7 A.M. - 8 A.M.
“24″
“7 A.M. - 8 A.M.”
Act One | Act Two | Act Three | Act Four | Act Five | End
The following takes place between 7 AM and 8 AM Eastern Standard Time on the day of the presidential inauguration:
FADE IN:
INT. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM COMMAND CENTER - HERNDON, VA
Everyone is rushing around frantically, trying to get the system back up and running.
JONG
What’s the status of the server?
DAVE
It’s still down…it looks like it might be a distributed denial of service attack…I’m running an egress filter now and I blocked all remote ports. Once we identify the infected computer we can remove it from the network and activate the hot backup…until we identify it there’s no way to get the server back up.
JONG
How long will it take?
DAVE
The scan should be done in about 20 minutes…if that successfully produces a result then we can have the hot backup up and running within the hour, but it’s going to be slow, and that’s assuming the attack has not spread and is only using one computer as a host.
JONG
That’s way too long…we’re going to have to ground all air traffic. Is there any way to transfer critical information to a backup server so that we can attempt to track the flights currently in the air?
DAVE
Yeah, Anna’s uplinking our data to NSA and to the regional control towers…thankfully, as of last check, the attack didn’t affect the offsite control towers.
JONG
Alright, I’ll alert the White House. Steph, any progress on identifying the source?
STEPHANIE
Not yet…until we identify the infected machine it’s going to be almost impossible to figure out what happened to it.
JONG
Alright, keep me posted.
INT. PENTAGON - E-RING - FLOOR 3 - CORRIDOR 5 - HALLWAY
Tony, who had been walking towards his office in corridor 8, turns around to see if Michelle is still there. When he doesn’t see her, he dials her number on his phone and starts walking back the way he came from.
TONY
Hey, it’s me…you in your office yet?
Split screen shows Tony walking down the hall and Michelle entering her office and sitting down at her desk
MICHELLE
Yeah, I just got here…why?
TONY
Can I stop in for a sec? I realized I forgot to tell you something earlier.
MICHELLE
Yeah, okay, come on over.
TONY
Alright, be there in a minute.
INT. WHITE HOUSE - OVAL OFFICE
President Logan is going over last minute inauguration details with Mike Novick when Jenny comes running in.
JENNY
Mr. President, I’m sorry to interrupt, sir, but I have an urgent message from DOD. The air traffic servers went down about 5 minutes ago…it looks like a denial of service attack and possibly an act of cyberterrorism.
The FAA estimates that it could be as long as an hour until they are back up and running and recommends temporarily grounding all commercial flights.
President Logan sighs.
LOGAN
Alright, tell them to go ahead and do that. Where is this coming from?
JENNY
DOD. I have Skip Taylor from the Secretary’s Office on the phone now. Should I put him on?
LOGAN
Yeah, patch him through.
JENNY
Yes, Mr. President.
LOGAN
Also, did you get a hold of Palmer?
JENNY
I was unable to reach him directly, sir, but I learned from his daughter that he has already been called by someone at DOD and is on his way…his plane was supposed to leave O’Hare about a half hour ago and was expected to land at National in just under two hours, although with the situation at ATCSCC all bets are off.
LOGAN
He’s flying commercial?
JENNY
Yes, sir…I believe that’s how he usually travels, unless Secret Service believes doing so poses a security risk.
LOGAN
Alright. Do you know who at DOD contacted him?
JENNY
No, sir. Would you like me to find out?
LOGAN
Yes, please. Find out who contacted him and what he was told.
JENNY
Yes, Mr. President. Anything else?
LOGAN
No, that’s it for now. Thank you.
Jenny walks off and Logan picks up the phone.
INT. PENTAGON - HALLWAY OUTSIDE MICHELLE’S OFFICE
Tony knocks on the door.
MICHELLE
Come on in.
He enters tentatively.
MICHELLE
(Concerned)
What’s going on?
TONY
Can I close the door?
She nods. He closes the door, walks over to her desk, and leans in next to her so can speak really quietly.
TONY
While I was walking to my office, I got a call from President Palmer.
MICHELLE
What did he say?
TONY
He said that he has reason to believe that someone knows Jack’s alive, and this may have something to do with Secretary Cummings’
suspicions about me.
MICHELLE
He thinks Cummings knows?
TONY
Possibly…apparently, Cummings was with him and President Logan the day we stopped the missile, and he’s pretty sure that Cummings was the one who ordered the Secret Service agent to kill Jack instead of taking him into custody.
