11:00 pm

The guards are surprisingly gentle with Kate, Chloe, and Belcheck. They are not treated like welcomed guest, but they also are not beaten or thrown around. They are led through a series of short hallways into a room secured with a keypad. After typing in the proper code, the guards lead them through the door into the small room.

The room contained only a small table and a couple wooden chairs. Chloe and Kate are invited to sit while Belcheck is chained to the table. To keep their cover, Chloe and Kate cooperate and take a seat next to each other across from Belcheck. Belcheck, however, resists slightly as they secure him. The table is solid metal and bolted to the floor, so Belcheck knows he’s not going anywhere easily.

The guards tell them to stay put for the time being. Kate, Chloe, and Belcheck are then left alone.

For a moment, none of them speaks. Just as Chloe opens her mouth, Kate cuts her off.

“They probably have surveillance in this room,” Kate whispers.

There can be no discussion of their plan or possible strategies. They each take time to look around the room to soak in their environment. There are no windows in the room. The only ventilation is a small four by twelve inch vent near the floor. It appears that the door can only be opened using the keypad. The single light above the table paints the grim circumstance they find themselves in.

In her mind, Chloe begins to question whether they should have tried this. Of course, it’s too late now. Now they just have to hope that the rest of the plan works out.

11:05 pm

Pavel angrily follows Katya’s orders to turn down the small street. It had been a while since they left the other vehicles behind. Now, in this small neighborhood on the edge of the city, Pavel’s heart rate remains high. He is unsure of what to make of Katya – if that’s even her real name.

“Where are you taking us?” Pavel asks. It isn’t the first time – he’s asked this several times, only to receive no definite answer.

“Don’t worry,” Katya answered. “We’re almost there.”

She looks in the back seat. Seminov is still tied and gagged, although Katya is sure that he has been trying to loosen the knots to get free. He simply stares back at her, glaring into her eyes.

“Don’t worry, you two,” she says. “I have no intention of hurting either one of you.”

“Then why don’t you put the gun away?” Pavel throws back at her.

“While I don’t intend to hurt you,” she calmly answers, “I still need to assure cooperation so I can carry out the rest of my responsibilities.”

They drive slowly down the street, passing several older houses. Some of the houses have a single light on, but most of them are completely dark.

“Stop here,” Katya says, pointing a house on the left side. “Turn into that driveway.”

Pavel turns into the driveway and puts the car into park.

“Now we get inside,” Katya. “Get out of the car and open his door.”

Pavel opens his door and steps out. Katya gets out of her door as well, keeping the gun aimed at her two hostages. Seminov’s door is opened and he steps out.

“Take him inside,” she says to Pavel.

“What are we doing here?” Pavel asks.

“Let’s get inside first,” she replies, “then I’ll tell you what’s going on.”

Katya tosses Pavel a key, and he grabs Seminov by the arm, pulling him to the front door. He puts the key in the lock and turns it.

After they get inside, Katya locks the door and tells them to sit on the couch. She pulls her cell phone out and dials a number.

“I’m at the house now,” Katya tells the person on the other side of the phone. “I have two with me. One was working with Lebedev. The other was captured when we got Bauer.”

Katya continues to keep her gun trained on the two on the couch. Soon, she hopes, they would cooperate, and the gun would be unnecessary to move forward.

“I’ll see you soon, then.” Katya hangs up the phone and puts it back in her pocket.

“So, what’s going on, then?” Pavel asks.

“Well,” Katya took a seat in the chair across from the couch, “the obvious thing is that I don’t work for Lebedev. I’ve been working undercover for a couple years with a goal to find Jack Bauer.”

“The person on the phone,” Pavel starts, “that’s who you’re working for? Who is it?”

“She’s on her way here now,” Katya answers. “All we are looking for is Jack Bauer. Nothing more. I almost had him until Suvarov had Lebedev take him away. Now we need to get him from Suvarov. Can I expect your help?”

“Do we really have a choice?” Pavel asks.

“You do, but the alternative isn’t really ideal. I’ve tried to show that you can trust me. If we can work together, you’ll be free to go when we have Bauer.”

