Fighting for Salvation (8)

[failegaidin]

Woohoo! Two chapters in one week. You guys should be VERY proud of me. Hope you like it!!

Chapter 8

            "Agent Almeida?"

            Tony turned around to find Alberta Green striding towards him. She had a small smile on her face, but he could see the predatory gleam in her eyes and he knew that she would hunt for any weaknesses that she could use to her advantage. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself against whatever tactics she might use.

            "May I speak to you for a moment?" she asked.

            He put his hands on his hips. "Sure."

            "I was wondering if you could tell me where Agent Connelly is."

            "There was something she had to attend to."

            "I don't suppose you want to be any more specific?"

            "Not really, no."

            Green sighed in apparent regret. "Tony, may I call you Tony? I have to say, I think it's sad."

            "What are you talking about?"

            "The way you let these women play you while they cater to every one of Jack Bauer's whims. It's common knowledge that Nina and Jack had an affair. And now you've got a crush on Ava and she's too busy running after Jack to even notice you. When are you going to open your eyes and see that they're just using you?"

            Tony looked down at the floor, trying to rein in his anger. He had heard the same thing from Mason during the lockdown, and he had thought those very things on his own from time to time. But Ava hadn't asked him to keep her whereabouts a secret – she hadn't asked him for anything. She couldn't be using him if she genuinely believed he wouldn't let himself be used by her. Shaking his head slightly, he raised his eyes to Alberta's again.

            "Look, my personal life is none of your business. And I'd appreciate it if you would refrain from badmouthing my girlfriend or any of my friends. You're supposed to be in charge here, and trying to sow seeds of discord among your subordinates isn't a good way to lead."

            "Does that mean you're not going to tell me where Ava is?"

            He sighed, making a quick decision. "She had to leave."

            "Why? We're in the middle of a national crisis."

            "There was a family emergency…something with her dad. She had to leave."

            "You do realize I can check hospital records, correct?"

            "I didn't say he was in a hospital."

            "No. You were conveniently vague."

            Tony held her gaze and made another decision, praying that Ava would forgive him. "Look…Alberta…Ava's dad has a drinking problem. A pretty serious one. She was called by someone who found him in pretty bad shape. She couldn't leave him like that, knowing that he could hurt himself or someone else. So she left to take care of the problem – discreetly."

            Green stared at him for a long moment, trying to discern where the lie was. But Tony kept his eyes on hers and willed her to believe him. Finally, she relented.

            "I'm sorry to hear that. It must be very difficult for her. You'll let me know the minute you hear from her?"

            He nodded. "Of course."

            "Thank you."

            She stared at him for another moment before turning around and walking back across the floor. Tony breathed a sigh of relief and wondered how much time he had bought them.

 

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            "Richard, I said LAX. Are you taking some kind of shortcut? Because if you don't get me to the airport on time…"

            Ava glanced back in the mirror, just as Cofell raised his eyes. They stared at each other for a moment, until it clicked that her eyes were a bright blue compared to the brown of his normal driver.

            "Hey! Who are you? What's going on here?"

            Without a word, Ava turned off the road and headed toward a parking garage. She drove to the bottom level before pulling the limo to the side and putting it in park. There was banging on the partition behind her, but she just ignored it as Jack unfolded himself from the floor of the passenger's side and stepped out of the vehicle. A second later, he was climbing into the backseat with Cofell, his gun out.  

            "Who are you?" he repeated. "What do you want."

            "Shut up," Jack growled.

            Ava lowered the partition so that she could talk more easily to Jack.

            "Do you need any help?"

            "Believe me, you're not going to want to help with this."

            "Should I go take a walk? God, I feel like I'm in a mobster flick."

            "Call Nina."

            "Do I have to?"

            "Call Nina. I want an interrogation profile on Mr. Cofell here." He turned to the man sitting in front of him. "Unless of course, you'd like to just tell me what I need to know?"

            "Go to hell," the businessman spat.

            "Call Nina."

            "You didn't ask nicely," Ava scolded. Then she turned to Cofell. "Sir, we're federal agents. We have reason to believe that you've been involved in illegal activities. There was a transfer of one million dollars to your bank account. Would you please explain that to us?"

            "I'm not telling you anything, you little bitch."

            Ava sighed. "I'll call Nina."

 

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            "Myers."

            "It's Ava."

            "What do you need?"

            "What, no insult or scathing remark? Are you feeling alright, Nina?"

            "Look. What's happening today is bigger than whatever problem we have with each other. I've got Alberta Green breathing down my neck here, and we're trying to help you guys and save the Senator all at the same time. Maybe we can hold our fighting until tomorrow."

            "I hate to admit it, but you have a point. Fine. Temporary truce pending resolution of national crisis."

