24

Previously on 24.

We'll release the Sentox here, and 200,000 people die.

We need access to the control room.

Jack, Bierko will be ready to deploy any minute.

If we could ignite that gas before it leaves the plant,

the Sentox will be incinerated.

Bierko!

Give me a hand. Organize an escort team.

- You get him back to C.T.U. alive. - You got it.

I just got word from the F.A.A. about a hijacking aboard a diplomatic flight.

- So what? - Jack Bauer is the hijacker.

What is he doing on that flight?

He's looking for the recording that implicates me in David Palmer's death.

Order the plane down and grab Bauer before he can hurt us.

We need to take him down now, dead or alive.

Mr. President... - I don't care if Bauer's making threats or not.

That plane has to land immediately!

And when it lands, I want my Secret Service detail to take him into custody.

- Sit down! - He has a gun!

Stay in your seats! Do what I tell you and no one will get hurt.

Captain, this is Jack Bauer. I'm speaking to you on a discreet channel.

The person I'm looking for, the man with the evidence I need, is sitting next to you.

He's your copilot, Scott Evans. You need to open the door.

Could you, uh, take the stick for a second?

I'm the only one who can fly this plane now!

Give me the recording.

Advise C.T.U. I have the recording. I'll be on the ground in less than 15 minutes.

Bauer's got the evidence. He is in control of the plane.

What do we do? You're going to have to shoot down that plane, Mr. President.

Otherwise, you go to prison...

for treason and murder.

The following takes place between 3:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m.

Sierra Tango, clear to flight level 220. Report reaching.

520 Sierra Tango, descend to flight level 220.

We can expect the approach to Van Nuys. Good.

Operations. This is Jack Bauer. Can you patch me through to Karen Hayes?

Hold, please. I'm bleeding. I think you broke my nose.

You'll get medical attention as soon as we're on the ground.

Right now your only concern should be flying this plane.

Ms. Hayes, I've got Jack Bauer on line one. Put him through.

You are connected. - I've got the recording. It was on the copilot.

The copilot? He was working for Henderson.

The captain's unconscious, but I've secured the copilot.

We're en route back to Van Nuys Airfield. What's our E.T.A.?

Twenty-one minutes. - We're gonna be on the ground in 21 minutes.

Karen, listen to me. This recording proves that President Logan...

was complicit in David Palmer's assassination.

It is imperative we do not let it fall into the hands of anyone loyal to the president.

As soon as we're on the ground, I'm gonna need you...

to provide me with a safe corridor back to C.T.U.

Jack, it's Bill. I'm back here with Karen. I'll explain everything later.

We can dispatch a team to meet you at the airfield.

They can head off any law enforcement and take you into protective custody.

Okay, good. Bill, how is Audrey?

Curtis just brought her in. She's in Medical getting treatment,

but it looks like she's going to be okay. Thank God.

I'll get back to you as soon as we're on final approach. All right.

Audrey, I just got off the phone with County General.

I have some great news. Your father survived the crash.

He's alive? Yeah.

One of our teams picked him up about 30 minutes ago at the accident site.

He's still in I.C.U., but they expect him to pull through.

Oh, my God. We have a team stationed at the hospital.

He'll be well protected.

Thank you.

I have to take this.

Curtis, thank you so much.

You're welcome. This is Manning.

- Is Henderson secured? - He's in Holding Room 3.

Good. I need you to take a team to pick up Jack. Where is he?

He's on a plane heading towards the Van Nuys Airport. E.T.A. is 20 minutes.

Why is he on a plane?

He had to commandeer the plane in order to secure the evidence against President Logan.

I'll brief you with the details en route.

Curtis, I cannot emphasize strongly enough...

the explosive nature of the evidence that Jack is carrying.

I need you to put him into protective custody and bring him back here to C.T.U.

Understood. - President Logan will probably send his men to retrieve it.

- You've got to get to Jack first. - We will. I'm heading out.

Yes?

We have a solution that will allow you to order the plane shot down.

I sure as hell hope so. I may be the president,

but there are certain protocols in place I can't just ignore.

What we're proposing will circumvent your protocols. What is it?

We're going to simulate a V.C.I. distress signal.

It will be broadcast on the plane's transponder code,

and it will appear to come from Bauer's flight.

Hold on. What is a V.C.I. distress signal?

It's an emergency signal indicating there's a hijacking in progress,

and that the perpetrators intend to use the aircraft as a weapon.

It'll give you the pretext to shoot it down.

There really is no other legitimate response to this, uh, scenario, Mr. President.

All you need to do is appear to struggle with the ethics,

and then give the order.

Mr. President? Fine. All right.

You sound reluctant.

I can't believe it's come to this.

I'm going to shoot down a plane full of innocent people.

None of us is happy about this, Mr. President, but you don't really have a choice.

Bauer has evidence implicating you in this conspiracy,

and I don't have to tell you what the consequences will be for all of us if it's released.