11:11 pm

The hallways are poorly lit, which is an advantage to Elizabeth. Sneaking inside the building was a little challenging, but they didn’t run into any guards yet. She begins to wonder how many are actually in here – it seems sparse, but it could just be because of how late it is.

She stops just before a bend in the hallway. She can hear voices around the corner.

“Sir,” one voice says, “there are three of them. Two claim to have captured the third one.”

“Why is that important to me?” Elizabeth could tell that the voice belongs to Suvarov.

“Well,” the man continues, “they say that the man has been working with Jack Bauer.”

“Bauer?” Suvarov questions. “Why are they here? I already have Bauer.”

“I’m not sure, sir.”

“Find out. We don’t need loose ends this close. Find out what they know and what they want.”

“Yes, sir!” The click of the man’s heels echoes in the hallway.

Elizabeth whispers to her driver, who had been hiding with her in the trunk, “Quick, Anton, hide in this room.”

Right behind them is an empty room. The darkness of the room turns out to be enough to hide them as the Russian guard walks by.

11:18 pm

“President Putinov?”

The Russian president looks up from his desk at his aide standing in the doorway. He is holding some papers in his hand, reaching them toward Putinov.

“Bring them here, Serge,” Putinov answers. “Did you find anything out?”

“His name is Jack Bauer,” Serge says, passing the papers to the president. “It seems that he has a long, complicated history, both with our country and his.”

“Get me President Hayworth now,” Putinov orders as he scans the documents.

Jack Buaer’s photo is clearly on the top page – an easy match with the face in the surveillance video. His official dossier summarizes his record with the military and United States government. At the top of the second page, it states that he had once been charged with the attempted assassination of the former Russian president, Yuri Suvarov, in New York City. Right under that charge, it states that Bauer received a Presidential pardon six months earlier for this and other charges from that incident.

Putinov’s memory vividly remembers that time. He had been a general of the army when that happened. Although he wasn’t part of the pursuit of Buaer after that incident, he heard many stories about how Buaer was able to escape into hiding. He never pursued Bauer during those years because, based on the information he had, it seemed that Bauer had been justified because of Suvarov’s involvement in the assassination plot of the IRK president. Six months ago, he remembers hearing rumors about Bauer being seeing in London, but he never had confirmation of it.

Now, here he is looking at surveillance with Jack Bauer, armed, rushing into a building near the latest bombing. Perhaps he was wrong in not pursing Bauer earlier. He doesn’t know what to believe, but he knows that his safety and that of the Russian people demanded that action be taken.

“Here’s the president.” Serge passed the phone to Putinov.

“Mr. President,” Putinov starts, “I just received some disturbing information. It seems that an American was seen near the bombing site. We have checked and indentified him as Jack Bauer.”

11:25 pm

“This better be worth my time,” Suvarov says.

“I’m sorry, sir,” the guard affirms. “They insisted that they talk to you. They say they have vital information that could help.”

“What about the video?” Suvarov asks. “Does it show anything suspicious?”

“They’ve just been sitting there,” replies the guard, “except when we tried to question them to get the information.”

The door to Chloe, Kate, and Belcheck’s room is guarded by an additional two men. Suvarov orders them to open the door, an order which is quickly obeyed. Two of the guards enter the room first, followed by Suvarov.

“So I hear that you have something that you have to tell me,” Suvarov says impatiently.

“We can tell only you,” Kate insists.

“They’ve been checked for weapons,” one guard says.”They’re clean.”

“Very well,” Suvarov says. “Leave us.”

The guards comply with the order and shut the door after they exit. Suvarov looks at each one of them, waiting for an answer.

“It’s about Jack Bauer,” Kate finally says. “He’s been tracking you.”

“Oh, really?” Suvarov says, almost laughing. “How has he been tracking me?”

“He planted someone in your group,” Kate continues. “A man named Lebedev.”

“Ha!” Suvarov replies. “Lebedev has been working for me for years. Bauer didn’t even know anything about me? I have him in the other room, secured.”

