Alexis Drazen dies. David Palmer fires Patty for conspiring with Sherry against him. Victor Drazen attempts to kill Palmer with an exploding cell phone, but Jack saves him just before the explosion and decides to cover up his survival for the moment. Unknown to Jack, Kim escapes from the Drazens. Andre Drazen takes a call from his source inside CTU, who tells him that CTU has faked Palmer's death. The source is Nina Myers.
Palmer, Mike and Lynne discuss various ways to dispose of the ticking bomb. They conclude that the desert is the best place to set it off. Jack determines that one man must pilot the plane carrying the bomb. He chooses to fly the plane himself and bids a tearful goodbye to his daughter. Mason eventually takes over for him. Tony and Michelle become suspicious of a Middle Eastern intelligence agent, Yusuf Auda, who is asking questions about the evidence against Syed Ali. Palmer departs for Los Angeles.
President Palmer asks Sherry to help him deal with Alan Milliken. Jack and Ramon decide to intercept the virus. Chloe's work at CTU is disrupted by a baby. Claudia helps Chase escape, but tragedy strikes during their getaway.
Jack finds out that Marwan's plans involve a stolen stealth fighter. Tony becomes suspicious of Michelle's personal life upon the arrival of Bill Buchanan from Division. As Mitch Anderson closes in on his target, CTU realizes that President Keeler is in serious danger.
President Palmer's retaliatory strike coerces the Ambassador to cooperate with the United States. Jack thwarts Fayed's planned nuclear strike. After subduing the nuclear threat, Jack receives a call from the presumed-dead Audrey Raines.
Jack and Tony butt heads and endanger a civilian while they try to secure Hodges' bio-weapon at the Port of Alexandria. Ethan makes a decision about his political future, while Olivia Taylor seeks to take advantage of his choice by setting him up for a fall. Larry Moss continues on Jack's trail, but realizes that he may be doing more harm than good.
As Allison Taylor struggles to hold the peace process together, her administration's paranoia about Omar Hassan continues to grow alongside the number of people he orders arrested. Meanwhile, Jack's undercover meeting with criminal Vladimir Laitanan concerning the stolen nuclear fuel rods quickly unravels due to Renee's fraying mental state.
