24

6:00 AM
Los Angeles: A newscaster informs the viewing public that America has been under a barrage of terrorist bombings for the past 11 weeks. The announcer high-lights the growing fear of the American public and notes that, although no one has taken responsibility for the bombings, Muslim extremists are suspected.

At a bus stop, an Arab man tries to catch a bus for work, but the bus driver won't open the door. As the man yells with anger, the bus speeds away. On board, a young Asian man listens to music on an MP3 player. After a few moments, the man presses a button and the bus explodes in flames.

Washington D.C.: In the Oval Office of the White House, a group of presidential advisors argue about what tact to take in the face of the continuing attacks. Presidential Advisor Tom Lennox argues that all suspected terrorists should be rounded up and placed in detention facilities. NSA Advisor Karen Hayes believes that it is unconstitutional and that this move would unfairly target Muslims. President Wayne Palmer is not agreeable to Lennox's suggestion, even though it has legal precedent. Hayes interrupts the debate to inform Palmer of the bombing in L.A. Everyone is convinced that a terrorist leader named Hamri Al-Assad is behind the attacks. Hayes believes that his death will put a stop to the siege. "I hope so," broods Palmer, "Because we're paying a steep enough price to get him."

At CTU, Morris O'Brian and Milo Pressman are involved in an argument over files. Milo tells Morris to get it together, or he'll be back selling women's shoes in Beverley Hills. Morris tells Milo he liked him better when he was an analyst, before he was promoted to middle management. Chloe interrupts them and Milo tells her to keep Morris in line. Chloe tells Morris to work harder at getting along with people as he eagerly gropes her from behind. Chloe brushes him off and asks him if he received a priority request on the military channel. Morris says he got no such request. Chloe goes to ask her boss, Nadia Yassir, if she knows anything about it. Nadia clears the request and tells Chloe it is an assault on Assad. Chloe asks how they got a lead to Assad and Nadia tells him they got it through jack Bauer. Chloe is understandably confused, since she believes Jack is still in a Chinese prison. Nadia tells her that President Palmer arranged for Jack's release, but she won't say anymore.

At Ellis Airfield, Bill Buchanan and Curtis Manning stand ready as a transport plane lands. Chinese soldiers escort a ragged-looking and shackled Jack from the plane as Cheng Zhi hands Bill the transfer papers. The soldiers uncuff Jack and Curtis sees that Jack's hands are badly burned. Curtis takes Jack into a nearby hangar as Cheng tells Bill that Jack never uttered a word during his entire captivity of nearly two years.

In the hangar, Bill tells a silent Jack that Wayne Palmer is now president and that he negotiated Jack's release. Bill tells Jack of the terror attacks upon America for the past 11 weeks, and that they suspect Assad of orchestrating them. Bill says that one of Assad's men, Abu Fayed, contacted them and agreed to give up Assad's location for 25 million dollars. In addition, he wants to kill Jack as revenge for the death of his brother. Fayed has demanded their surveillance protocols, so they won't be able to rescue jack once Fayed has him. Jack tries to speak, but can barely whisper, He tries again and says, "Audrey." Bill says Audrey doesn't know he's back and neither does his daughter, Kim. Jack tells Bill to keep it that way. He agrees to his fate and tells Curtis to put away his gun. He asks Bill if he can clean up first and Bill agrees. Curtis leads him to a curtained area with a sink and toiletries. Jack looks at himself in the mirror and takes off his shirt, revealing his badly scarred torso.

Bill calls Karen and tells her that Jack is much worse than he expected. Karen says she misses him and wishes they could be together. Bill says he has to take Jack to the exchange point and tenderly tells her goodbye.

At CTU, a newscaster announces that the terror level has been raised to red. Chloe confronts Nadia and demands to know what's going on. Nadia resists at first, but then tells Chloe that Jack is being sacrificed to Fayed. Fayed wants revenge because jack killed his brother while interrogating him about a terrorist cell in Beirut in 1999. Chloe demands to speak with Karen Hayes, but is shocked to learn that Wayne Palmer signed off on the deal.

As bill Drives jack to the drop point, he gets a call from Palmer, who asks to speak to jack. Palmer apologizes to Jack for what has to be done, but says it's a desperate measure against the attacks. Jack says he understands and bids him goodbye.

Wayne second guesses himself after hanging up and wonders if he's the right man for the presidency. Lennox tells him his self-doubt is irrelevant, since he will lead the country whether he wants to or not. As Lennox leaves, Karen confronts him about going behind Palmer's back to set up detention facilities to hold Muslim suspects. Lennox claims he's just repositioning to save time if Palmer changes his mind, but Karen doesn't buy it.