“You should know how deceitful Bauer is,” Kate says, trying to convince him. “He can lie to your face without hesitation. He’s been following you since New York. Lebedev has been a contact of his since that time. Lebedev is just a mercenary, looking for the highest payment.”

“I don’t believe you,” Suvarov says. “I have my people screened well. I watch them closely.”

“I didn’t think you’d believe me,” Kate says. “That’s why we brought him. He’s been working with Bauer for a while, too.”

“Who is he?” Suvarov asks, looking at Belcheck cuffed to the table.

“He worked with Bauer throughout Europe. Six months ago, he helped Bauer break into the United States CIA base in London. They were working together to kill President Heller.”

“Why would he do that? Didn’t Bauer work for Heller before?”

“Yes, but he also dated his daughter. Heller blamed Bauer for his daughter’s capture and torture in China. He stopped Bauer from seeing her again. Bauer never forgave him. In London, Bauer saw his opportunity, but he was found out before he could carry out the plan. He went back into hiding after that.”

“How do you know so much about this?”

“I told you. This man has been working with Bauer. We caught him earlier today after the bomb exploded downtown. He was with Bauer, but they got separated. We caught him and got this information from him.”

“So, how’d you find me?”

“Like I said, Bauer has been watching you through Lebedev. Where is Lebedev now?”

Suvarov is starting to look a little nervous. “He’s…with Bauer.”

“For your sake, I hope they are along together.”

“Enough of this.”

Suvarov turns to the door and types the code on the keypad. He leaves the room and tells the guards to keep watch of this room. Then walks quickly down the hallway back to his office where he left Bauer and Lebedev.

11:30 pm

“Are you sure?” Anton asks Elizabeth.

“It’s the best chance we have,” she replies. “Go now.”

Anton takes a deep breath and exits the room. He heads back the way they had come, getting halfway down the hallway. He turns back and fires a shot into the floor. He hears footsteps moving quickly toward him from around the corner. He quickly moves to the end of the hallway to the staircase. He stops at the bottom, looking back down the hallway. Just as he sees the guards come around, he starts up the stairs. A couple shots are fired at him and the bullets hit the handrail.

After the men follow Anton up the stairs, Elizabeth slowly peeks out of the doorway. Making her way out of the room, she looks around the corner. Not seeing anyone, she moves down the hallway, trying to move silently.

As Elizabeth quietly moves down the hallway, she can hear in the distant the constant gun fight that is brewing between the guards and Anton.  She hears in the distance continuing popping noises,  Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!

In the background, she hears one of the guards yelling, “He is heading in that direction.  Let’s move it! We have to capture or kill him!”

Elizabeth continues to move slowly like a lion whose about to attack their prey.  She approaches the room where Jack is being held and discreetly enters into the room.  She looks around the room like a hawk.  She sees a man approaching Jack, and Jack is unaware that this man is behind him.  Elizabeth is unsure who this man is, but he looks quite familiar to her.  As she is slowing approaching this man, her mind flashes through all the people she personally knows or she has seen pictures of.  It finally hits her.

“It is Lebedev!” She said under her breath.

She continues to approach him. As she moves closer, her arms raise and starts pointing a Glock 22 at Lebedev.  She starts to move a little swifter than before.

“Jack!” She yells.

Jack hastily turns around and sees Lebedev behind him. Jack rises hastily from his chair and grabs Lebedev by the throat and slams him down to the ground and pins him. He had been able to work his hands free from the cuffs. A big grunt comes from Lebedev. Jack then grabs Elizabeth by the arm and removes the gun from her and throws her to the ground.

“Sit down!” Jack yells.  “Who are you and what are you doing here?”

Elizabeth purposely ignores the first question.

“I am here to rescue you from Russia,” replies Elizabeth.

“Who are you?” Jack counters.

“I am a friend,” replies Elizabeth.

With frustration Jack replies, “Fine! Don’t move one inch or I will shoot you between the eyes.”

Jack then turns back to Lebedev with determination. “Where is Suvarov?” Jack asks.