MICHELLE
Oh my gosh…so…
TONY
Yeah. So I don’t know whether Cummings thinks Jack’s dead and distrusts me because he knows that I know information that could incriminate him, or whether he distrusts me because he knows Jack’s alive and knows I helped him escape, and if so, whether he knows about anyone else’s role. Palmer doesn’t know either…but the president summoned him back to Washington due to an urgent matter, so that can’t be a good sign. Have you had anyone act suspicious of you lately or noticed anything funny with your phone or your computer or anything?
MICHELLE
No, not that I know of. Should I call CTU and see if Chloe’s heard anything suspicious there?
TONY
Not yet…if Chloe’s already at work then she’s probably got something far more urgent to be dealing with, and calling her this early in the morning would look suspicious if anyone else picked up the phone. Wait until at least 11.
MICHELLE
Oh yeah…I forgot about the time difference. So what should we do?
TONY
Nothing for right now…the last thing we want to do is anything out of the ordinary that could arouse suspicion. Can you do me a favor though, and encrypt my phone? Palmer told me to call back from a secure line.
MICHELLE
Yeah, sure…it’s going to take me a little while…can I bring it to you when I’m done?
TONY
Call me first…one of us should bring breakfast or something also so it doesn’t look suspicious. I’ll go get you something from the cafeteria and then come back and get the phone.
MICHELLE
Okay.
He turns to leave, then backtracks after sticking his head out into the hallway and seeing that nobody was there. He closes the door again and takes something out of his pocket and hands it to her.
TONY
Look, just in case, I want you to carry this with you today.
He opens the case and she is shocked to discover a small gun.
MICHELLE
What the hell? Tony, are you crazy? If you know that people are already suspicious of you why the hell would you go out of your way to do something illegal? How did you even get this?
TONY
Relax, Michelle. It’s Jack’s…he deliberately left it in the car for me when we drove him to the train yard. Most people around here either don’t know my history or don’t know the law…the laws regarding restoration of the right to bear arms in the case of a presidential pardon are confusing and not well defined anyway…and the Pentagon is hardly a place where a little gun raises an eyebrow. Not that I’ve ever taken it out here before, before you bite my head off. Look, just take it, just in case, alright? It’s not illegal for you to have it.
MICHELLE
You mean you’ve been carrying this around? Damn it, Tony, why the hell would you risk…
Before she can finish her sentence, someone knocks on Michelle’s door. Panicked, she grabs the gun and shoves it in a drawer.
MICHELLE
Come in.
SAM ROTHBERG, the Chief Information Officer, walks in. Michelle is nervous, afraid that something looks suspicious about the scene, but Tony plays it cool, and her boss merely gives Tony a friendly nod and does not seem suspicious of anything, though he looks disturbed about something else.
TONY
Alright, I’m gonna take off…I’ll stop back later. Morning, Mr. Rothberg.
SAM
Good morning. Are you here on official business?
TONY
No, just stopped by to see if Michelle wanted anything for breakfast…heading to the cafeteria now. Can I get you anything while I’m there?
SAM
No, thank you, though.
Tony kisses the top of Michelle’s head and excuses himself. Sam waits until Tony is gone and then goes over and shuts her door.
MICHELLE
Late night last night, huh?
SAM
Indeed. And unfortunately, tonight might be another long one.
MICHELLE
Why? What’s going on?
SAM
A few minutes ago, there appears to have been a serious denial of service attack that is looking like an act of cyberterrorism.
MICHELLE
I don’t understand…I thought that’s what we were here until 2 in the morning trying to prevent. I wiped out the server with the information about the Edgewood facility and added another level of encryption to all of the data related to the inauguration…the only place to find the Edgewood information now is on this backup disk I made, and it hasn’t left my office.
She opens a locked drawer and hands him a CD-ROM.
SAM
This is different…this was on the server at the Air Traffic Command System Control Center. So far there is no evidence of a connection between this incident and the threat we were dealing with last night, though the there very well may be one. Here’s the thing: it hasn’t been confirmed, but according to Cummings, the FAA believes the attack may have been triggered from somewhere inside the Pentagon. So we need to do a scan of our systems…go through activity logs of every computer in the building and see if we can identify any suspicious activity. We also need to look for any vulnerabilities in our system and make sure all of our data is backed up and transferred to a secure server off the network. I need you to oversee these efforts and coordinate with the tech departments in each division as well as NSA and Langley.
MICHELLE
Alright, I’ll get on it right away.
SAM
Thank you. Please check in with me every 15 minutes and notify me immediately of any significant developments.
MICHELLE
Yes, sir.
INT. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER - HERNDON,
VA
STEPH
Jong, I think I have something.
Jong runs over.
STEPH
It looks like the attack was triggered from a computer inside the Pentagon…how could that be?
JONG
Are you sure?
