Day 2: 11:00am-12:00pm

George Mason returns to find CTU in shambles and orders Paula Schaeffer to be resuscitated because she contains vital information. Kim Bauer takes Megan Matheson to the hospital, but the staff there learns of the abuse. David Palmer fires Eric Rayburn. Jack Bauer locates Joseph Wald, the leader of the terrorist cell, and discovers who gave him the plans to CTU.

Previously on 24

 * Ralph Burton informs Kate Warner that Reza Naiyeer has a terrorist connection and instructs her to keep this knowledge quiet from her family.
 * George Mason inhales lethal levels of radioactive plutonium in an abandoned warehouse. He has between a day and a week to live.
 * Lynne Kresge and Eric Rayburn debate whether to inform CTU of the impending attack. Palmer orders Lynne to warn them.
 * Kim Bauer takes Megan Matheson to CTU for protection. Gary Matheson reports Kim to the police for child abduction.
 * Jack Bauer assists Eddie Grant in the plot to attack CTU.
 * CTU explodes.

The following takes place between 11:00am and 12:00pm.

11:00:00


Emergency personnel race towards CTU to respond to the attack. Eddie, Chris, and Jack listen to the emergency radio frequencies as they drive off. CTU personnel stagger around the rubble looking for survivors. Michelle Dessler is relieved to see that Tony Almeida is alive and assisting other survivors when he finds Paula Schaeffer trapped under rubble. A man explains to Tony that it would be dangerous to remove the rubble all at once using a crane, so Tony and he begin to remove it by hand. Below, in the garage, Kim Bauer carries Megan Matheson, who suddenly starts convulsing. One of the EMTs rushes over and attends to her, explaining to Kim that Megan is seizing up.

Eric Rayburn briefs President David Palmer on the attack on CTU and requests permission to re-evaluate his evacuation plan for Los Angeles. Palmer laments that they did not receive Bauer's call sooner. Once Palmer leaves, Lynne Kresge assigns responsibility to Rayburn for the deaths of CTU personnel. Rayburn counters that, as far as he is concerned, they never received a call. Lynne accuses Rayburn of blackmailing her, but Rayburn insists that he is protecting the President, and tells Lynne to keep any knowledge to herself.



HazMat Dr. Porter informs George Mason that his personal belongings have been transferred from his car to the ambulance. George asks what symptoms he can expect leading up to his death. The HazMat technician lists symptoms including hair loss, lesions, nausea, nosebleeds, gastrointestinal hemmoraging, and mental deterioration. A police officer interrupts with a call from Tony informing George of the attack and asks him when he's returning. George answers that he may not be returning to CTU, which frustrates Tony, but George insists that he handle the situation.



Eddie instructs Jack to follow him from the phone company van to a car while Chris prepares dynamite to destroy the van. Eddie calls Joseph Wald to confirm that the attack was successful, and Jack points his gun at Eddie to place him under arrest. Chris notices the turmoil and begins shooting at Jack, who kills him. Eddie then tries to attack Jack with the car, but Jack manages to shoot Eddie and drive the car away.

11:10:27...11:10:28...11:10:29...11:10:30...

11:15:53
Jack drives away from the scene of the shootout and calls CTU to ascertain the outcome of the explosion. Michelle answers and informs him of the 21 casualties currently counted. Jack asks why CTU wasn't evacuated, and Michelle answers that there wasn't enough time to evacuate, which surprises Jack. Michelle further informs Jack that Mason wasn't there, and that Tony survived and is assisting emergency rescue workers. Jack informs Michelle that Eddie and his crew are dead, and he is on his way to Joseph Wald's residence. Jack also asks Michelle to inform Mason that he spoke to Kim, and Michelle answers that Kim also spoke to Tony. Tony is attempting to assist Paula when Michelle informs Tony about Jack's call. Tony remembers that Kim was on her way to CTU and asks Michelle to check the security logs for Kim's arrival.

Kim speaks to a doctor at nearby St. Virgil's Hospital about Megan's condition. The doctor informs Kim that Megan's convulsions were a result of a head injury that took place prior to their arrival at CTU, and that there has been a pattern of abuse. Kim denies any suspicions that she is responsible for the abuse, and the doctor responds that the police will make that determination.

11:17:36



At the Northwest Command Center, the President and his staff watches a live new report on the explosion of CTU in which the field reporter mentions rumors of terrorist activity. Rayburn uses the attack as justification for his recommendation for an evacuation of Los Angeles. Lynne counters that civil unrest may result from an evacuation, but Rayburn assures the staff that the evacuation can be handled discreetly. Lynne and Rayburn continue to debate across the table until Palmer intervenes with reservations of his own. Rayburn insists that his plan protects the President politically, but Palmer insists that there are more important concerns than his own re-election. He orders no evacuation until more solid intelligence is provided about the location of the bomb.

Jack calls the Northwest Command Center and demands to speak to the President, but is directed instead to Lynne Kresge. Jack demands to know why CTU was not evacuated in the window that he provided, which Lynne tries to explain away. Lynne informs Jack that he is still the best chance they have of finding the nuclear device and tells him to do his job. Jack counters that she and her people need to start doing theirs, and hangs up.

11:21:20

Kate approaches Bob Warner and informs him of Ralph's findings regarding Reza's terrorist connections. Bob assures Kate that he has checked Reza's background thoroughly and that he has no such connections. Reza interrupts and tells Kate and Bob that his cousin has a crush on Kate. She tries to excuse herself to pick up lunch, and Reza offers to drive her. Kate attempts to decline, but Bob insists that Kate go with him.