The force of the takedown by Jack caused Lebedev to become unconscious.  Jack being urgent in his quest to wake up Lebedev continues to slap him continuously on the face.   Slap!  Slap!

“Where is Suvarov?” Jack asks.  With a stronger force Jack slaps Lebedev in the face again.

11:37 pm

Katya is still sitting on the chair with her eyes keen on her prisoners.  It has been a long day for Katya, and it has started to show wear on her as her eyes started to close and she briefly dozes off. Each time her eyes close, she instantly reacts and raises her arm up and pointing her gun on her captures.  She gets up from the chair walking around the room.  She is thinking to herself, “When is this going to end?  When will we find Jack Bauer?  I am hungry and tired.”  After walking around for a few moments, she notices that there is some food in the kitchen that was laid out.

“Pavel!” Katya yells. Pavel has come to agreement to work with her. Seminov has not been so agreeable yet.

“Yes,” responds Pavel.

“I want you to stay in this room and point your gun at the prisoner. I am going to be in the kitchen to have something to eat and drink. Can you do that?” asks Katya.

“Yes, I can,” responds Pavel.

Good! Now make sure that you don’t blow this.  I hate to see that I will break my promise to you. One last thing Pavel, don’t say a word to the prisoners,” says Katya.

With his eyes rolling, “Will do!” responds Pavel.

Katya is in the kitchen drinking a glass of water and eating what appears to be some fresh baked bread. As she continues to eat, she can feel that her strength is increasing and that her stomach ache has ease.  As she continues to chew on the bread, she hears some noise outside.  She then raises her gun and runs back into the living room where Pavel and their prisoners are located.

With great anxiousness Katya whispers, “Pavel! Someone is here!  I think it may be her!”

“Who is it?” responds Pavel.

“Shh! Shh! I think it is.  Keep an eye on the prisoners while I check it out,” says Katya.

As Katya approaches the glass window in the living room, she sees a dark figure walking up the stairs up to the house. She sees a few guards with this person. At a distance, she is still unsure who it is, but as she approaches the door she recognizes who it is.

“She is here!  Move!” yells Katya.  “Let me keep an eye on the prisoners while you open the door.”

Katya moves around to where the prisoners are located yet. Seminov senses that Katya is nervous by her recent behavior.

“You must be very afraid of this person – whoever she is.” asks Seminov.

“Shut up!” yells Katya.

Pavel now senses that Katya is on the edge. He cautiously opens the door. A tall, slender-looking blonde enters through the front door with the guards in tow behind her.

“Katya?” says the woman.

11:42 pm

As Mr. Kanin sits behind his desk and drinking a cup of hot tea, he is reminiscing about all of the dealings that he had with Jack Bauer.  He thinks back about the time when he saved President Taylor from General Benjamin Juma at the White House.  Then how Jack did what all he could to save President Omar Hassan, but eventually failed in his efforts.  However, he remembers the means on how Jack Bauer became a fugitive to the United States government and became an enemy of the Russian Federation when he attempted to assassinate him due to his compliancy in the assassination of President Hassan and Bauer’s lover, Renee Walker. He thinks to himself that this man has been through a lot for his country, but now he is unsure what Bauer is up to.  As he continues to ponder those thoughts he hears a knock on his office door.

“Yes,” Mr. Kanin says.

“Mr. Kanin?” says the CIA Director, “It is Erik Ritter.”

“Mr. Ritter, come in please,” replies Mr. Kanin.

“Please take a seat.  Now tell me what we know about Jack Bauer.  Do we know what he is up to?” asks Mr. Kanin.

“We still don’t know too much what is going on over there,” Ritter replies. “But we do know there are some Americans over there that appear to be involve in the events, but to what extent, we are unsure at this time.”

Mr. Kanin’s demeanor changed from one being calm to becoming extremely angry.

Mr. Kanin bursts out yelling, “What do you mean? Are you telling me that we there are Americans involve in this?  What is Jack Bauer involvement in all this?  I need answers and I need them now and not a minute later.”

