24

Mr. Knowles, my name is Jack Bauer.

Jonas Hodges is in possession of a military grade bioweapon.

I was contaminated when trying to intercept the canisters.

I promise you, sir, the weapon is on your base.

Do you have any idea where they might be? Think I might.

I have an order from the president of the United States.

To search this building.

Are there weapons of mass destruction? Are there weapons of any kind?

You've got five minutes to get these helicopters

flying out of here, with all of you on board.

Larry, I want you and your men to pull out on Hodges's timetable.

Tony, you're gonna need to find a way to stay behind.

We're gonna get your vectors over to a man that we contacted inside Starkwood.

His name is Douglas Knowles. He believes he knows where the weapons are.

S-Stay here. I'll be right back.

Jack!

We need a medic!

Bio-agent is more virulent than we thought.

All we're doing here is just masking the symptoms. - I understand.

There's something you may want to consider. - What's that?

A possible treatment using stem cells from a genetically compatible donor.

I saw your file, and it says you have a daughter.

I don't want my daughter involved in this.

Jack, it should be her choice.

Well, it's not. I'm the one who's dying.

I'm in, but they got Knowles.

A little loyalty. Wasn't that the least I deserved?

You can't take on the federal government.

I have a visual on the weapon.

Okay. Those are the canisters.

I'll notify Admiral Smith. Target is located and confirmed.

You remember Starkwood was deployed to Pakistan?

That we requisitioned a missile system at that time...

Well, three of those missiles are now loaded with the pathogen...

and aimed at cities on our Eastern Seaboard.

You will keep this conversation to yourself and turn the planes around.

And if you do not comply, Madam President,

I will have no choice but to launch those missiles.

Abort the air strike, Admiral Smith.

Ma'am, with all respect...

Damn it, Admiral! Abort the air strike immediately!

Clear out!

Tony, it's Jack. Do you copy?

Jack, what the hell's goin' on? Where are those F-18s?

Tim Woods just called from the White House.

The president canceled the air strike. What? Why?

She doesn't believe our intel's strong enough to justify military action.

Is she out of her mind? Jack, I saw those canisters with my own eyes.

So did you. They're in that bunker.

She's not gonna get any better intel than that.

I know. It doesn't make sense, but right now we've got a presidential order...

to pull you out of the Starkwood compound, along with the perimeter teams.

Tony, Larry's been told the president's decision.

He's preparing to move his teams out, but he's gotta get you outta there first.

He'll be sending you coordinates for an

exfiltration portal on the southwest perimeter.

- Tony? - Hold on a second.

Tony, what's going on?

Jack, I might know why the president called off that air strike.

What do you mean? I think Starkwood's got surface-to-surface missiles.

That's how they're gonna deploy the bioweapon.

How do you know this?

A fuel truck just pulled up next to the bunker where they're storing the weapons.

They're pumping RP-7 into an underground depot. What's RP-7?

It's a propellant only used in surface-to-surface missiles.

Tony, are you sure? I'm lookin' right at it, Jack.

Do you have any C-4 on you?

Yeah, I've got three charges and a remote detonator.

Do you think you can gain access to the underground fuel depot?

Yeah, I think we've got a play.

But I've gotta move soon, before that fuel truck pulls away.

Okay, I want you to maintain your position, I'm gonna call the president.

Come with me.

What is it, Tim?

Madam President, the Joint Chiefs are beginning to question your decision...

to call off the air strike against Starkwood.

They think the intelligence we received from Tony Almeida was sufficient,

and that we may be missing an opportunity to destroy the bioweapons.

I gave my orders, Tim.

No air strike, no military action of any kind against Starkwood.

Now, I ask you to handle the Joint Chiefs. Handle them.

I'll do my best, ma'am. But if I may,

what is our next move?

Jonas Hodges is coming to the White House.

He wants to speak with me, alone.

- For what possible reason? - I don't know.

Madam President, shouldn't your advisers be at that meeting?

Tim, stop asking me questions.

And if you want to help, make sure...

as few people as possible know that Jonas Hodges is coming here.

And bring him in through the southeast service entrance.

Yes? [Woman On Speaker ] Madam President,

Jack Bauer and Renee Walker are calling from F.B.I.

You did speak to F.B.I.? Yes, ma'am. Five minutes ago,

I gave them your reason for calling off the air strike.

But I must warn you, they were skeptical as well.

Be ready for Hodges.

Mr. Bauer, Agent Walker, this is the president.

Madam President, we need to talk.

No, Mr. Bauer. We don't. You need to listen.

