Christopher Henderson

Christopher Henderson was a former CTU agent hired by Charles Logan to run an illegal operation during Day 5.

Background

• Place of birth: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Height: 6 feet
• Weight: 188

Military Experience

Henderson had an honorable discharge after 6 years of service in the armed forces, where he specialized in sniping, survival training, and explosives.

Before Day 5

Henderson was the Director of Field Operations of CTU Los Angeles for four years. He recruited Jack Bauer and served as a mentor and supervisor to Jack. However, Jack discovered evidence that led him to believe that Henderson was taking bribes. Jack blew the whistle on his former friend, along with two other allegedly corrupt CTU agents, including Seth Campbell. These events were mentioned during Day 1, when Agent Teddy Hanlin badgered Jack Bauer about putting Campbell away for the charges.

Henderson insisted that he was innocent, later suggesting that Nina Myers or George Mason set him up. Though he lost his position in CTU, Henderson managed to bounce back and became the Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Omicron International, a major Defense Department contractor.

Christopher told Jack that he and his wife Miriam took care of Kim when Jack had appeared to have died in the aftermath of Day 4.

Day 5

Henderson appears to have co-operated with Jack, but later tries to kill him with a bomb

Evidence linked Omicron International to a plot to supply Russian terrorists with Sentox nerve gas forced an uneasy reunion with Jack. Though Henderson initially attempted to convince Jack of his innocence, he later attempted to kill Jack. However, when Henderson returned home, Jack was waiting for him. Despite warning Jack that the information he knew would open a Pandora's box, he was taken to CTU for questioning. Even under torture, Henderson refused to talk, and the interrogation was forced to stop. Henderson was placed in a bio-containment unit during the nerve gas attack, and was expected to survive. He was considered high-priority due to the information he may contain.

Henderson kills Tony Almeida and escapes from CTU

While Jack worked to clear the gas, Tony Almeida threatened to kill Henderson for his connection to Michelle's death. Jack talked Tony into waiting until they finished the interrogation. Once the gas cleared, Henderson appeared to be in a coma. Jack once again tried talking Tony out of killing Henderson, but Tony refused to listen. Tony prepared a lethal injection of Sodium Pentothal and attempted to plunge it into Henderson's chest. But Tony hesitated and Henderson (either faking or actually unconscious) suddenly woke up, seized the syringe, and forced it into Tony's chest, giving him the fatal dose. He then took Burke's gun and escaped.

Later, Henderson ordered his subordinates to kill Wayne Palmer, who was trying to reach the Western White House to investigate his brother's communication with Evelyn Martin. Henderson's men failed to stop Palmer. At some point during the day Henderson captured Evelyn's daughter Amy. He bargained with Evelyn to exchange Amy for a recording implicating a high level government official in the Sentox VX nerve gas attacks. Henderson and his men were ambushed by Bauer and Wayne Palmer at the exchange. Henderson lost several of his men but escaped.

By 11:00 PM it was revealed that Henderson was working under the direct orders of President Charles Logan, the initiating orcheastrator of the Sentox VX nerve gas conspiracy. The digital recording Evelyn had in her possession implicated both Henderson and Logan in the death of ex-President David Palmer.

Between 12:00 and 1:00 AM, CTU had tracked down Audrey Raines to the Van Nuys Airfield, where she and Jack met Secretary of Defense James Heller. This information is given to President Logan, who then tells Henderson. Henderson and his men kill Heller's security detail. While Jack was able to kill Henderson's men, Henderson captured Audrey and traded her for recording.

Henderson wants to strike a deal with Jack

Between 1:00 AM and 2:00 AM, Henderson fled the airport and handed the recording to an Omicron pilot, Scott Evans, who was going on a flight out of the country. After he left the airport, Chloe O'Brian tracked Henderson via satellite, and he was then followed by Jack and Audrey. Jack ran Henderson off the road and cornered him in a barn. Henderson revealed that he if was not released, his men would kill Secretary Heller. Unwilling to let himself be used as a pawn, Heller drove his car into a lake, presumably killing himself (Heller was later found alive and was treated for his injuries).

Henderson then revealed that he no longer had the recording. Chloe was able to track the recording back to a diplomatic flight at the Van Nuys airport. Jack left the barn for the airport, while Curtis Manning and a TAC team were dispatched to capture Henderson at the barn. Henderson's men arrived at the barn before Curtis and freed him, but Curtis and his TAC team were able to kill Henderson's men and taking Henderson back into custody.

Jack finally kills his former mentor

Several hours later, Vladimir Bierko escaped and prepared to use the final nerve gas canister as a key to a powerful weapon. Jack used Henderson in a sting operation involving an arms dealer named Joseph Malina, who had contact with Bierko just minutes after his escape. Henderson talked the technician into backing up his files, which allowed Chloe to decrypt them and discover that Bierko's target was a Russian missile sub. Henderson was then forced to join Jack in a mission to kill Bierko before he can launch the missiles. Before entering the sub, Jack gave the untrustworthy Henderson a gun to protect himself. Henderson was able to stop the missiles from being launched, as Jack and his team pursued Bierko. While Jack stopped Bierko, Henderson was then able to promptly escape the inside of the submarine before Jack could return, thus evading recapture from CTU. After returning later, Jack was then caught at gunpoint by the fleeing Henderson on the upper deck of the sub. However, when Henderson aimed at Jack and pulled the trigger of the very gun Jack had given him earlier, he discovered it had been empty all along, and Jack in return shot dead the now defenseless Henderson in cold blood.

Memorable Quotes

• Christopher Henderson: You can't touch them, but they can touch you.

• Christopher Henderson: Hold it, Jack! Now lower your arms, real slow, and turn around! You weren't ever really gonna let me go, were you?
• Jack Bauer: No.
• Christopher Henderson: (Shoots Empty Gun, Checks Empty Clip) Good for you, Jack.
• Jack Bauer: You were responsible for the deaths of David Palmer, Tony Almeida, and Michelle Dessler. They were friends of mine.
• Christopher Henderson: That's the way it works.

Notes

• According to the CTU file Karen Hayes examines in Day 5 11:00pm-12:00am, Henderson's first name is William.

• Christopher Henderson's death is similiar to the death of Victor Drazen at the end of Day 1. Each man was killed at night in the Port of Los Angeles; each man fires a handgun with the intention of killing Jack, only to realize that he has no ammunition; and each man was executed by Jack in cold blood.

Appearances

Day 5

Prequel
7:00am-8:00am	8:00am-9:00am	9:00am-10:00am	10:00am-11:00am	11:00am-12:00pm	12:00pm-1:00pm
1:00pm-2:00pm	2:00pm-3:00pm	3:00pm-4:00pm	4:00pm-5:00pm	5:00pm-6:00pm	6:00pm-7:00pm
7:00pm-8:00pm	8:00pm-9:00pm	9:00pm-10:00pm	10:00pm-11:00pm	11:00pm-12:00am	12:00am-1:00am
1:00am-2:00am	2:00am-3:00am	3:00am-4:00am	4:00am-5:00am	5:00am-6:00am	6:00am-7:00am

Sources

• Henderson's dossier is visible in episode Day 5 11:00pm-12:00am.