Mr. Kanin stands up from behind the desk and walks around to the front and sits on the desk looking directly at Ritter straight in the eyes.  Ritter tenses up and senses a verbal beat down from Mr. Kanin.  Mr. Kanin takes a breath and raises his finger at the Director.

“Mr. Ritter.” saids Kanin, “If I… no, if the President of the United States does not get any answers as to what is going on over there, there will be major consequences for everyone. Now, Mr. Ritter, listen to me, I want to activate all of our resources over in Russia, and I want to you to open our listening posts and start listening to what they are saying over there.”

“But! But!, says Ritter.

“No, buts.” Mr. Kanin responds with a quick firmness.

Mr. Ritter quickly stands up and stands face to face with Mr. Kanin like there is going to be a fist fight between the two of them.  Mr. Ritter looks Mr. Kanin straight in the eyes and raises his arms and points his finger into his chest.

“Mr. Kanin!” says Mr. Ritter.  “We can’t make this type of the decision with President Hayworth.  Our country has signed international treaties with other foreign countries that when there is no war, we won’t be spying on one another. We can’t just open our listening post out of the blue without a just cause.”

Mr. Kanin raises his left arm and grabs Mr. Ritter’s arm that is in his chest. He pulls Mr. Ritter’s arm down and lets it go.

“Now, Mr. Ritter.” says Kanin, “do not be so naive as prior administrations have been in times past and that we don’t have enemies and we won’t call terror what terror is really is.  We are always at war even when we don’t have bombs coming down or guns shots being fired.  Do it, and do it now!”

11:54 pm

Jack is finally tightening the last knot around Lebedev feet, and he has one of his eyes on Elizabeth.  He is still unsure who she is and very keen of his surroundings.  He gets up from his knees and again asks Elizabeth.

“Who are you?” asks Jack. “What are you doing here?”

“I told you I am friend.  I am here to help you,” replies Elizabeth.

“Right? Why?” Jacks counters.

Jack then starts moving around the room looking at the door first to see if there is anyone coming to them.  He then moves on to the only window in the room to see if there is anyone outside.  He then starts to go through each drawer in the desk that is in the office to see what he can find out.

“Jack!” yells Elizabeth again.

“What?” Jack replies with a raised voice. His eyes keen on Elizabeth.

“We need to go.  They are going to come in here, and they will kill us,” said Elizabeth.

With the solemn reminder that people are out to kill him he can’t lax in his alertness and he must be on guard and trust no one. He continues to show in no confidence in Elizabeth.

With a strict tone Jack exclaims, “Who are you?  Why are you saying that you are my friend?  I don’t know you.”

“You do, Jack. You know me,” replies Elizabeth. “Look, we need to move and I need for you to use any trust that is left in you to be put towards me.  I am here to help.  Let’s move on from here and I will tell you more as we are out of here.  I have a lot to share with you Jack.”

Jack senses some calmness in Elizabeth and starts to put his wall down towards Elizabeth.

“All right!” Jack replies.  “You start talking as we start moving. If you make one move or if you do anything that raises any red flags, I will turn you around and slam you against the wall and shoot you in the brain without any hesitation.”

“Trust me, Jack,” replies Elizabeth.

As Jack and Elizabeth cautiously walks out of the room.

“Start talking!” Jack exclaims.

“Jack, we are here to help you,” replies Elizabeth.

Jack grabs her arm harder than before.

“Who’s ‘we’?” Jack asks.

“We have been following you for a while. I have someone that is on my team that has been searching for you since the Russians took you in London and brought you to Russia. Then we met up with some old friends of yours.  Jack…Chloe, Kate, and Belcheck are helping me as well. They’re here in this building now.”

Jack turns Elizabeth around and slams her into the wall.  He raises his gun to Elizabeth’s forehead.

“You are lying!”  Jacks exclaims.

“I’m….” replies Elizabeth.  An alarm sounds throughout the building before Elizabeth is able to finish her sentence.

Jack let’s go of her and lowers his weapon.

“Let’s move. You do anything suspicious, and you’re dead.”

11:59:58…11:59:59…12:00:00