24 Declassified: 02 - Veto Power by John Whitman

Author:John Whitman [Whitman, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Suspense, Fiction, General, Media Tie-In, Thrillers, Suspense Fiction, Terrorism, Action & Adventure, United States, Terrorism - United States
ISBN: 9780060842253
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2005-01-01T08:00:00+00:00

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THE FOLLOWING TAKES PLACE BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 12 P.M. AND 1 P.M. PACIFIC STANDARD TIME

12:00 P.M. PST CTU Headquarters, Los Angeles

Despite the rallying cry of 9/11 and the media’s spotlight on interagency cooperation, it was often still difficult to bring law enforcement and intelligence communities together. The CIA and the FBI were like schoolyard rivals who had fought for so long it was habit. The National Security Agency had acted as an independent agency for its entire life, and simply did not know how to play well with others. Homeland Security was the new kid who wasn’t sure how to fit in.

Still, there was one way to get them all talking together, and it began with the phrase, “There is a plot to kill the President tomorrow morning.”

Jack Bauer, Kelly Sharpton, and Ryan Chappelle sat in CTU’s video conference room as various monitors lit up around them. Jack saw station chiefs from the CIA and the FBI. The Attorney General was there, as was the National Security Agency’s Deputy Director. So was the Assistant Secretary for Homeland Security. Benjamin Perch, head of the Secret Service, was there of course, and Jack was relieved to see the face of Richard Walsh appear on one of the screens. Having Walsh in the meeting gave him a boost of confidence.

Since the threat was directed at the President, it was Benjamin Perch of the Secret Service who ran the meeting. “Thank you all for attending on such short notice,” he said in a deep bass. “This appears to be an urgent matter, so this is going to be a bit informal. You all know as much as I do: the Counter Terrorist Unit in Los Angeles has uncovered what it considers to be a credible threat to the President. I am going to turn this over to Jack Bauer at CTU.”

Ryan Chappelle fidgeted in his seat. He disliked allowing anyone else to take charge of a meeting he attended; when that person was Jack Bauer, he felt like a passenger on a runaway bus.

“Thank you,” Jack said. “I’ll keep it short. We have evidence that a fundamentalist terrorist cell has been operating in the United States for at least six months. An hour ago we discovered an apartment in West-wood that contained traces of bomb-making materials and bunk beds suggesting at least eight members of the cell. We also discovered coded messages suggesting the terrorists plan to attack the President tomorrow morning in Los Angeles.”

As concisely as he could, Jack described the Greater Nation militia, the leads they had given, and the evidence he had compiled. He explained Professor Rafizadeh’s credentials and Nazila’s skills. The minute he was finished, the questions began.

“How long have we been tracking this terrorist cell?” demanded the Attorney General.

Jack felt Kelly Sharpton bristle. He had trouble hiding his own bewilderment. He and Sharpton both knew

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