24 Declassified: Operation Hell Gate

Operation Hell Gate is the first in the series of 24 Declassified novels. Like the other Declassified novels, the story takes place prior to Day 1.

Summary
Jack Bauer begins a long day with a memory stick and a prisoner named Dante Arete. This prisoner leads him to New York City, where a rogue agent named Frank Hensley turns the FBI and the rest of the United States Government against CTU. Jack is led on a race against time after he teams up with Caitlin O'Connor to stop the act of coordinated terrorism and the threat of a 1918 Type A Influenza strain being released over New York City.

Operation Hell Gate
PROLOGUE Jack Bauer rationalizes the debriefing as a necessary evil. Jack and Richard Walsh debrief each other in this prologue and displays how they contrast. They discuss the mission led on June 3rd at LAX. It then changes to the actual mission. Jack leads an assault team along with Tony Almeida, Chet Blackburn and Gina Costigan. The terrorists in another van attempt to shoot a plane down with a shoulder-fired ground to air anti-aircraft missile. A firefight ensues. All terrorists are dead with the exception of Dante Arete. Costigan has been hit and killed. All other Counter Terrorist Unit agents make it out alive. The agents discovered a flash drive. It changes back to CTU as there is a meeting. All information on Dante Arete is compiled. Possible connections are discussed. The FBI comes in and takes Arete away, but agrees to let Jack go to New York until they get to the FBI.

9 P.M.-10 P.M. Sky above New York Jack is handcuffed to Arete. Frank Hensley, the FBI Agent with Arete, is sleeping in the front cabin. Jack uses the restroom. As he comes back, Hensley is in the cabin. Hensley shoots both air marshals and attempts to shoot Jack, but Jack is hiding under Arete. Hensley tightens his hold on the gun.

9:16:07 PM, CTULA A woman named Doris Soo Min comes into CTU. She is the Korean software expert to decrypt and mine the flash drive found at LAX. Her colleagues Milo Pressman and Jamey Farrell joke because she is very young. Nina Myers is surprised but assigns her a level three security clearance. Jamey protests, but it is only on a provisional basis. Within a minute, Doris has already begun working and separating data.

9:21:51 PM, Sky above New York Jack learns of a deal made between Arete and Hensley. Hensley gets ready to shoot as an explosion occurs. The plane is almost at the ground, but the landing gear cannot support the plane. The plane crashes.

9:32:18 PM, CTULA Tony gets a call from security. A Marine Corps captain is checking into CTU. He heads down to meet her. He discovers that she is more of a beautiful female than a Marine. She introduces herself as Captain Jessica Schneider. They begin talking about the analysis. Tony discovers that she is currently in the same Marine Division as he was. Tony also discovers that she is the daughter of Texas Congressman Roy Schneider. He suddenly believes that she got her status in the Marines by legacy and nepotism rather than merit. She is disappointed at how he assumed this. When she agrees to meet the expert for the decryption, she is obviously agitated.

9:41:24 PM, JFK Airport Jack notices that he is hurt. He also notices a live wire. Arete and Hensley talk about their deal. Hensley goes over to shoot Jack, but Jack takes the live wire and hurts Hensley. Hensley lets go of his Glock and Jack grabs it. Arete escapes. Jack chooses to leave Hensley and chase Arete.

9:52:09 PM, CTULA Milo sat at his workstation, complaining at how his sad girlfriend used to understand his job, but now doesn't. Jamey jokes and fills the blanks in for Doris. Doris asks what the captain has that they don't have. Jamey replies, "Blond Hair, Rich Daddy, and a sexy drawl that makes men drool."

9:55:21 PM, JFK Airport Firefighters come to the scene of the crash. They rescue Hensley. After a moment of oxygen, Hensley lies and says that Jack shot everyone and helped Arete escape. "That man has got to be stopped-- caught. Dead or alive.  Hack Bauer is a traitor and a murderer and has got to be stopped..."

10 P.M.-11 P.M. CTULA Nina Myers informs CTU that the aircraft ferrying Jack Bauer and Dante Arete has crashed. Jamey Farrell offers to contact him with his CDD satellite communicator, but Nina wants to follow protocol. Nina places CTU in lockdown mode. Milo Pressman groans as he begins another conversation with his sobbing girlfriend as to why he cannot come and meet her. Jamey says that they have a problem and Milo can make up with her another night.