            "You're a dork."

            "Hey, truce, remember?"

            "What do you need?"

            "We've got Ted Cofell."

            "What exactly does that mean?"

            "It means Jack's got him at gunpoint in the back of his limo on the lowest level of a deserted parking garage."

            "Oh God."

            "Pretty much. He wants an interrogation profile on this guy. He refuses to talk…well, he refuses to say anything helpful – his language is quite colorful, though."

            "Alright, I'll need some time. I'll call you back when I've got it."

            "Bye."

            Nina hung up the phone and began typing furiously on her computer. She pulled up all the information she could on Cofell and started sifting through it, looking for anything that could help Jack get information out of him.

Tony watched from his station, fighting back the jealousy, knowing that Jack was on their side and that he was doing what he had to do to save Palmer and his family. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Alberta Green watching Nina as well. She narrowed her eyes and left the person she was conversing with, probably mid-sentence. Striding toward Nina, she had a determined look on her face.

Without thinking, Tony stepped out in front of her.

"Ms. Green."

"Do you need something Tony?"

"I…you wanted to know as soon as I heard from Agent Connelly."

She crossed her arms and looked at him with renewed interest. "And you have?"

He nodded. "She called in a couple minutes ago. Her dad put up a struggle, and she had some trouble getting him home. She said she should be back in an hour or so. She just wants to make sure he passes out and then she's purging the house of whatever alcohol she can find."

"If he's an alcoholic, he'll just go out and buy more."

"Not if he doesn't have any money or keys."

A small smile appeared on her face. "That's very true. I see Ava is very determined to rid her father of his drinking problem."

"Ava knows she has no power over her father's habit. What she wants is to make sure he stays out of her hair for the rest of the day so that she can come back and do her job."

Green nodded. "She has her priorities straight, then. I like that in a young woman." She looked up and saw that Nina had disappeared from her station. Her eyes shot back to Tony.

"I was on my way to speak to Nina when you stopped me."

"Was it something I could help you with?"

"No. Do you know where she went?"

Tony shrugged. "How could I? I've been talking to you."

Green nodded. "So you have."

 

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            "Connelly."

            "It's Nina."

            "Did you find anything?"

            "Pain."

            "Excuse me?"

            "Cofell. I think the key to breaking him is pain."

            "That sounds unpleasant."

            "Don't worry. Jack will take care of the dirty work."

            "I'm not sure that makes me feel better."

 

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            Ava tried to ignore the cries of pain coming from the backseat. She faced the front, her hands gripping the steering wheel so hard that her knuckles had turned white. This was the part of the job she liked the least. Many had called her a bleeding-heart liberal, and she had always spoken out against the government and their willingness to suspend people's rights and torture information out of them. But now she was sitting in a car with a man being hurt in the backseat, all because of the information he might hold.

She sighed, wondering not for the first time why she had agreed to take this job when Jack had offered it. She could have said no. She didn't need the money. But she had needed to feel as though she were doing something. And it had sounded fun…Ava wasn't sure what that said about her as a person, but it was the truth. Jack told her that she would mostly be going into the field, retrieving things that had been stolen, disarming the bad guys…he had neglected to tell her about the dirtier aspects.

Finally, there was a knock on the partition and Ava lowered it, turning to face Jack.

"Call Nina. Cofell just told me he was on his way to a meeting with a Kevin Carroll. He's supposed to work for a machine tool company. I want her to get any information she can on him."

Ava nodded and dialed the number.

            "Myers."

            "Me again."

            "Did Jack find anything out?"

            "He got a name. Kevin Carroll. Cofell says he works for a machine tool company. Jack wants you to look him up."

            "Okay, give me a second."

            Ava listened to the other woman typing away at her computer as she drummed her own fingers against the steering wheel.

            "Ava?"

            "Yeah."

            "There were a few Kevin Carrolls in the system. One of them does, in fact, work for a machine tool company."

            "Well that's interesting."

            "You know what that means, don't you?"

            "What?"

            "This guy might be innocent. It could have just been a simple meet between businessmen."

            "I'll see how Jack likes that theory."

            "I think Jack's a little narrow-minded right now."

            "Not much we can do about that at the moment. I think he's our best chance at finding out who's behind the hit on Palmer and Cofell and Carroll are our only real leads right now."

            "Call me if you need anything."

            "Have I told you lately how helpful you are, Nina?"

            "Shut up."

            Ava closed the phone and turned back to look at Jack again.

            "Nina found a Kevin Carroll who works for a machine tool company. She would like me to point out to you that Cofell may in fact be innocent and that this was just a business meeting."

            "I think we should go meet Kevin and have a chat with him."

            "I figured that was your plan."

