24 Declassified: 03 - Trojan Horse Read Online Free Page B

Nancy is coming.”
    “Nancy! Oh, I’d love to see Nancy again.”
    “She’s had a baby you know. A son.”
    “I didn’t know.”
    “And Carla is engaged.”
    “My god...”
    “Everyone is getting married or engaged or having babies, it seems.” A short silence followed. “You’re still with Jack?”
    “Oh, yes. You know.”
    “Well that’s great. You can tell me about Jack and Kim tonight. You’re coming, right?”
    “Well I ...I...”
    “Say yes.”
    “Okay, I’m coming,” Teri said, relenting at last. “But this thing is on television, right? What do I wear?”
    “I’m sure you’ll think of something. You’ll look lovely no matter what you choose.”
    “Okay,” said Teri nervously. “What time?”
    “I’ll send a limousine to pick you up at five o’clock.
    It’s early but the show is broadcast live on the East Coast.”
    “I don’t need a limo, Dennis,” Teri said.
    “Don’t worry about it. The studio is paying for everything. It will be fun. And, Teri . . .” His voice lowered an octave. “It will be great to see you again.”
    Teri felt her cheeks flushing warm. “It will be really good to see you too, Dennis.”
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    THE FOLLOWING TAKES PLAC E
BETWEEN THE HOURS OF
6 A.M. AND 7 A.M.
PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME
    6:01:31 A . M .PDT Utopia Studios
    One ambulance departed with Jack Bauer’s prisoner strapped to a stretcher, while two paramedics worked on Jack. He let them strip away his shoulder armor, Kevlar vest, knee and elbow pads. He sat in coopera tive silence while they patched up his arm and stanched his bleeding nose. But trouble started when one paramedic tried to put Jack on a stretcher, too. He refused, became argumentative. Finally a female emergency worker stepped forward and tried to reason with him.
    “I don’tcarehow hard that helmet is,orhow tough you think you are, Officer Bauer. You most likely have a concussion and you ought to get it checked out.”
    “Listen . . .” Jack checked the woman’s ID tag. “Ms. Besario...Inez. I’m fine. Really. I’m not feeling drowsy. I’m not going into shock. My vision’s fine and I don’t even have a headache.”
    Her eyes were large and round and very dark. From her set expression Jack could see Inez Besario was as stubborn as he was. “You have a lump on your head and your nose has barely stopped bleeding.”
    Jack smiled, touched her shoulder. “I’ll have the docs check me out after I get back to headquarters. Thank you for your concern.”
    She stared up at Jack through long lashes. Then she flashed him a sly smile. “You cops are all alike. You think you’re supermen.”
    Jack noticed the wedding band on her finger. “Sounds like you speak from experience.”
    “Special Agent Bauer. Over here.”
    Jack turned at the call. Agent Brian McConnell didn’t wait for Bauer to follow. He turned on his heels and walked back to the white van parked near the blown-out door to studio nine.
    “Excuse me,” Jack told the paramedic.
    She nodded. “Better go, Special Agent Bauer.”
    Inez Besario joined the other emergency workers administering first aid to Chet Blackburn’s leg. Jack hurried across the parking lot. He spied Agent Avilla, tightening the flex-ties on one of the cholos who’d worked him over the other day. Finally Jack caught up with Angel One at the door to the battered van. McConnell slapped the dirty side panel twice with the palm of his hand.
    “Come,” a muffled voice called from inside.
    McConnell jerked the handle and slid the door open. Inside the command center, Jason Peltz sat in a chair bolted to the van’s floor. The man was surrounded by computers, flickering monitors and banks of communications equipment. There was even a small chemical lab inside. A technician with gloved hands was working with vials, testing a sample of the narcotic found inside Utopia Studios. Peltz powered down his station, yanked off his headset, and