Ira Gaines


 * "The less I know, the better I can do my job; that's just the nature of our business."
 * &mdash; Ira Gaines, "Day 1: 12:00pm-1:00pm"

Ira Gaines was a professional mercenary hired by Andre Drazen during Day 1 to kidnap Kim Bauer and her mother Teri in order to blackmail Jack Bauer. He worked with a large crew of American mercenary subordinates from a compound where he orchestrated an attempted assassination of David Palmer, and through a complex scheme, prepared to frame Jack Bauer for the crime.

Before Day 1
Ira Gaines graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a Masters of Science in Ballistics and Chemical Engineering. After undergoing the United States Navy's BUD/S training program, he became a Navy SEAL, serving from 1991 to 1995 before being dishonorably discharged. His later experience included time as a Security Consultant for International Business Telecom in Mexico City in 1996 and a Hostage Rescue Consultant in Cartagena, Colombia from 1998 to 1999.

Around this time, Gaines began working as a mercenary for hire, participating as a sniper in the Zimbabwe civil war. Other alleged criminal activities included the Cartagena Old Town Massacre in 1999, the San Diego Commuter Bank robbery in 2000, and the assassinations of Judge Carlos Novena and banker Jacques Chabon between 2000 and 2001.

Gaines hired an assassin named Jonathan Matijevich, who underwent plastic surgery to look like the photographer Martin Belkin in order to gain access to David Palmer's breakfast rally and shoot him. He also hired Mandy, to retrieve Belkin's press ID in order to get Jonathan into the breakfast. Mandy was paid $1 million to obtain the ID and bring it to Gaines. Finally, Gaines had Kevin Carroll pose as Alan York, the father of Kim's best friend, Janet. His purpose was to kidnap Teri Bauer as well.

Day 1
At 1:20am, Gaines was in his safe house making arrangements by phone, when Mandy entered after blowing up Flight 221. He offered her a drink but she just wanted to see the money he was paying her. He asked her when he would get Martin Belkin's ID, and she told him it would be soon. Later Bridgit arrived, and handed Gaines a polaroid of the ID card. When he asked Mandy what was happening, Bridgit explained that she had figured out a better deal for herself, and as she was the only one who knew where the card was it was her play. Gaines had his henchman threaten her, but realized he couldn't risk not having the card.

Gaines then learned that Bridgit wanted to double the $1 million fee that he had already arranged to pay them. He told Mandy she shouldn't have involved an amateur in their business, and explained that that there was no more money. He was interrupted by a phone call, then asked Mandy to explain to Bridgit what he would do to her. He stormed into a back room where Jonathan was preparing weapons, and told him they would just be a little longer. He then called Dan to tell him he was running late.

Mandy then told Gaines that she wanted the extra million, and Ted Cofell arranged for the money to be wire transferred to him. Gaines then called Dan to tell him he was changing their meeting place. He then transferred the money to Bridgit's account, and they went to get the card. Before they left, Mandy frisked Gaines and he told her he would miss her. He then drove them in his jeep to a location in the desert, arriving just before 3am to see Bridgit give him the card. He then had Jonathan shoot her with a rifle, before aiming at Mandy. Gaines asked if she was interested in a job in the summer, to which Mandy replied that she was. Gaines called off Jonathan and drove her back.

Just before 4am, Gaines arrived at the new meeting place in his car, where Dan and Rick were waiting for him with Kim Bauer. Dan told him that they killed the other girl and hid the body. When Gaines if Kim had been any trouble, Rick told him that she hadn't. Gaines then explained to Kim that if she was good, he would release her in a day or two.



As Rick and Dan put Kim into the back of his car, Gaines spoke on the phone. He then told Dan that plans had changed, and that they had to drive to the compound by a different route and get their money there. He drove away with Kim. On the way, he was speaking on the phone when Kim starting trying to attract the attention of a truck driver. Gaines pulled over and put her in the trunk to avoid further incidents. He then called Penticoff, instructing him to get rid of Alan York's body which was in a car on Avenue 26. Gaines then arrived at the compound just before 5am. He told Dan that his people had informed him Janet York had been taken to a a hospital. As Dan tried to make an excuse, Gaines explained about life and death before shooting Dan in the chest. He then told Rick he had been promoted.

Gaines then got a shovel while speaking on the phone. He told Rick never to lie to him, before telling him to bury Dan. He returned later to take Kim Bauer, telling Rick that his friend better be buried next time he was there. He took Kim to his building, and then later placed a call to Jack Bauer's cell phone. He told Jack to do what he told him and he might see his daughter again. After convincing him that he could see through the hospital's cameras, he told Jack to go out the North entrance. He then instructed him to get into a car he had prepared, and after letting Kim speak for a few seconds, told Jack to put in an earpiece. He then made him throw away his phone, which alerted Jack to the men Gaines had filming him. Gaines told Jack to drive to CTU.

After Jonathan got ready, Gaines told him to get going so as to not hit traffic. He then had to instruct Bauer to stop looking at some police officers, and drive on at the green light. He let Jack know about a key card he had left under the car's visor. Jack arrived at CTU just before 7:10am, and Gaines instructed him to replace the key card that Milo was decrypting with the one he gave Jack. He then listened as Nina Myers told Jack they had identified Alan York's corpse, the man who was supposedly with Jack's wife. Gaines had to fire a gun into his microphone to shock Jack into co-operating. He told him again to find a way to switch key cards, before calling Kevin Carroll to warn him that Teri knew his real identity.

