey…thanks for getting this together so fast.
CHASE
No problem. Here’s your COMM unit.
JACK
Alright, thanks. Do you have something for Audrey?
CHASE
Yeah, right here.
He turns leans forward and turns to Audrey, handing her a little box.
CHASE
These are earrings with a bug inside…we should be able to hear anything you say, and it should be strong enough to hear what he’s saying, but try to repeat as much as you can just in case.
Audrey nods and puts the earrings on.
JACK
Will she be able to hear what we’re saying?
CHASE
No. I can give her an earpiece, but if I do that Tad will know she’s not the only one he’s talking to.
JACK
Have someone at CTU be set up to call Audrey in a second’s notice…I want the number punched in and ready to be dialed. As soon as I give Secret Service Team A the order, call Audrey’s cell phone, and a Secret Service vehicle should be there before she has time to answer it.
CHASE
Alright.
JACK
Listen, Chase, the president put Secret Service under my command but they still have first priority in terms of operational objectives. Ensuring Audrey’s safety takes priority over any investigative objectives. That’s direct from the president.
CHASE
I understand. I’m going to get out of sight before he gets there.
JACK
Make sure your teams understand that they only move in on my order.
CHASE
They understand. Secret Service is on board too…here’s a diagram of where everyone’s stationed.
JACK
Alright, thanks. Now get out of here.
Chase runs back to his car and drives to the bottom of the ramp.
TONY (O.S.)
A red sedan just entered the garage.
AUDREY
That’s him…he said he’d be driving a red car.
JACK
Alright. You have your panic button?
AUDREY
Yeah.
JACK
I want you to promise me that you’ll push it the second you feel the least bit uncomfortable, okay?
AUDREY
Okay.
A red car pulls up. Audrey trembles a little, and Jack can tell how nervous she is as she turns to go. She turns around briefly and opens her mouth to say something, then loses her nerve.
JACK
What’s wrong?
AUDREY
Nothing…I’m fine…I’ve got to go.
She turns back around and walks toward Tad. Jack turns on his COMM unit.
JACK
Alright, I have a visual. Tony, do you have it on screen?
TONY (O.S.)
Yeah, I can see her walking toward the other car.
JACK
Chase, do you copy?
CHASE (O.S.)
Yeah, I have it on my screen.
FOLLOW
Audrey to Tad’s car.
TAD
Audrey! Glad you could make it.
AUDREY
What’s going on, Tad?
TAD
Not so fast…I want some assurances that you’re not going to report me to the authorities first.
AUDREY
Uh uh. You promised that you would give me the information if I met you here. That was the deal.
CHASE
Jack, he’s giving her the runaround. Should we move in?
CUT BACK TO Jack, who is watching the exchange closely from the passenger seat of the car.
JACK
Not yet. Give her a little more time to see what she can get from him.
SPLIT SCREEN:
Audrey talks to Tad in one box and Jack watches the conversation in the other.
AUDREY
Tad, if you don’t start talking soon I’m going to press my panic button, and Secret Service will be here to arrest you faster than you can say slimeball. So quit giving me the runaround and tell me what you know.
Jack looks impressed.
TAD
Fine. About a year and a half ago, I was approached by someone from President Logan’s reelection campaign who asked me to see what I could find that could be used to embarrass your father…this was back when there was talk of him mounting a primary challenge to Logan.
AUDREY
So what did you tell them?
TAD
I told them about you and Jack Bauer, and they told me to find more information on your brother, both his political activities and his sexual orientation.
Audrey grits her teeth.
AUDREY
Go on.
TAD
So I hired this guy to go undercover as a peace activist who was part of Southern Californians for a Peaceful Future. I thought I was spying on him for political leverage…I had no idea this was part of some terrorist conspiracy…you have to believe me.
AUDREY
Who did you hire to spy on my brother?
Tad hands Audrey a piece of paper.
TAD
His name is Trevor McLane…here’s everything I have on him.
She looks at the piece of paper.
AUDREY
So Trevor McLane’s a student at USC like my brother?
TAD
Yeah, at least that’s what he told me. He had just transferred there from San Diego State…he was an active CR at his old school, but he went by his first name, Michael…Trevor’s actually his middle name, but that’s what your brother knows him by.