11:24:11...11:24:12...11:24:13...11:24:14...

11:28:36
George is riding in the ambulance to the hospital when the paramedic riding with him hands him a call from Tony Almeida. Tony asks George for his password to access the data that they're working on, and George answers that it is "Hendrix." He asks about Paula's condition, and Tony answers that she isn't doing well. The call ends; George asks if he is contagious, and Dr. Porter tells him he is not.



Jack arrives at Joseph Wald's house and approaches, pretending that he is still cooperating with Eddie. Upon entering Joseph's home, however, he points a gun at Joseph and reveals that he was the one that killed Eddie and his crew for resisting arrest. Jack begins interrogating Joseph about the attack on CTU and the nuclear attack, but is interrupted by an attacking guard dog, and Joseph takes this opportunity to retreat into a secure panic room. Jack shoots the dog and pursues, but Joseph manages to secure himself inside. Jack goes back and forth between trying to break through the metal walls and reasoning with him through the security cameras.

Carla Matheson receives a call from Kim about Megan's condition. Carla repeats Gary's lies about Kim abducting Megan, and that Megan's injuries were an accident, but Kim confronts Carla with suspicions of Gary's abuse. Carla breaks down and is about to leave for the hospital, but Gary manages to catch her before she can leave.

11:35:59...11:36:00...11:36:01...11:36:02...

11:40:25


Jack continues to try to break through Joseph's metal safehouse while informing him that tactical teams are on their way to his location. He further informs Joseph that his collaborators want to destroy the entire country in an attempt to sway him. Jack tells him that, for once, he has all the power, and implores him to use it to save innocent people rather than let them die.

Reza claims that Kate doesn't like him, which she denies. He drives Kate to a residential neighborhood that is not on the way to their destination, which alarms Kate, and she demands that he turn around. Reza finally reveals that he wanted to show her the house he bought for himself and Marie as a wedding present. This calms Kate for the moment, but she still maintains her suspicions.



The emergency teams manage to remove the debris from over Paula so the doctors can treat her. A paramedic tells Tony that she needs to be taken to the ER immediately, or she will bleed to death. Just before she can be put into the ambulance, George arrives and insists that Paula stays so that she can be revived to inform them of the code, over Tony's protests.

11:47:16...11:47:17...11:47:18...11:47:19...

11:51:43
Palmer summons Lynne into his office to read Jenny's statement about the bombing. Before Lynne leaves, Palmer questions Lynne about the 30 minute window. Lynne tries to defend herself, but after Palmer's probing, she is plagued by guilt and offers to resign. Palmer realizes that it was on Rayburn's insistance that the information was withheld from him and refuses Lynne's resignation, indicating that he still trusts her.

11:54:17

Michelle questions why Paula is still here. Tony responds that George ordered she be revived to provide them with the codes to access the information, and he reluctantly admits that he agrees, although he is burdened with the knowledge that he hired her and feels responsible for her death because of it. Michelle assures Tony that Paula had the chance to do the job she was hired for.



Agent John and another agent notify Rayburn that the President wishes to speak with him. He is escorted to the President's office and is promptly informed that he is fired for withholding the information about the CTU attack. Rayburn protests that the President needs him, but Palmer counters that he needs people he can trust. Palmer calls in a Secret Service agent and tells him to escort Rayburn off the premises.

11:57:39



Jack informs Joseph that the tactical teams will arrive in two minutes and that he can either tell him who was his informant, or he can go back to prison. Joseph releases the lock and gives Jack photos of his informant, but shoots himself through the mouth before Jack can look at them.

Split screen: Jack opens the envelope and begins to sift through its contents. Eric Rayburn is escorted out of the OC as Lynne watches. The EMTs at CTU continue to monitor Paula's status. Kate and Reza drive home.

As Jack looks through the photos, he is stunned to realize that Wald's informant was Nina Myers.

11:59:57...11:59:58...11:59:59...12:00:00

Starring

 * Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer
 * Sarah Wynter as Kate Warner
 * Elisha Cuthbert as Kim Bauer
 * Xander Berkeley as George Mason
 * Carlos Bernard as Tony Almeida
 * and Dennis Haysbert as President David Palmer

Guest starring

 * Reiko Aylesworth as Michelle Dessler
 * Skye McCole Bartusiak as Megan Matheson
 * Billy Burke as Gary Matheson
 * Timothy Carhart as Eric Rayburn
 * Michelle Forbes as Lynne Kresge
 * Sara Gilbert as Paula Schaeffer
 * Tracy Middendorf as Carla Matheson
 * Phillip Rhys as Reza Naiyeer
 * John Terry as Bob Warner
 * Sal Landi as Arroyo
 * Jon Gries as Joseph Wald
 * Scott Allan Campbell as Porter
 * Scotch Ellis Loring as Paramedic
 * Douglas O'Keeffe as Eddie Grant
 * Jimmi Simpson as Chris
 * Freda Foh Shen as Doctor

Co-starring

 * John Sterling Carter as Field Reporter
 * Cliff Weissman as Rescue Worker
 * Michael Nagy as Secret Service Agent
 * Max Delgado as Hazmat Paramedic

Background information and notes

 * In this episode, each clock that precedes a commercial features four seconds of beeping, rather than three seconds of beeping like every other episode of Day 2.