STEPH
I think so…look here.
JONG
Yup, that’s definitely a Pentagon address. Alright, that means it’s one of the computers connected to the Pentagon server. Dave, disconnect servers A189 and A190 and see if you can activate the hot backup and get the rest of the servers running.
DAVE
Alright, I’m on it.
FADE OUT.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
FADE IN:
INT. PENTAGON - AUDREY’S OFFICE
AUDREY RAINES is sitting at her desk when she sees Tony walking down the hall, carrying a tray with fruit, a croissant, and pickles. She gets up and motions for him to come in.
TONY
Hey…what’s going on?
AUDREY
Not too much…just wanted to say hi…see if you’d heard any news on the transfer requests.
TONY
No, not yet…it’s going to take a while. In the meantime I’m just going to have to deal with having a scarlet “T” on my chest.
AUDREY
If it makes you feel any better, I talked to the other people at the meeting before my father and Cummings came back in…a lot of them already knew about your history, or had some idea, and everyone was pretty sympathetic.
TONY
Thanks, Audrey…I really appreciate that. Do me a favor, will you? If you happen to talk to Michelle, don’t mention what happened at the staff meeting the other day, alright?
AUDREY
You know she’s proud of you, Tony. You know that telling her about what happened the other day wouldn’t change that, don’t you?
TONY
Yeah, I know.
AUDREY
So why don’t you want her to know?
TONY
It’s just…it took Michelle a long time to work through all her guilt about…well, about everything. I don’t want her to know what happened the other day because I know she’ll blame herself, and I don’t want to make her feel bad.
AUDREY
Okay, well, don’t worry, I won’t say anything.
TONY
Thanks. So, uh, did you just want to see if I was okay or is there something else you wanted to talk to me about?
Audrey checks to make sure nobody is around and closes the door.
AUDREY
This morning Cummings called my dad to reiterate his concerns about you.
TONY
Let me guess…he said that I’m a traitor and my working for the DOD threatens the security of this country, right?
AUDREY
That’s not all. I couldn’t hear for sure…but I am pretty sure he said something about you helping a prisoner escape three years ago.
TONY
Three years? It’s been over four…
AUDREY
That’s my point, Tony.
TONY
Eh, he probably just got his facts wrong, though he sure seemed to have done his research when he recited my record loud enough for everyone to hear the other day.
AUDREY
That could be, but he also said something else. He claimed you’d been communicating with a Peruvian terrorist named Jose Rodriguez.
TONY
WHAT? I’ve never even heard of him. Is this some kind of a joke?
AUDREY
Unfortunately, I don’t think so. Look, I’ll back you up as best I can…do you have any idea what this could be about?
TONY
No…I thought he just didn’t trust me because of my record…you think there’s something bigger going on here?
AUDREY
Where’s your cell phone?
TONY
Michelle has it…I got a call with weird beeps this morning so she’s checking the encryption on it. Why?
AUDREY
No reason…I was going to suggest that you do the same thing.
She glances around to make sure nobody is nearby, then leans in and speaks to Tony in a tone barely louder than a whisper.
AUDREY
Look, Tony…I know.
TONY
You know what?
AUDREY
He called me. Three years ago, right after he escaped. We talked for less than a minute, so that he couldn’t be detected.
Tony looks shocked.
TONY
Wha…what did he say?
AUDREY
Not too much…he just wanted me to know that he was alive and he was sorry for everything and…
Her voice cracks slightly.
AUDREY
And to tell me that he loved me.
Tony nods sympathetically.
AUDREY
He suggested that I see if I could get my father to offer you his old job, which I think my dad was already planning on doing…he didn’t say where he was going…I don’t even think he knew.
Tony nods, still trying to process.
AUDREY
So now that you don’t have to worry about me finding out,
tell me - what do you think is going on?
TONY
I wish I knew. Whatever it is, it can’t be good. There have been several warnings the past few days that someone may be onto us.
AUDREY
What kind of warnings?
TONY
Yesterday Chloe O’Brien from CTU called Michelle to warn her that someone hacked into her hard drive and accessed the coroner’s report that she tampered with. This morning, President Palmer called me this morning and told me pretty much what you told me, and that Cummings was the one who ordered Jack killed.
AUDREY
Are you serious? Why am I saying that…it doesn’t surprise me. Did President Palmer say when he was supposed to get here?
TONY
He said in a few hours…he’s in Chicago…why?
AUDREY
I called him this morning, after I overheard my dad talking to Cummings. Jack told me that if I ever suspected anything was wrong I should call President Palmer and tell him people were getting suspicious of you.
Tony chuckles.
TONY
I guess Jack knew they’d use me to try to out him.