Fayed calls Bill and tells him to cuff Jack to a grate at the mouth of a tunnel. Bill does as he's told and tells Jack he's sorry for what is happening. Jack tells Bill that he fought to stay alive in China because he didn't want to die for nothing. Today, he can die by his choice in a sacrifice that has meaning. He tells Bill it will be a relief. Bill says goodbye to jack and walks away.

In an L.A. home, a husband and wife argue about sending their son to school after the bus bombing. Their son comes in and tells them that his friend's father across the street is being arrested by the FBI. The Arab boy, Ahmed, protests as his father is put in a car and driven away. Another neighbor from down the block begins banging on Ahmed's door and demanding that he let him in. Scott goes to defend his friend. Ray hesitates, but then goes along. They come upon the angry neighbor breaking in the door and going after Ahmed. Ray demands that Stan back off, and Stan warns them that he'll be back. After he leaves, Ray insists that Ahmed come over to stay with them until things calm down.

Bill calls Nadia and she tells him that the military is ready to strike once Fayed gives up Assad's location. Nadia also tells him that she had to sideline Chloe because she found out about Jack. Bill says he'll deal with it when he gets back to CTU.

Morris approaches Chloe and says he can pull up a visual of Jack using an off-grid satellite that CTU doesn't know about. Chloe is nervous, but she quietly looks on as Morris pulls up the surveillance.

Fayed's men arrive and unlock Jack from the grate. Fayed faces Jack and snarls, "I've been waiting for this for a long time." He knocks Jack out and tosses him into the van. They are about to leave when Fayed gets a call from one of his henchman, who has detected Morris's satellite signal. Fayed calls CTU and tells them that they have 30 seconds to redirect the satellite, or he won't give up Assad's location. Milo checks the band and sees that he's right. He traces the signal to Chloe's work station and Nadia orders Chloe to redirect the satellite. Morris does so and Fayed says he'll now have to think about giving up Assad, then hangs up. Bill storms in and blasts Chloe, saying that Jack may have sacrificed himself for nothing.

Bill calls Karen and reluctantly tells her about the mishap with Morris and Chloe. Karen bites his head off at first, but then they make nice again and get all mushy. They know they can't have a big, rip-roaring fight because it's impossible to have make-up sex on separate coasts.

Fayed drags Jack into his hide-out and puts him in a chair. He shackles Kiefer, then attaches a heart monitor to his wrist and breaks out some sharp instruments. Jack tells Fayed to call CTU, but Fayed just bitchslaps Jack a few times. "I want you to feel what my brother felt before he died," Fayed growls. He sticks a knife into Jack's shoulder, then pours a chemical into the open wound, making Jack scream and his heart monitor go crazy. Jack tells Fayed to honor the deal and call CTU with Assad's location. Fayed taunts Jack by telling him that Assad has decided to renounce terrorism and try to establish peace with the U.S. Assad has come to America to try and help stop the attacks. Fayed then tells Jack that he himself is the actual leader, which means Jack's death will be in vain. Fayed punctuates the sentiment by ramming a sharp instrument deep into Jack's back, making him wince in agony.

CTU gets a call from Fayed, who gives them the coordinates where Assad can be found, complete with a transponder signal. Jack overhears and memorizes the coordinates as Fayed talks into the phone with his back turned. Milo pulls up the coordinates and Bill orders Nadia to mobilize the military and cut off Fayed's access to their systems. Chloe sobs in Morris's arms as he tries to console her.

Fayed puts a pair of pincers around jack's finger, but before he clamps down, his henchman tells him he has a phone call. Fayed leaves and takes the call…from Ahmed. It seems that he and not his father is in on the attacks. Ahmed tells Fayed that the FBI arrested his father. Fayed tells him that his father must be sacrificed for the greater good, then asks Ahmed if he has the package. Ahmed says he will have it soon and Fayed orders him to call back when he's got it. Ahmed hangs up and turns around to see Scott. Ahmed claims he was talking to his uncle and the two go off for breakfast.

Jack manages to tear the heart monitor off his wrist with his teeth. The guard hears the flat line tone and goes to check on Jack. As the guard bends over him, Jack bites a hole in the guard's neck, then spits out a mouth full of bloody flesh as he takes the key from the guard's pocket and unlocks himself. Fayed returns to the room to see Jack's empty chair and the guard's body. "Find him!" Fayed roars as Jack hides under a grate in the floor. Tick, tick, tick...