10:28:52 PM, Queens, New York Arete runs by a tavern called Tatiana's. Jack shadows him as Arete runs into a chop-shop area. Jack recognizes the Columbia Street Posse as the gang that Arete is affiliated with. Arete receives a metal case with money. Jack hides and reaches for his CDD Communicator.

10:41:14 PM, CTULA Nina, Tony Almeida, Ryan Chappelle, Jamey, and Milo are all on a conference call with Jack. Jack recounted the events of the last hour. Jamey activated both trackers, the one on Arete and the one in Jack's watch. Ryan orders for a report on Special Agent Frank Hensley within an hour.

10:59:26 PM, Tatiana's Parking Lot Jack watched as the hitmen load their guns up with ammo and walk inside the pub. Just as Jack begins to hotwire the car so he can follow the Mercedes containing the Long Tooth Missile Launcher, a group of punks come up and rip the door open. The Mercedes gets away.

11:00 P.M.-12:00 A.M Queens Jack Bauer forgets about the Mercedes for a minute and protects his soft spots as well as the guns. He tries to explain that he is a federal agent, but this only angers the Posse more. Jack is yanked out of the car and is caught in a 5-1 showdown. Jack pulls his gun out as the others begin waving theirs around. He decides to do the only thing he can to protect himself.

11:08:36 PM, Tatiana's Tavern Georgi Timko, a bartender, realizes that it has been a quiet night. However, he knew that the four men that came in would be trouble. Georgi recalls the evidence he gave to the KGB that damned some, but made him many enemies. Suddenly, he turns around to face his assassins and all hell breaks loose. Two bullet holes pierced the windows. Patrons dive under the table, and then attempt to escape to attack the men that shot in the tavern.

11:09:47 PM, Tatiana's Parking Lot People rush out of Tatiana's and one yells at the punks with the guns. The gang disperses. A gunfight begins inside. A bartender sprints outside and is shot. Jack Bauer goes inside to investigate the firefight after he recognizes that a Russian AK-47 is being used.

11:28:58 PM, CTULA Ryan Chappelle, Nina Myers, and Tony Almeida all gather around Jamey Farrell's workstation. The New York FBI have issued a warrant for Jack's arrest. Ryan makes it clear that he is unbiased and has to prove to the Secretary of Defense that Jack Bauer is not crazy.

Intelligence Agents

 * CTU Analyst Jamey Farrell
 * CTU Analyst Dae Soo Min
 * Chief of Staff Nina Myers
 * CTU Analyst Milo Pressman
 * Cindy Carlisle
 * Mickey Chen
 * Phillip Keenan
 * Danielle Henkel

Field Agents

 * Special Agent in Charge Jack Bauer
 * CTU Operative Tony Almeida
 * Gina Costigan
 * Carlos Ferrer

Division, Politicians, and Other Agencies

 * Captain Jessica Schneider
 * CTU Administrator Richard Walsh
 * CTU Administrative Director Ryan Chappelle
 * Jason Ridley
 * Jeffrey Dodge
 * Roy Goodman
 * Hideki Saito
 * William Cheever
 * Henry Johnston Garnett

Terrorists and Antagonists

 * Frank Hensley
 * Dennis Spain
 * Omar Bayat
 * Taj Ali Kahlil
 * Khan Ali Kahlil
 * Shamus Lynch
 * Griffin Lynch
 * Tarik

Civilians

 * Caitlin O'Connor
 * Liam O'Connor
 * Fiona Brice
 * Mamie Green
 * Katherine Hensley
 * Wen Chou Lee
 * Felix Tanner
 * Tina

Tatliana's Tavern

 * Alexi
 * Beru
 * Nicolo
 * Olga
 * Yuri

The Last Celt

 * Detective McKinney
 * Donnie Murphy
 * Pat

For a complete list of characters, see Operation Hell Gate cast....

Background information and notes

 * Time references given in the novel place the story sometime between 1995 and 1998.
 * Bill Buchanan is mentioned as being at CTU Seattle.
 * Curtis Manning is mentioned as "that new guy, Curtis what's his name."
 * Roy Schneider, an original character from Cerasini's first 24 novel, The House Special Subcommittee's Findings at CTU, is mentioned here.

Operatie Hell Gate