AUDREY
Yeah, I guess. I relayed the conversation to him and I am pretty sure he picked up the coded warning ‘come back to Washington in case there’s trouble’.
TONY
What did he say?
AUDREY
It took him a minute to process…he said that helping a prisoner escape was what you were convicted for. Then when he realized I had said three years instead of four he said he’d be on the next plane.
Tony sighs.
AUDREY
Look, I may be overreacting…maybe nobody knows anything…it could be Cummings is just afraid of you because he knows you were there when his hitman went after Jack.
TONY
Yeah, maybe. But the fact that Cummings talked about me helping a prisoner escape three years ago, given everything else we know…I don’t think he was talking about Stephen Saunders.
AUDREY
Somehow I don’t either…have you talked to him at all in the last 3 years?
TONY
No, not directly…I can’t…it’s too risky. When your father granted me a waiver to the Smith Amendment so I could get a security clearance,
some people on the committee that reviews those things were a little uneasy…so as a measure of good faith, he asked me to consent to undergoing a background check once a year for the first three years after getting the clearance. Since the process takes close to a year, it means I’m basically perpetually under investigation, and I was afraid that any communication with Jack would show up on the radar. Michelle talked to him a couple times and I wrote down stuff to say but that’s it.
AUDREY
So maybe he is just afraid of you and thus is making up stories about you communicating with terrorists to discredit you.
TONY
Yeah, I guess it wouldn’t be too hard.
AUDREY
Wow…so you have to undergo a background check once a year?
G-d, how can you stand that? It’s so intrusive…I can barely stand it every five years.
TONY
Eh, I guess it’s all relative. Four years ago I was in federal prison…three years ago I couldn’t find a job, I’d lost everything I cared about, and was just drinking and wasting my life away…now I have Michelle back and a child on the way, I’ve got a great job, and I feel like my life is worth something again. So having to undergo frequent background checks is a small price to pay.
Audrey nods.
TONY
Doesn’t mean I don’t grumble about it…I’d be lying if I said I never feel like I have a scarlet “T” on my chest. But overall, given everything I’ve gone through, I consider myself pretty lucky that things turned out the way they did. I’m really grateful for everything your father’s done for me, and when he asked me to agree to yearly background checks for a few years it seemed more than reasonable.
AUDREY
And a child on the way? Hold on, Tony…you never told me this.
TONY
Oops…I wasn’t supposed to say anything. We just found out a few weeks ago and she’s not really ready to start broadcasting it…she’s really nervous…so if you see her don’t tell her I said anything, ok?
AUDREY
Yeah, of course. Wow, congratulations, Tony! You must be really excited.
She gives him a hug.
TONY
Yeah…yeah, I am. He grins.
AUDREY
That’s great news…I’m really happy for you. Let me know when it becomes public knowledge so I can congratulate her, okay?
TONY
Of course. Anyways, I’d better go give her these pickles…she’s been craving them constantly…and get my phone back. Let me know if you find out anything new, alright? I’ll keep you up to speed as well.
AUDREY
Yeah, alright.
Tony turns to leave, then turns back around before opening the door.
TONY
So you’re telling me that Jack had less than a minute to talk to you, and he wasted part of it worrying about me?
AUDREY
Well, you did save his life twice that day, Tony.
TONY
Eh, alright, point taken.
INT. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER - HERNDON,
VA
DAVE
Alright, we’re back up!
Everyone cheers.
JONG
Did you activate the hot backup and disconnect the offending servers?
DAVE
No, I didn’t have to…I was about to, but suddenly the attack just stopped…I was able to unlock the system without having to disconnect anything.
JONG
It just stopped, just like that? Everything magically came back to life?
STEPH
From the logs here, it looks like the flooding slowed a few minutes ago and eventually died down.
JONG
This is really bizarre. Alright, everyone get back to work…make sure the monitoring systems are still in tact, and upload your data to NSA immediately, in case we have any more problems.
EXT. PENTAGON - CARPORT
Secretary Heller gets out of his car and walks toward the building, talking to the NSA director on the phone.
HELLER
(into phone)
No, he hasn’t been in any trouble since he started working for me…he’s incredibly dedicated and goes above and beyond what’s expected of him…between you and me, Cummings is being unreasonable…as far as I know he can’t be fired without cause…I made sure of that by changing the position from SES to career employee, but Cummings will make his life miserable. Yeah, I could offer him a spot in my company, and I may do that…but I know he’d enjoy working at Langley a lot more, and I think he’d be a real asset…please, just think about it…I’ll forward you his file and you can have a look. Thanks,
Pete…get back to me with the final inauguration assessment.
