24

Previously on 24.

- - This is Bauer.

Jack, air traffic control just received a V.C.I. distress signal from your aircraft.

That effectively authorizes President Logan to shoot you down.

Start taking us down.

Do it now.

Jack, the F-18 is within 15 miles.

My radar is locked on the target.

- Lower the landing gear! - We're going too fast!

- Touch it down! -

- They're ready to move Bierko. - Thank you. I'll be right out.

Vladimir Bierko, you're being transferred to...

a primary holding facility at our district headquarters.

Jack, the attorney general's on his way to his office right now.

He'll be ready for a videoconference in 10 minutes.

Chloe, I want you to prepare the recording for playback.

Clean it up and apply a digital signature so we can establish a chain of evidence.

You work alone.

We got the evidence.

President Logan's gonna pay for David Palmer's assassination.

The spectacle of a sitting president on trial for murder would be devastating.

Yes, it would.

If only there were a way that we could prevent such a trial from taking place.

Mr. President, you don't know me. My name is Miles Papazian.

- I work under Karen Hayes. - What is this about?

It's about a recording, sir.

If leaked, could significantly compromise national security.

Why are you telling me this? I feel compelled to intervene,

and I just wanted to make sure that you would approve.

I do, Mr. Papazian. I do approve.

Get out of here, Miles. I'm just doing my job, Chloe.

Well, if your job is to slow things down, then you're doing really good work.

I'll tell Karen you'll be ready.

The following takes place between 4:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m.

The attorney general will be on the line in five minutes.

Did you tell him that the recording implicates President Logan in Palmer's assassination?

No. I feel he needs to hear it directly from the source.

Fine.

We're minutes away, Chloe. What's your status?

Everything is set up. I've got a T1 line hooked into the attorney general.

The other two lines are secured on dedicated channels.

What other two lines? We're patching in a representative...

from the House Judiciary Committee and congressional liaison.

We need their support for an emergency session of Congress...

to begin impeachment proceedings.

Impeachment proceedings? What about an arrest warrant?

We'll never get Justice to indict a sitting president.

Removing him from office is a necessary step to begin full criminal prosecution.

All right, Chloe, let's check the sound levels. Play the recording.

What's wrong?

- I don't know. - What do you mean? Where's the recording?

This is what's on the digital medium.

That's impossible. See if there's an overlay. Check your connections.

- There are no mistakes. - Damn it, Chloe.

You were responsible for this recording. What the hell happened?

I just told you I don't know. If there was something on this memory chip, it's been erased.

Yes?

Excuse me, Ms. Hayes, the attorney general is holding on the line.

Ms. Hayes?

I heard you. Bill Buchanan will take the call in a moment.

I'll tell him we're having technical difficulties. We need to postpone the conference.

Someone got to that recording.

Perhaps it was damaged in your attempts to retrieve it. - It wasn't.

Chloe, who had access to this room? No one.

Someone did! Who had access to this room? Think about it!

Miles was in here. What?

You sent him to check up on me while I was setting up.

I never sent him in here.

Jack.

Security, stop him.

Mr. Bauer.

Jack.

Jack, stop.

You son of a bitch. Let go of me, Bauer.

Do you know how many people lost their lives so I could bring that evidence in?

I don't know what you're talking about. We know it was you.

Let him go, Jack. Jack, let him go!

- Where are you going, Miles? - I've been transferred.

I was told to report immediately.

The order should be coming through any minute.

Transferred to where?

The White House.

How could you do this, Miles?

This is not over.

There will be an investigation. Do what you have to do, Karen.

But I work for the president now.

Jack, I am so sorry. I don't know how he did it. He didn't even touch the recorder.

Karen, Audrey Raines heard the recording when I played it for Secretary Heller.

I know that she will sign an affidavit to claim... - Jack, not now.

Chloe, take the recorder down to processing.

Break down the memory chip. See if you can restore anything. -Fine.

Ms. Hayes, the president is calling for you. Line two.

Mr. President. Karen.

What's this I hear about a conference call with the attorney general?

Is there some problem I should know about?

It's nothing, sir. A mistake. The conference call was canceled.

Good. I'm glad to hear that.

Listen, the real reason for my call is Jack Bauer.

What about Jack Bauer? I'm embarrassed to say that after further review,

it appears that the evidence against him is, at best, inconclusive.