 

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            The meeting was in another parking garage. Ava idly wondered about the significance of that. Secret business was always done on the lower level, whether on TV or, it seemed, in real life. She mused that it wasn't always evil business, though. Mulder had met with his contacts, and even Scully on occasion, in the dark recesses or a parking garage…

            "Ava?"

            "Hmm?"

            "You seemed distracted."

            "I was musing."

            "On what?"

            "Fictional media's use of the parking garage and it's proximity to real life."

            "Is now really the time?"

            She shrugged. "I'm sorry. You were busy torturing somebody. Didn't think you'd notice."

            "I want you to put the partition up again."

            "Why?"

            "Because Carroll might be armed and I don't want him shooting you in the back of the head."

            "That sounds like a valid concern."

            "I'll join you in front again when I have him restrained."

            "Okay."

            She rolled the partition up again and focused her attention outside. There were no other cars near them, and she thought it likely that she would catch a glimpse of Carroll as he approached the limo. Unless, of course, he came from behind, in which case she probably wouldn't see him until it was too late. She prayed that Jack had a more solidified plan than he normally did.

            Something slammed against the partition behind her, making her jump. Turning, her eyes widened as she saw Jack and Cofell struggling against each other, the latter wielding a knife. She hurriedly lowered the partition, wondering how she was going to be able to help her friend in such tight quarters. When the glass was finally out of her way, she started to move through the opening. She stopped when Cofell suddenly began yelling. Jack punched him in the chest, forcing him to fall back against the seat.

            "That wasn't English," Ava observed, her upper body halfway through to the back.

            "It was Serbian," Jack muttered, shock and confusion evident in his voice.

            "That mean something to you?"
            His answer was cut off as Cofell's breathing suddenly became labored and he clutched at his chest.

            "Jack, I think he's having a heart attack."

            The businessman motioned with his right hand, pointing toward his briefcase. Jack picked it up from the floor and opened it, eventually pulling out a bottle of pills. He went to hand them over and then stopped, the bottle just out of reach of the dying man.

            "You want these?" Jack asked in a low voice. "Tell me about Carroll. Why were you meeting him?"

            Cofell just continue to make pained noises, gurgling as he doubled over in pain.

            "Jack, you're killing him! Just give him the pills!"

            "Tell me what I want to know!" Jack roared.

            A few seconds later, Cofell slumped forward, falling to the floor of the limousine. Ava stared at him in horror as Jack reached out to feel for a pulse. He looked at her and shook his head.

            "You killed him," she whispered.

            "He wouldn't talk."

            "That's no reason to kill somebody!" she screamed.

            "Look! I did what I had to do-"

            "No!" she yelled, cutting him off. "If you had just given him the fucking pills, he would still be alive and you could be trying to get more information out of him. Instead, you let him die and you're no closer to finding Teri and Kim. You fucked up, Jack!"

            He stared at her for a moment, both of them flushed and angry. They had just lost one of their leads, and Ava was still in shock from watching someone die. Jack was the first to drop his gaze, unable to stand the absolute certainty in hers any longer – she knew she was right, whereas he didn't have that luxury with his choices.

            "Carroll is still coming."

            "He'll run when he sees that Cofell is dead."

            "So we need to make sure he doesn't realize that until it's too late." He paused, pulling out his phone.

            "Who are you calling?"

            "Nina."

            "Myers."

            "It's me."

            "Jack? Where are you? What's going on?"

            "I need you to look something up for me."

            "I don't know how I'm going to be able to do that, Jack."

            "What do you mean?"

            "Alberta Green has been sent in to replace you. She's been breathing down our necks trying to find you. Tony's been lying for Ava, so she doesn't know she's with you yet."

            "Cofell is dead."

            "What?"

            "He had a heart attack while I was questioning him."

            "Did you get anything useful out of him?"

            "Maybe. I need you to look up any connections to Operation Nightfall."

            "What's that?"

            "It's a mission I led a while back. Just find any connections you can…to anything."

            "Alright. I'll get back to you when I have something."

            Jack hung up the phone and looked at Ava, who was still staring at him.

            "So you think this might be personal? Against you?"

            "Maybe. There's no real reason why a normal American businessman would get a money transfer from Gaines and be able to speak Serbian. Gaines has my family and I led a mission in Serbia. There has to be a connection."

            "So what do we do now?"

            "I'm going to sit Cofell up so that it looks like he's just sitting here. I want you to put the partition up again. I'm going to join you in the front. When Carroll gets in, I want you to lock the doors and then push the button that initiates the child locks. We'll go from there."

            "So we're kidnapping another person? Great."

            "Please, Ava. I need your help."

            She sighed and thought for a long moment before speaking. "Look, Jack. I'm dead set against what you just did. It was wrong, and it was inhuman, and it was unnecessary. But your family is missing and Senator Palmer's life is at risk, and I know our hands are going to get dirty today. So…I'm not okay with what happened, but I'm still with you."