CUT TO:
INT. CTU WASHINGTON/BALTIMORE - CONTINUOUS
Tony plugs Trevor’s name into the search module on the laptop he is using.
JACK (O.S.)
Tony, do you copy?
TONY
Yeah. I’m running the name through the database now. What’s a CR?
JACK (O.S.)
I have no idea.
AUDREY (O.S.)
CR as in College Republican?
TONY
(chuckling)
She knows us too well.
BACK TO:
INT. PARKING GARAGE - CONTINUOUS
AUDREY
What about the footage from CTU? Who sent that to you?
TAD
I…I don’t know.
AUDREY
It just appeared in your inbox one day?
TAD
Pretty much.
AUDREY
So do you have any idea where my brother is?
TAD
No, but I have something that might help you figure out who took him.
AUDREY
I’m listening.
TAD
If you breathe a word of this to anyone you will live to regret it.
AUDREY
What?
TAD
As you probably know, after the primary season I stopped being an active part of the campaign when I went to work for Votronix…the campaign didn’t want to create the appearance of a conflict of interest. What few people in the campaign knew was that my going to work for the company that manufactured the vote tabulation software used in Florida and several other states was part of a plan to make sure President Logan got reelected.
AUDREY
You rigged the election???
CUT TO:
INT. CTU WASHINGTON/BALTIMORE - CONTINUOUS
MOLLIE
Tony, I got a hit.
TONY
What do you have?
MOLLIE
It looks like this guy wasn’t just a College Republican at San Diego…according to what I have, it looks like he was skinhead. He was expelled from San Diego State after repeated complaints of harassment from gay and lesbian students.
TONY
Geez…do you have an address?
MOLLIE
Yeah, he lives on campus.
TONY
Alright, upload this to CTU Los Angeles…tell Curtis to get over there now.
MOLLIE
Got it.
TONY
Make sure they cross-reference his name with the leads they found at the warehouse.
BACK TO:
INT. PARKING GARAGE - CONTINUOUS
AUDREY
Did you write the code yourself?
TAD
Yeah, but here’s what’s strange…it was further modified after we distributed the software. The way I had it setup, it was supposed to ensure that Logan got one out of every 20 votes cast for Kaplansky…we estimated that would be enough to put Logan over the top without winning by enough to make people suspicious. But it got screwed up…instead of giving 1 of every 20 Kaplansky votes to Logan, it gave them to Peter Buckman. That’s why Florida was so close.
AUDREY
Who else had access to the code after you modified it?
TAD
I don’t know. But here’s what I have that may help you. R&D for the Votronix software was funded by a front corporation for the RNC…it was headed by a man named Christopher Yardley…he’s a well heeled businessman with radically reactionary political views who’s been involved in all kinds of shady dealings…I think he might be the one who’s been financing today’s events and trying to frame you for it.
AUDREY
What makes you say that?
TAD
It’s the only thing that makes sense.
AUDREY
Let’s just say you’re right for a second. Did you have some kind of epiphany and see the error of your ways and decide to contact me?
TAD
I thought I was helping President Logan get reelected. I had no idea until today that what I was related to an effort to assassinate him. I’m in way over my head…
AUDREY
So you came to me because you want my help getting out of this mess?
TAD
Look, I know we haven’t always been the best of friends…
BACK TO:
INT. CTU WASHINGTON/BALTIMORE - CONTINUOUS
Tony notices something on the thermal scan.
TONY
Chase, does CTU have anyone on the roof?
CHASE (O.S.)
Negative. We’re all in concealed positions.
TONY
Agent Sterling, does Secret Service have anyone up there?
STERLING (O.S.)
Negative.
TONY
Jack, we may have a hostile.
JACK (O.S.)
Roger that.
TONY
Mollie, has anyone entered or exited the building in the last 20 minutes?
MOLLIE
No, we’ve got it sealed off. They must have been there before.
TONY
Jack, I think you need to move.
CUT TO:
INT. PARKING GARAGE / INT. VEHICLE - CONTINUOUS
JACK
All teams, this is Bauer. Secret Service Team A, you have the go ahead. CTU, stand down until I give the order.