We should contact Chloe and bring her in.

We're gonna want her help bringing Jack back to C.T.U. - Fine.

Send an escort. Karen.

I appreciate this. I know you're putting everything on the line to help us.

All I can say is this recording better be everything Jack claims it is.

I know Jack. I don't always agree with his methods, but I trust his judgment.

I'll go make that call.

What's going on? What's Buchanan doing out of holding?

The situation has changed, Miles. There's some new intel.

What new intel? I don't have time to explain it right now.

What does that mean? It means I'll brief you when I've got the chance.

Have you completed the orders for Bierko's transfer?

I'm still working on it. Let me know when you've got them.

What is it, Mike? A situation has come up regarding the hijacked plane.

Tell me what's happening. The F.A.A. just picked up a V.C.I. distress code.

It originated from Flight ST520. What's a V.C.I. distress code?

V.C.I. is a coding system that was recently installed in all commercial airliners.

This particular code indicates a hijacking is under way...

and that the plane is going to be used to target installations on the ground.

Oh, my God. Admiral Kirkland is standing by...

on videoconference from Point Mugu.

He's ready to brief you with the details.

Admiral Kirkland, I'm Mike Novick. I have the president here.

Mr. President. - Admiral, Mike's told me about this V.C.I. signal.

How could that be sent without Bauer's knowledge?

Most likely one of the pilots under duress secretly activated the transponder code.

Let me get this straight. At last report, Bauer was in the passenger cabin.

Does this mean he's in the cockpit and in control of the plane?

It appears that way, sir.

What do we do, Admiral?

Sir, the protocols for this scenario are clearly specified.

We're compelled to take preemptive action.

What action? The aircraft must be shot down.

We've already scrambled an F-18 out of Point Mugu.

We just need your approval to engage.

There are over 50 people on that plane, Admiral.

We have to think of the people on the ground.

Over 20 million citizens live in Los Angeles County.

Each one of them is now a potential target.

I don't believe this. Mr. President, if I can interject.

Admiral, it's hard for me to accept that Bauer...

intends to use the aircraft as a weapon against civilians.

From my briefing document, Jack Bauer is a distraught individual...

with a history of erratic behavior.

Jack Bauer has spent his entire career protecting American lives.

I think there's a reason he's doing what he's doing. - What would that be?

I don't have the answer, but we should at least try to find out.

We don't have the time. - Mr. President, we could have the F-18 shadow the aircraft.

We could issue a standing order to fire only if the target...

deviates from its present course.

That's not a viable option, Mr. President. Why not?

Right now that plane is over the desert. In 15 minutes, it'll be above Los Angeles.

If we're forced to shoot it down then, there'll be massive casualties on the ground.

And, Mr. President, we must also consider the possibility...

that Bauer intends to attack the presidential retreat.

The retreat? You're inside the target zone.

Bauer's already been accused of killing one president today.

The simple fact is, sir, we don't know what his intentions are.

Mr. President... Mike, stop.

I've made my decision.

Admiral, I'm authorizing you to shoot down that plane. Yes, sir.

- Mr. President... - Mike, please!

Don't make this any more difficult for me than it already is.

Miss Hayes, this just came in over the interagency subnet.

What is it?

We have to alert Jack.

[Cell Phone Rings ] This is Bauer.

Jack, Air Traffic Control just received a V.C.I. distress signal from your aircraft.

That authorizes President Logan to shoot you down. Shoot us down?

An F-18 has been scrambled out of Point Mugu. You have eight to 10 minutes at best.

Can you patch me through to the pilot of the F-18?

No chance. They're on a coded frequency.

We can try to get in touch with the White House. And tell them what?

They don't wanna hear anything I have to say. Hold on.

We need to land this plane now. We're 100 miles from the nearest airport.

They just scrambled an F-18 to shoot us. We need to get on the ground now!

You didn't hear me. There's nowhere to land.

How much runway do you need? At least 5,000 feet.

- Bill, do you hear me? - Yeah, Jack.

I need you to look for a stretch of freeway at least 5,000 feet long for us to land on.

I'll pull up maps in the area. - Get back to me as soon as you got something.

We can't land on the freeway. Yes, we can.

It's late. There's a curfew. There won't be any cars on the freeway.

Cuff your right hand to the flight control now.

All the way.

Start taking us down.

Do it now.

What's Chloe O'Brian doing here?

I don't know.

Miss Hayes? You can go.

What's going on? An F-18's been scrambled to shoot down Jack's plane.

Can you open up a socket with the A.T.C. radar tracking plot?

- Yeah, I think so. - Do it, Chloe.

We need to know the exact time Jack has before the fighter plane reaches him.

Okay. Karen, look at this.

They have two possible landing sites. I think this one's the best shot.

I agree. Let's get Jack on the phone.

I need to speak with you.

We need to make an emergency landing.