            He grasped her hand. "Thank you."

 

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            It was ten minutes later when the back door opened and Kevin Carroll climbed into the backseat. He sat next to Cofell and shut the door again, turning to speak to him. He realized that something was wrong just as he heard the click that locked the doors. Reaching over, he felt for a pulse on his colleague, his eyes widening when he found none. Frantically, he looked toward the front seat.

            Ava and Jack found themselves looking at the man who had passed himself off as Alan York. Jack's jaw tightened as he realized that he and Teri had been duped, and that this man had gained her trust only to hurt her.

            When he recognized them, Carroll pulled out his gun and fired multiple shots at their heads. The bullets hit the partition, but didn't break it – the limo had been outfitted with bulletproof glass. He growled at them in frustration as Ava started the car.

 

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            "I need you to crash the limo."

            "Excuse me?"

            "I want him to slam his head into the glass and knock himself out. That way I can restrain him and get some information out of him."

            "Do you realize how many cars I have crashed or abandoned today because of you?"

            "Will you do it?"

            She sighed. "Fasten your seatbelt."

            A parking garage wasn't the easiest place to pick up speed, especially in a limo. Ava drove the car around in circles, trying to gain enough momentum to do some damage. Finally, she shot straight ahead, appearing to head for the next level. At the last minute, she turned the wheel and plowed the limo into one of the concrete posts that marked which row you parked your car in. She and Jack surged forward, their seatbelts the only things that kept them from going through the windshield. There was a loud bang behind them and they turned to look, seeing Kevin Carroll sprawled out on the floor, blood trickling from where he had smashed his head into the glass.

            Jack grinned wickedly and got out of the car.

 

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            It wasn't long before Jack was opening Ava's door and motioning for her to get out. Carroll stood beside him, tied tightly in multiple ropes.

            "He's agreed to take us to Teri and Kim."

            "That was nice of him."

            "He didn't want to help at first. I had to persuade him."

            "I don't actually want to know the details."

            "I didn't think so."

            "So where are we going?"

            "He's going to drive and I'm going to hold a gun to his head."

            "I hope you don't expect me to sit in the backseat with the dead guy."

            "We'll put him in the trunk."

            "I hate you."

            "I know."

            "I'm not lifting him."

            "You watch the hostage, I'll move the body."

            Ava nodded and pulled out her own gun, training it on Kevin.

            "You're not just a friend of the family, are you?" he asked, referring to their first meeting.

            "Nope. And you're not just some guy that gives me the heebie-jeebies. You're actually evil."

            He turned his eyes to watch as Jack hauled Cofell's body out of the backseat and dragged it towards the trunk. Ava moved her head slightly as well, and Kevin moved them, trying to disarm her while she was distracted.

            In one smooth move, Ava twirled her gun and smashed the butt of it into Carroll's nose. He cried out in pain as blood starting pouring down his face and he sank to the ground. Jack shut the trunk and walked over to them.

            "He tried to escape," she explained.

            "So we know he's not too bright."

            "Minions usually aren't."

            Jack bent down and dragged Carroll up, leading him to the driver's seat while Ava kept her gun pointed at him. Then he took his own place in the passenger's seat as she climbed into the back. He placed his gun right against the other man's temple.

            "Now take me to my wife and daughter."

 

           

 

           

           

Comments

[sej-1986.livejournal.com]

Yaaaaaaaaay!!! 2 chapters in one week! I am very proud :D Loved the reference to Mulder and Scully! Also, you've got season 1 Tony exactly right! As I read I play season 1 in my head and I can see him just as he is here; not liking Jack, wary of Nina's friendship with him.
Can I be really mean and demand more? :D

[failegaidin.livejournal.com]

I am so so so so glad you like it. And I'm relieved that Tony is coming across okay. I have plotted out the next two chapters. So maybe Monday or Tuesday you'll get more :D

[agentobrian.livejournal.com]

I really liked this chapter. Heck, I like the whole story. You write the characters so perfectly. Keep it up.

[failegaidin.livejournal.com]

Yay! You have no idea how much your feedback means to me. This story is seriously daunting and it takes effort to keep going. But I'm so glad you like it. There should be more early next week.

[noalinnea.livejournal.com]

I really liked Ava's reaction to Cofell's death. Jack Bauer kills way to many people on the show in my opinion. Most of the time he's shown tormented because of it but I'd like to have it more outspoken sometimes. Same with torture. I'm from Europe and we have a much lower tolerance towards torture and death penalties and things like that, I think. So it's great your story is picking up on these problems.

[failegaidin.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I needed someone to be outraged by Jack's actions.