I appreciate everything that you have done in gathering this intel.

But I still need more before I could authorize an air strike. I'm sorry.

Madam President, with all due respect, I

don't believe you're being truthful with us.

- Excuse me? - I think you called off the air strike...

because Jonas Hodges is in possession of surface-to-surface missiles...

armed with the bioweapon, and he's threatened to use them...

in case you try to take action against him.

Madam President, Tony Almeida witnessed a truck...

pumping RP-7 rocket fuel into an underground depot...

situated right next to the bunker where the bioweapons are being stored.

The only purpose for RP-7 rocket fuel is to launch missiles.

Madam President, please just tell us the truth.

Jack, Hodges has 13 Python missiles armed with the bioweapons.

Three are currently aimed at American cities.

He demanded that I recall the planes, or he would launch. What does Hodges want?

I don't know. But he's requested a face-to-face meeting.

He'll be at the White House in a few minutes.

Madam President, the only reason he wants a

face-to-face meeting is to lay out his demands,

and whatever they are, you can not negotiate with him.

I'm not planning on negotiating with him, Jack.

Once he places his cards on the table, I am sure that I can...

I can make him realize the futility of what he is trying to do.

Jonas Hodges is a traitor and a terrorist.

And after everything that's happened today, are you really naive enough...

to believe that you can simply talk to him and change his mind?

I'm not new at this, Jack. And right now, I don't have another option.

Madam President, you do. Tony Almeida is still inside Starkwood.

I ordered him exfiltrated immediately. What's he still doing there?

I asked him to stand by until I could talk to you.

He believes he can gain access to the fuel depot...

and lay a series of explosive charges and take the missiles out.

Now, I believe this can work, but we need to act quickly. What about the bioweapons?

RP-7 rocket fuel burns at 5,000 degrees. There'll be nothing left.

Once the weapons are destroyed, Larry Moss and his teams...

can move in on Starkwood and lock it down.

Hodges gave standing orders to his men...

to launch the missiles at the first detection of government interference.

If Almeida is detected, thousands of Americans will die, Jack.

Madam President, I know that there's a risk,

but I would not be asking you to do this if I didn't think it would work.

Please, I am begging you. Trust me.

How long did the doctors give you to live?

Uh, th-they're not sure.

But the pathogen has started to take effect.

Then there's not much I can threaten you with, is there?

I expect you'll do what you think is right.

What the hell does that mean?

Sh-She wants us to go in.

- But she didn't authorize it. - She can't.

She needs this to be a covert operation.

If something were to go wrong and those missiles were to be launched,

the president needs to be able to swear, under oath, that we were working on our own.

She wants us to go in. Notify Larry. We need to move fast.

Told you I'd get you to the White House.

I just didn't think it'd be under these conditions.

It was brilliant, you know.

What was that, sir?

Your idea to make Almeida think that you were betraying me.

- Quite brilliant. - Thank you, sir.

You put yourself in harm's way, Greg. I'll never forget that.

Can't believe... I'm feeling nervous. You're gonna do fine, sir.

Thank you, Tim. You're welcome.

So sounds to me like the president didn't actually authorize this.

Technically, no. It was more of an... an indirect order.

But believe me, Larry. She wants this to happen.

She's gonna meet with Hodges, and we're gonna blow those fuel tanks.

Larry, do you have a problem with this?

Hmm.

As a matter of fact, no. None whatsoever.

Those Starkwood bastards drew on my men.

I'm lookin' forward to gettin' back in there.

All right. Have your teams hold their position and be ready to move.

Believe me. You'll know when it happens. All right.

- Tony, it's Jack. Do you copy? - Yeah, I'm here.

You were right about the missiles. The president confirmed it.

We're gonna have to carry this out as a covert operation.

Larry and his men are standing by to lock down Starkwood...

as soon as the missiles have been destroyed. Good.

Tony, I need to know that you can do this without being detected.

Hodges has given his men standing orders to launch those missiles...

if there's a breach of any kind.

Yeah, I can do it. Okay. Good luck.

Yeah.

We're done here. I'm gonna go run a perimeter check.

- You said you just finished one. - I know.

But I don't think we can be too careful right now.

Yeah. It's me.

- The auxiliary tanks are fueled and ready. - Confirmed.

I'll be down in a few minutes. Copy that.

Freeze. Let me see your hands.

- Almeida. - Put your gun on the ground.

Slowly!

Kick it.

Drag him under the truck. Now! Let's go!

- Hands up. - What do you think you're doin'?

You're gonna take me down to the fuel tanks.

Let's go.

Ah-ah.