He hangs up his cell as he enters the building. Shortly after he sits down at his desk, Cummings walks in.
CUMMINGS
Mr. Secretary, I trust you’ve been briefed on the situation at Herndon.
HELLER
No, I don’t believe I have been…what’s the situation at Herndon?
CUMMINGS
About twenty minutes ago, the servers in the main air traffic control room all went down for over fifteen minutes. They just got it back up and running less than two minutes ago. They they believe it to be a denial of service attack, and their logs indicate that the attack was triggered from a computer inside the Pentagon.
HELLER
That’s strange…I just got off the phone with Pete at NSA,
and he didn’t mention anything about it. Have our logs confirmed this? Have we identified the login or the workstation from which the attack was triggered?
CUMMINGS
Rothberg’s department is doing that now. Mr. Secretary, I have everything under control. I am just filling you in as a courtesy, since your term officially lasts until noon and as far as I know you have yet to resign.
HELLER
(tersely)
I will turn in my resignation prior to the swearing-in at noon. Thank you for the courtesy. It sounds like you have everything covered,
so I’ll let you deal with this…I’m just here to clear out my desk and tie up some loose ends. But please keep me up to speed.
CUMMINGS
Of course.
Michelle is typing when she hears her phone beep. She sighs and looks around furtively before minimizing the specs on the air traffic servers and typing something.
ON SCREEN:
Building Access Cards This access card number has been previously used. Date Retired: 2006-03-17
A dialogue box gives her two options:
PICK ANOTHER NUMBER | REASSIGN CARD
She clicks the “REASSIGN CARD” button and presses “YES” when a confirmation box comes up. After the change is confirmed, she quickly exits out of the module and glances around before picking up her cell phone.
MICHELLE
(into phone, quietly)
You’re in.
She has just finished hanging up and is slightly startled when Tony knocks on the door.
MICHELLE
Come in.
TONY
Hey…you look frazzled…what’s going on?
MICHELLE
Yeah…there’s been an attack on the Air Traffic Control System Command Center and it looks like it originated from a computer inside the Pentagon…I’ve got to coordinate a building-wide scan of the activities of all the computers in the Pentagon and check our system for vulnerabilities…I’m sorry…I haven’t had a chance to look at your phone.
TONY
Hey, don’t worry about it…I’ll take it back for now and see what I can do with it.
MICHELLE
Okay.
TONY
I’m not due in for another half hour…in the meantime, can I do anything to help?
MICHELLE
Can you go get OSD up to speed on the situation and see if they need anything from me?
TONY
Yeah, I’ll get on it right away.
He puts the food down on her desk and trots off toward his own office. Brian, a network analyst who works with Michelle, walks in.
BRIAN
Here’s a log of the information retrieved from the air traffic server right before the outage. We have identified the login ID from which the virus was activated and have been able to narrow it down to the Eisenhower wing. We’re still working on identifying the workstation.
MICHELLE
Okay, thanks Brian. Get back to me when you find out anything else. In the meantime, I’m going to temporarily take us off the interagency network until we figure out what caused the breach in security. Can you run a building wide ip scan and shut down any anonymous connections?
BRIAN
Alright, I’m on it.
Brian leaves. Michelle looks at the report Brian handed her. When she gets to the second page, she freezes, a look of confusion and panic on her face. She blinks, staring at the page again to make sure she read right. Numbly, she places the report down and grips her desk for support.
CLOSE UP of the report:
Password: cubskickass
FADE OUT.
WRITTEN: 07:44:08
COMMERCIAL BREAK
WRITTEN: 07:47:31
BOX 1: Tony approaches his office and is grabbed by two Secret Service officers.
BOX 2: Michelle reads the memo and struggles not to cry.
BOX 3: Palmer on a plane heading towards DC
BOX 4: A RED VAN approaches the Pentagon.
end split - stay with box 2
Michelle reaches for the phone and dials a number, her hands shaking.
MICHELLE
Brian, it’s Michelle. Have we confirmed the login and time of the attack?
BRIAN
Yes, we’ve checked all of the logs and this matches up exactly with the logs at ATCSCC. We’re running an IP scan now to determine the workstation used to trigger the attack, and NIC just finished matching the login to a Pentagon employee.
MICHELLE
Do you know who it is?
BRIAN
No, they said they couldn’t say…the information has been forwarded to OSD…you can try calling and see if they’ll tell you.
MICHELLE
Alright. Also, can you call NIC to find out who else had access to that login information besides the user?
BRIAN
Yeah, how come?
MICHELLE
In my experience dealing with these kinds of attacks, I’ve never once seen an attacker who was stupid enough to do it from their own login…usually they use anonymous logins, or get access to someone else’s. So we need to find out who else had access to this login and password.