Later, Gaines was looking through a file when Rick came in to tell him Dan was buried and that he wanted paying. Rick said he could be paid whenever, and that he should leave, but Gaines told him that if he stuck around then they could talk about when he could go. He then told Jack he was taking too long, and observed him writing a note for Nina. He made Jack shred the note, before giving him an ultimatum. He then watched as Jack went downstairs, distracted Milo, and switched the cards. He then told Jack to get in touch with Secret Service to get himself priority clearance at Palmer's breakfast, and then Division to post himself out for the next hour. He then listened as Nina entered and asked Jack for the key card. He told Jack to be careful and take care of the situation. He watched as Jack pulled a gun on Nina, then hissed for him to get her out of the building.

After getting a heads-up from Jamey Farrell, he sent Charles McLemore to kidnap Teri Bauer. As Jack and Nina drove away from CTU, he guided them towards an oil field. On the way he had to warn them of a red light, and as they almost crashed he told Jack that he needed him alive. Once they reached the oil pumps, Gaines ordered Jack to take her outside and shoot her.

Gaines called Jonathan, telling him Jack was on his way to Santa Clarita Power Plant. He told Jack to stop at a bus stop, where a man handed him a briefcase. Jack refused to continue without speaking to his wife, so Gaines put Teri on. He then explained that the situation was only temporary and she would be released soon, and had Teri taken to Kim. Gaines then contacted Jamey Farrell, asking if Milo knew he was working on the wrong card. He told her that Nina Myers was dead, and to make up a story for her absence. Later, Gaines helped Jack through security as Aaron Pierce asked him to turn on the laptop in the briefcase. He then told Jack to keep moving through the crowd before waiting at the buffet table. Gaines watched on TV as Palmer entered the main room of the plant.

After a while Gaines told Jack to head towards the South wall. On the way, Jack attempted to slip a note to Jessica Abrams, so Gaines called Jared to take care of it. He guided Jack past Alan Hayes, towards medical station 3 where he made Jack wait while Jonathan came to collect the gun hidden in the laptop. Once Palmer started making his speech, Gaines instructed Jack to wait outside and accept Jonathan's gun once the assassination was done. Although he warned Jack not to intervene, a scene was caused and Palmer was shielded from the shot. Gaines angrily ordered Teri and Kim killed, but he received a call from Jamey telling him that Secret Service had orders to grab Bauer. He then radioed Eli, telling him that he still needed the women alive.

Gaines then tried to find the location of either Jonathan or Jack by calling his associates. Jamey Farrell called him to tell him she had to remove his tap on CTU's surveillance, and that Jack was being taken to Division. At 9am, he attempted to call Jamey but got no reply. At 9:30am, Gaines was still trying to get in touch with her when Andre Drazen called him. He asked why the Palmer situation was not taken care of, and Gaines told him that they were going to use Jack's family again to deal with it. Andre told him he was coming to check on the situation personally, and if there was no progress then Gaines would lose the money and perhaps more.

Gaines then got to work scanning police frequencies and checking hospitals to locate Bauer. At 10:20am, Andre arrived at the compound and asked if he had been found yet, to which Gaines said no. Andre said if Gaines didn't find him in the next half hour, he would pull the plug on him and start implementing his contingency plan. At 10:50am, when the half hour was up, on Drazen's instructions Gaines told Eli to get the drivers to make their final preparations and kill the women.



After Andre left, Gaines had his men start packing up the equipment. He spoke with Andre on the phone, assuring him he would be out within the hour, then he asked Rick to find out where Eli was. However at 11:30am he noticed Rick still hadn't gone, so sent him again. A little later Gaines was talking on the phone, and asked Joe where Eli was. He then noticed Rick in one of the vans, so went down to ask what he was doing. However before he got a proper answer, Neil Nagi radioed to tell him that Kevin Carroll had been found unconscious in the North grove. Gaines got into the van and had Rick drive him there.

When they reached Kevin, Gaines woke him up to find out that Jack Bauer had got to Ted Cofell, and then Kevin had led him onto the site. Suddenly Rick drove away in the van, so Gaines radioed his men to tell them to seal the gates and raid the compound's "guest house". He got in a jeep with Kevin and Neil, but arrived too late to find a dead Eli and no Bauers. They drove away, and caught up with their van at the perimeter of the compound. Gaines took Neil's rifle and shot out their tires, before ordering his men forward. After a shootout, Jack blew up the van, killing two of Gaines's men and sending the rest ducking for cover.

Gaines then instructed Neil to take the jeep and cut Jack off at the service road, and the rest of the men to come up behind them. He hit Kevin in the stomach with his rifle, before telling him to stop thinking and running into the woods. Gaines then spoke to Andre on the phone, telling him the compound had been cleared but Bauer showed up. Andre told him to bring Bauer's body, and then perhaps he would let Gaines in on his contingency plan to kill Palmer. When Kevin wanted to just escape when they had the chance, Gaines explained to him that if they failed to kill Jack Drazen would have them eliminated. Later, Gaines had all his men circle back to section 5. However, shots suddenly rang out through the woods, and he tried to find out who was shooting. Maxton and Neil were the only two who didn't check in, but then Maxton called to give Gaines Neil's last location. They went there, and he found Neil's body with the radio missing. He realized Jack had been listening in to their communications. He then found the family by a reservoir, and shot at Kim Bauer with his rifle. Jack then led him away from the women, and Gaines pinned him down behind a tree.

While Kevin went to get a clear shot, Gaines shot at Jack. However, Jack used a piece of metal to temporarily blind Gaines, before running out and shooting him in the hand. Gaines ran away, pursued by Bauer. As he started to lose blood, Jack tried to convince him to explain things. Gaines told him he didn't know anything about his employers, only that they would kill him if he failed. Finally Gaines was cornered, and Jack told him to give himself up, offering him protection from Drazen. Gaines did not think so, and after wishing Jack luck, turned around to shoot. Jack killed him with a bullet to the heart.