STERLING (O.S.)
Roger that.
BACK TO:
INT. PARKING GARAGE - CONTINUOUS
AUDREY
Fine, I’ll see what I can do. But the best thing you can do for yourself right now is to go to the authorities…
TAD
No way…if I do that…
Audrey’s phone rings before he can continue. She sees a Secret Service vehicle driving down the ramp.
AUDREY
I’ve got to go…I’ll talk to my dad and see what I can do.
CUT TO:
INT. JACK’S VEHICLE - CONTINUOUS
Jack stares at the vehicle coming down the ramp suspiciously.
JACK
Agent Sterling, do any of your vehicles have Virginia license plates?
STERLING (O.S.)
No, all the cars on this detail are DC.
Jack bolts out of the car and starts running toward Audrey. Someone gets out of the Secret Service vehicle holding a gun.
JACK
(screaming)
Audrey, get away from there!
Tad runs and ducks behind another parked car. Audrey turns around just in time to see Jack get shot in the arm and fall to the ground. Jack winces in pain as he fumbles around and manages to pick up his mouthpiece.
JACK
Secret Service, move in now. CTU, hold your positions, secure the exits.
Audrey drops her cell phone when she sees Jack get shot. She runs over to him and crouches down.
JACK
Audrey, take the keys and get in the car.
AUDREY
(not wanting to just leave him there)
Jack…
JACK
Audrey, go, NOW!
Trembling, she picks up the keys and runs toward the vehicle she and Jack came in.
SERIES OF SHOTS:
1) Secret Service agents swarm Audrey and herd her into a car.
2) Jack uses his good arm to pick up his gun and starts shooting at the hostile vehicle.
3) Audrey’s Secret Service detail starts driving down the ramp.
4) Chase and another agent watch from their vehicle as the Secret Service car exits the garage
STERLING (O.S.)
Liberty secure. I repeat, Liberty secure.
Jack is visibly relieved.
CUT TO:
EXT. PARKING GARAGE - CONTINUOUS
The Secret Service vehicle exits the garage and starts to pull away. Suddenly, a deafening noise is heard. Audrey screams in horror as she hears the explosion.
AUDREY
JACK!!!!!
She jumps out of the car and tries to run back into the garage but is restrained by Secret Service. Tears stream down her face as the vehicle drives away.
CUT TO:
INT. PARKING GARAGE - CONTINUOUS
A thick cloud of smoke blocks the scene of the explosion, making it impossible to see what has happened.
CUT TO:
EXT. ABANDONED WAREHOUSE - ARLINGTON, VA
A Hispanic man in his early 40’s is sitting in a beat up Chevy Cavalier waiting for someone, looking nervous. A long black limousine pulls up, and CHRISTOPHER YOUNG, a bald white man in his mid-50’s dressed in a business suit gets out and approaches the Chevy.
CHRISTOPHER
Are you Marco Almeida?
MARCO
Yeah, that’s me. Here…here’s the laptop.
He hands Christopher a briefcase. Christopher opens it, takes out the laptop, and sees a STICKER that reads “United States Department of Defense”.
CHRISTOPHER
Everything appears to be in order.
MARCO
Do you have the money?
Christopher hands him a metal briefcase. Marco opens it and sees $100 bills arranged neatly inside. They shake hands, and Christopher drives off.
FADE OUT.
03:00:00
Author’s Note: Thank you very much to everyone who gave me a record number of reviews last time. I am planning to continue this for the time being, and if I keep getting lots of reviews I will definitely be encouraged. 
I am trying my absolute hardest not to incorporate any of the real season 5 into my fic, but the producers keep stealing my ideas before I get to finish writing them. Still, I think this fic is safely spoiler free for people who have not seen season 5, though you may want to stay away from the reviews, as some of those contain s5 spoilers. Disclaimer: As usual, the characters you recognize don’t belong to me. MSNBC personality Chris Matthews is featured in this episode, but his actions and dialogue are purely fiction and should not actually be attributed to him.
Also, due to the correspondence between this episode and certain historical events, I would like to emphasize that this is purely the work of my imagination. While I question the legitimacy of the 2000 election, I am in no way implying that anything like this actually happened.
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