BRIAN
Alright, I’ll check with Zoe…she’s the one who handles that.
MICHELLE
Okay thanks. Get back to me when you have anything.
INT. NETOPS - PENTAGON
ZOE CLINGER, one of the network login and password managers,
looks at the report about the air traffic attack with her colleague, JEFF CHANG.
ZOE
That’s strange.
JEFF
What’s strange?
ZOE
I’m pretty sure this is the login that the new Secretary of Defense called about right before the attack.
JEFF
What did he say about that ID?
ZOE
He asked me to give it to someone…I forget the guy’s name…let me go check the sticky on my desk…I may be wrong…it may not even be the same login.
JEFF
Yeah, let me know what you find.
Zoe heads down the hall toward her office. When she gets there, she is shocked to discover a MASKED MAN waiting for her. Before she can say anything, the man GRABS her, TIES her up, and DRUGS her. She falls to the floor, and the masked man leaves.
CUT TO:
INT. OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
(OSD)
Cummings walks in, a smug look on his face and a stack of papers in his hand.
CUMMINGS
I don’t want to say I told you so.
He hands Secretary Heller the stack of papers.
HELLER
(annoyed)
What is this?
CUMMINGS
It’s a log of network user activity that connects Tony Almeida to this morning’s cyberattack on the air traffic controls.
HELLER
WHAT? How does it do that?
CUMMINGS
If you look at the second paragraph on the first page, you will see that the virus was activated from his login at approximately 6:58 AM.
HELLER
And they have confirmed that he actually logged on under his own name to carry out this attack?
CUMMINGS
Well, it’s his login id…so either he personally triggered the attack or he gave his access code to a terrorist, either one of which would render him guilty of conspiring and assisting terrorist activities against the United States. He’s already been taken into custody and will be questioned beginning shortly. Look, I’m sorry to have to be the bearer of bad news…I know you trusted Tony, and you honestly believed he could change…but I suppose this shows that in our line of work, you can’t be too careful in whom you hire.
HELLER
(resigned)
Well, I suppose maybe you were right. Maybe I made an error of judgment. I trust that you can continue to handle the case…let me know if you need anything from me.
CUMMINGS
Alright.
INT. PENTAGON - HOLDING ROOM 3
Two big, burly guards escort Tony in wearing handcuffs,
roughly shoving him into a chair. The scene is eerily familiar, eerily reminiscent of a scene four years earlier. Confusion and fear are evident on Tony’s face, and his expression becomes one of pure terror when Secret Service Agent DALE SPAULDING walks in. Tony gasps as he realizes he has met this man before.
SPAULDING
So we meet again, Mr. Almeida. I knew you were up to no good when you threatened to break your friend out of CTU three years ago, and I know you’re up to no good now. I don’t have a lot of time here, so forgive me if I skip the formalities and get right to the point. Who do you work for?
TONY
For Secretary Heller…for the DOD…what is this about?
Spaulding grabs Tony’s hair and slams his head on the table multiple times. Tony winces with pain.
SPAULDING
Now are you ready to tell me who you really work for?
TONY
I just told you. Look, I don’t know what’s going on. If I did something wrong just tell me.
SPAULDING
Don’t get cute with me, you understand?
He grabs Tony’s hair again and is about to start beating him when Tony’s phone rings. Spaulding grabs it and answers gruffly.
SPAULDING
What do you want?
Tony can hear Michelle’s frantic voice on the other end.
SPAULDING
No, you can’t speak to him. He’s a traitor to his country and this time he’s gonna pay. You’ll never speak to him again, do you hear me,
missy? He’s going away for life and this time your nigger friend isn’t in the White House to give him a get out of jail free card.
Tony starts squirming, trying to wrest free of his handcuffs and grab the phone. Realizing it’s hopeless, he starts yelling, hoping she’ll hear him in the background.
TONY
(yelling)
It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m okay…it’s just a misunderstanding. I don’t know why they’re holding me but it’s just a mistake…I love you…it’s gonna be okay, I promise!
At this point, Spaulding shoves something into Tony’s mouth to shut up. He starts choking and prays that she won’t hear. He can hear her plead with the guard not to hurt him until the guard mutters an obscenity and slams the phone down.
FADE OUT.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
FADE IN:
INT. PENTAGON - E-RING - FLOOR 3 - CORRIDOr 8
Audrey is walking down the hall when her cell phone rings.
AUDREY
This is Audrey Raines.
MICHELLE
Audrey, it’s Michelle. Do you have any idea what’s going on with Tony?