And I will have our lawyers continue to work on it, of course.

But for the time being, I'm suspending the arrest order.

You're dropping the charges against Bauer?

That's correct.

Mr. President, you have had this office, other agencies...

and the military dedicate all manpower and resources into apprehending Jack Bauer.

Yes, based on evidence I initially thought was credible.

And now I have new information that's convinced me that the original intel was faulty.

Am I to release Bauer, sir?

I'll leave that to your discretion.

Thank you, Karen. Good work.

We'll be in touch.

Yes, Mr. President.

He's letting me go because he knows he's won.

What does he gain by releasing you? I'll be on my own...

Alone, unprotected... A perfect target.

Word just came in. Bierko's escaped.

- What? - How long ago?

The convoy moving him to District was hit about 10 minutes ago.

They took out all our agents except one... Davis, on line three.

Davis, Karen Hayes. What happened?

Our lead car got taken out by an I.E.D. I counted six attackers.

Bierko got away before I could call in backup.

- Did you see the vehicle? - Negative.

I blacked out when I got hit in the shoulder.

There's a medevac team on the way. Before I lost consciousness,

I overheard Bierko talking to his men.

He said they're not finished.

Not finished? Yes, ma'am.

I'm certain he said something about a nerve gas canister.

Did he say anything else?

I'm sorry, Ms. Hayes. That's all I heard.

All right, Davis, stand by.

The medical team will be there in a minute. Copy that.

Why would Bierko even mention the Sentox? I don't know.

I assumed all the canisters were destroyed in the explosions at the distribution center.

How many canisters has forensics accounted for?

By the time the fires were out, there was not enough left to do a full accounting.

Believe it. Bill, raise an interagency alert.

I need L.A.P.D. to do a sweep of the ambushed area for witnesses.

I want search helicopters. I want Chloe to have full domain over surveillance satellites.

This is priority one. We have got to find Vladimir Bierko.

We have one on reserve just as you ordered.

But I still don't understand why.

We can't do much damage with one canister of nerve gas.

You're so wrong. Let's go.

E-Excuse me, Agent, uh...

It's Agent Cole, ma'am. Cole. I'm sorry. Agent Cole.

My husband said that Aaron Pierce had been transferred to Washington,

and this is Agent Pierce's phone, and, uh...

I was wondering if you would be so good as to make sure that it's returned to him.

Of course.

Was there anything else, ma'am?

No. There's nothing else.

Oh, my God.

I'm sorry about this, Aaron.

Listen to me, Aaron.

You think you know what's going on.

I'm here to tell you you don't.

Then why don't you explain it to me, Mr. President?

I understand Jack Bauer led you to believe that there was a recording.

Something that tied me to David Palmer's murder.

That recording doesn't exist.

That's not what I've been told.

You're not hearing what I'm saying.

The recording doesn't exist.

It's over.

You have a choice here, Aaron.

You are a good man. You're a fine agent.

I see no reason to throw away your career.

But I need to know that we can put this behind us.

If you give me your word you will let this drop,

I will make sure that you are reassigned to whatever post you want...

Except for the White House, of course.

So, what's it gonna be, Aaron?

Are my terms acceptable?

There is nothing that you have said or done...

that is acceptable to me in the least.

You're a traitor to this country and a disgrace to your office.

And it's my duty to see that you're brought to justice for what you've done.

Is there anything else, Charles?

I know Pierce, Mr. President.

I served with him for five years, and his loyalty is to David Palmer.

Believe me when I tell you he's going to be a problem.

Mr. President, I confess I didn't expect to hear from you again.

The situation's changed. Everything's under control.

The recording has been destroyed. It's no longer a problem.

That's very good news, Mr. President, but what about the people who've already heard it?

Can't do anything without proof. I don't think any further action needs to be taken.

Then can we assume you've got the rest of your house in order?

If by that you mean my wife, yes. Yes, she's cooperating fully.

As for Aaron Pierce, that's another matter, but, um, I'm taking care of that.

Of course. What about Jack Bauer?

I've already given Karen Hayes permission to release him.

The arrangements that we discussed about taking him out,

they've already been set in motion.

It appears you have everything well in hand, Mr. President.

Yes, yes. I said I would handle it, and I have.

The situation's contained. There's nothing more to worry about.

I'll call you back.