AUDREY
Well, he was in my office about 10 minutes ago, and then he said he was going to stop by your office to pick up his phone and bring you pickles. Did he not come by?
MICHELLE
No, he did, but then a few minutes later I got a report saying that the attack on the ATCSCC was triggered by a login that has to be Tony’s…the username was ta and a bunch of numbers and the password was cubskickass.
AUDREY
Yeah, that definitely sounds like Tony…have they confirmed it?
MICHELLE
I don’t know…I think they connected the username…I called him a few minutes ago and someone else answered his phone…it sounded like he was being interrogated…(She fights back tears)he said that I’d never see Tony again, that he’s a traitor and a criminal and he’s going away for life. I don’t know what they were doing to him but I think they were gagging him or something…I heard choking noises.
AUDREY
Yikes. Why…why would Tony do something like this?
MICHELLE
He didn’t…he couldn’t have…I was with him at the time of the incident, and he was nowhere near a computer…I’m waiting for security camera footage from DSS that will confirm this. But I’m afraid I won’t get it in time, and it will be too late…
AUDREY
What do you mean too late?
MICHELLE
Audrey, this isn’t going to make any sense to you, but I need you to trust me. I have reason to believe that Cummings is out to get Tony because…because Tony knows something that could be damaging to Cummings. Once he becomes Secretary…
AUDREY
Look, Michelle…I know what Tony knows, and I think you’re right.
MICHELLE
You…you know? How…
AUDREY
It doesn’t matter right now. Do you want me to talk to my dad?
MICHELLE
Yes, thank you…I’d really appreciate that, Audrey. Tell him he was with me at the time and that I am awaiting evidence to back me up.
AUDREY
Okay.
MICHELLE
See if you can get some of your colleagues to remember when they first saw him this morning. Tell your dad that I am more than willing to answer any questions and do whatever I can to help get to the bottom of this.
AUDREY
Alright, I’ll do the best I can. Let me know when you get the footage.
MICHELLE
Okay.
Michelle hears a beep on her computer. She is relieved to discover that the files she requested from the security camera have arrived.
MICHELLE
Hold on…I think it may have arrived.
She opens the first file, which shows her and Tony walking into the building around the time the attack took place. Next, she opens the one from her office, and is horrified when she sees him take out the gun and hand it to her.
MICHELLE
Oh damn it…I could kill him!
AUDREY
What’s wrong?
MICHELLE
I have the footage but I don’t think I can use it.
AUDREY
How come?
MICHELLE
Because Tony thought it would be a great idea to take out his gun and give it to me, and that’s on the security camera.
AUDREY
So what?
MICHELLE
Tony’s a convicted felon…it’s illegal for him to have a gun. He could go to jail for up to two years just for the possession of a firearm.
AUDREY
Didn’t he receive a presidential pardon? If so, he should have his rights restored, unless the president specified that he couldn’t have a gun.
MICHELLE
That’s what I thought, too. Most of his rights were restored…he can vote, he can serve on a jury, and I think he could even run for public office…but a few months after he got out of prison, he was going to go on a hunting trip with his father and brother…he went to get a new hunting rifle, and they ran a background check and said they couldn’t legally sell it to him because of his record.
AUDREY
That doesn’t sound right…was it a state law or federal law?
MICHELLE
I don’t know…
AUDREY
Why don’t I look into it? In the meantime, is there any other evidence I can use to make the case to my dad?
MICHELLE
I asked NetOps to check if anyone had requested else had requested Tony’s login info…Brian’s going to get back to me on that. They’re still trying to identify the workstation…when they do, if your dad authorizes it, we can have a forensics analyst try to get fingerprints from the keyboard.
AUDREY
Alright, hold off on the footage for now…burn it to a disc and have it ready. I’ll go talk to my dad and tell him you’re still waiting for the footage, and I’ll look into the gun law thing.
MICHELLE
Thanks Audrey…I really appreciate all this.
AUDREY
You don’t need to thank me…it’s the least I can do.
CUT TO:
SPAULDING
Look, Almeida, we have the proof we need to indict you for triggering the cyberattack on the Air Traffic Control Center this morning. We aren’t interested in plea bargaining…you’re probably going away for life. But maybe if you tell us who hired you to do it, we’ll let you say goodbye to your wife before you go.
TONY
Wait a second…you think that I triggered the worm that shut down the air traffic controls?
SPAULDING
We have proof that it came from your login. Now don’t play cute with me.
TONY
What kind of proof? I want to see it…I want to talk to a lawyer.
Spaulding responds by snorting. He picks up the phone and dials a number.
SPAULDING
(in phone)
Hey Fred, do me a favor. Go to E Ring, 3rd Floor, Corridor 3 and bring Michelle Dessler in here…No, don’t do anything to her, not yet…just bring her in here…I want her to watch me question her husband.
At this last sentence, Tony panics. He can take being gagged and beaten over the head, but the thought of Michelle seeing him in handcuffs again is too much to bear. Tears well up in his eyes as he opens his mouth.
TONY
Alright, alright, I’ll talk. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know…just please don’t bring Michelle in here.
Spaulding picks up the phone again.
SPAULDING
Hey Fred…hold off a second on picking up Michelle.
TONY
Alright. Here’s the deal…I hate the government. I’ve hated the government ever since they thanked me for all of my years of service to this country by putting me in prison. Ever since they put me in there, I’ve been plotting revenge. I decided to write a bug that would disrupt the ATCSCC
operations for a few minutes…nothing too malicious…I didn’t want anyone to die…I just wanted to create a little panic.
His eyes are filled with hatred as he says the next part.
TONY
I got the idea three years ago, the day you killed Jack Bauer.
SPAULDING
So you were acting on your own?
TONY
Yeah…nobody else even knew about it.
SPAULDING
Uh huh…so how do you explain the evidence connecting you to the Peruvian terrorist group Shining Path.
Spaulding shows Tony a piece of paper that leaves him speechless.
FADE OUT.
WRITTEN: 07:53:59
COMMERCIAL BREAK
FADE IN:
Audrey walks in to talk to her father, but stops short when she sees him talking to Cummings.
CUMMINGS
You asked me to keep you updated, so I am. Tony Almeida just confessed to triggering the worm…he claims that he wrote the code and executed the plan himself, out of spite for the government for putting him in prison and for what happened to Jack Bauer.
Heller looks surprised.
CUMMINGS
His story may not hold up, however, when viewed in conjunction with the evidence of his ties to Shining Path. Agent Spaulding is questioning him further in an attempt to determine if there is any connection between this morning’s attack and the intelligence network ops got last night about a possible cyberattack on the Edgewood facility this afternoon.
HELLER
And I trust that the agent questioning Tony is acting within the framework of DOD policy on interrogations of American citizens?
CUMMINGS
Of course.
HELLER
Alright, let me know if you find out anything new.
Audrey, who had ducked out of sight as soon as she saw Cummings in her father’s office, steps into an empty office and frantically calls Michelle.
intercut with:
MICHELLE
Hey, Audrey, what’s going on? Did you talk to him?
AUDREY
No…I went in there to talk to him but I overheard him and Cummings talking. Cummings was saying that Tony admitted to doing it. He claims he acted on his own and did it because he’s angry at the government, but they know he’s lying and they’re trying to figure out who hired him to do it They think it was Shining Path. Supposedly they have some sort of record connecting him to them.
MICHELLE
Oh my g-d.
AUDREY
What?
MICHELLE
This has to be some sort of a trap to get him to talk.
AUDREY
So you think he’s taking responsibility for the attack so he doesn’t have to disclose…
MICHELLE
Yeah, he must be…why else would he take the fall for it?
AUDREY
Hold on one second. I have another call…it’s the guy I called about the gun laws.
MICHELLE
Okay.
AUDREY
Hello, this is Audrey…okay…so it was just in California…there’s no federal law? Okay, thank you very much.
She presses a button on her phone to switch back to Michelle.
AUDREY
Michelle, you still there?
MICHELLE
Yeah.
AUDREY
Okay, good news. Tony can legally carry a gun…the dealer in California must have made a mistake. So you can bring the footage and you don’t have to worry about Tony getting in trouble for carrying a gun. I’m going to go talk to my dad…can you meet me outside his office in a few minutes with the footage? I’ll bring that in when I talk to him.
MICHELLE
Yeah, I’ll be right there.
She hastily ejects the CD-ROM from her computer and picks up the phone.
MICHELLE
Brian, this is Michelle. I need to step out for a little while to brief the Secretary…where are we on the workstation?
BRIAN (O.S.)
No, not yet.
MICHELLE
Okay, get me on my cell as soon as you identify it. Also, did you find out if anyone else requested the login?
BRIAN (O.S.)
Still working on it…
MICHELLE
Okay, thanks…keep me updated as soon as you get anything.
Hopefully I won’t be too long but this may take a while.
Michelle hangs up and glances at her watch, then grabs the CD and runs down the hall towards Corridor 8.
As she approaches, right before she enters the corridor whera Audrey is waiting for her, she is GRABBED by a MASKED MAN who is covered entirely in black.
The masked man covers her mouth and drags her away.
FADE OUT.
WRITTEN: 08:00:00
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