A train is bombed, and a man steals a briefcase from one of the victims. At the Counter Terrorist Unit, Chloe O'Brian tells Erin Driscoll about a time discrepancy in the intelligence relating to the bombing, and that a Turkish man named Tomas Sherek is in the city.
The Araz Family
Sherek calls a man named Navi, informing him that Dar got the briefcase. Navi, head of The Araz Family, tells his wife, Dina, and son Behrooz, that everything is on schedule. He tells his son that Dar is on his way to there house, and that what they will accomplish will change the world.
Andrew Paige calls Chloe, telling her about mysterious Internet coding, that may be being positioned for some kind of attack. He mntions that it appears to be in Arabic or perhaps Turkish. Andrew returns to his work place, and witnesses his friend being executed by hitmen. He runs away.
Audrey Raines asks Jack Bauer is uncomfortable going back to CTU. Jack says that he does not blame Driscoll, even though she forced him out. Jack says that she was right not to want an ex-junkie on her staff. Jack goes to CTU, and identifies Sherek, who he knew by a different name. Erin does not want his help, however. Jack interrogates Sherek, shooting him in the leg. Sherek admits that the terrorist's target is the Secretary of Defense, James Heller.
Richard Heller and his father, Secretary of Defense James Heller argue about America's standing in the world; Jack calls Audrey that the train bombing is diversionary and that Heller is the real target. Audrey is unable to move before a car explodes and terrorists gun down the Secret Service agents and pull James and Audrey into a maroon van. Audrey screams as Jack listens on the phone helplessly....
Navi Araz, a member of the Araz Family, is contacted by Kalil Hasan. Kalil kidnaps Paige, and threatens to kill him. Dina Araz tasks Behrooz Araz with bringing a briefcase to the compound where James Heller is being held. Behrooz is followed by his girlfriend, Debbie Pendleton, and she is seen by a man. Navi berates Behrooz for allowing Debbie to see the compound.
At the Counter Terrorist Unit, Erin Driscoll tasks Ronnie Lobell with locating a suspect with Jack Bauer. Ronnie tells Jack that he thinks it was a mistake allowing him to come along. Ronnie is shot and killed while trying to apprehend Assan; luckily, he manages to toss Jack the keys to the handcuffs Ronnie had locked him in minutes before.
Curtis Manning interrogates Richard Heller, the only witness to the kidnapping of his family. Curtis says that they need his help, and asks if he has anything to hide.
Secretary of Defense James Heller tells Audrey Raines that she will be fine, and to escape when she has a chance. The terrorists tell the world that Heller will be put on trial for war crimes, and if found guilty, they will execute him.
James Heller is threatened on a live video feed. He tells Audrey Raines to escape during his "trial".
The Araz Family
In The Araz Family, Behrooz tells his mother Dina that Debbie Pendleton may have compromised the terrorists' security. Debbie arrives at the Araz home.
Jack Bauer is shadowing Kalil Hasan, refusing to arrest him, and needs satellite coverage from Chloe O'Brian. He poses to rob the store to hold Kalil until the coverage can be provided.
At the Araz Family house, Behrooz argues with Dina that she didn't have to kill Debbie.
Debbie's mother Karen asks the family if they've seen Debbie but they deny that they have, and Navi orders Dina to follow Karen to make sure she doesn't go to the police.
At the Counter Terrorist Unit, Chloe is fired by Driscoll, but Chloe promises Edgar that Driscoll doesn't know that he was helping her, and she promises to keep quiet.
Heller and Audrey are saved at the last minute by Omar's men, but Audrey recognizes the American man and he nervously tells Omar that she has to be killed.
Jack Bauer tells Erin that he is at the terrorists' compound, but Driscoll tells Jack that the Marines won't get there in time and the President wants to destroy the compound with a missile strike. She tells Jack to clear the area, but Jack decides to go in against Driscoll's protests.
Behrooz of The Araz Family is told to go with Tariq to take care of Debbie's body. Dina Araz learns Tariq has orders to kill Behrooz. Tariq reveals to Behrooz it is Navi Araz who wants him dead.
Dina of The Araz Family finds out her son Behrooz killed Tariq. Dina tells Behrooz that Navi Araz is following them. Navi shoots Dina in the arm from a distance.
At the Counter Terrorist Unit, Edgar Stiles says he can turn off the Dobson Override to keep the power plants from melting down. Not all the plants do, however. James Heller says there will be a nuclear holocaust if they don't find out who's responsible.
Marianne Taylor tells a man that Jack Bauer and Audrey Raines have left. He tells her after they've been killed it will be clear someone leaked their location.
Marwan tells Navi of The Araz Family that CTU has managed to shut down most of the reactors. He says that he will manage the override himself to ensure that the remaining six reactors meltdown on schedule. When Navi asks what he can do to help, Marwan tells him to worry about his problem. Navi swears that Behrooz and Dina will be dead by the end of the day.
Secretary Heller finds out that someone inside CTU is leaking information. He sets a trap and he and Erin Driscoll arrest Sarah Gavin for passing classified information. Sarah denies the charges.
Jack Bauer finds out the man Audrey recognized from the warehouse is Henry Powell, a computer consultant that used to work for McLennen-Forster. McLennen-Forster is the defense contractor that designed and manufactured the override device controlling the nuclear reactors.
Jack and Tony detain Powell as he attempts to leave Los Angeles in a helicopter. As they get walk back to their car with him, a sniper shoots and kills Powell.
Edgar searches Marianne's system and sees that she piped into Sarah's system to communicate with someone outside Counter Terrorist Unit. He tells Curtis and Driscoll, and Marianne runs out of the building. After Curtis catches up with her in the parking lot, her car explodes and she gets knocked out.
The San Gabriel Island nuclear reactor began to melt down. An engineer contacted Counter Terrorist Unit and explained that the radiation would spill into the atmosphere and spread until the core exhaused itself.
Paul Raines confronted Audrey Raines about her relationship with Jack. Paul said he thought they were trying to work things out, but she said he kept putting it off. Audrey revealed to Jack that she told Paul she was filing for divorce.
Jack Bauer and Tony tracked down Henry Powell, the man who helped the terrorists obtain the Dobson Override Device. As soon as they took Powell into custody, he was killed by a sniper. They traced a number from Powell's cell phone to the hotel where Dina was hiding with Behrooz, who had gone to a hospital to get pain medication for her gunshot wound. Dina agreed to help CTU find the override in exchange for immunity for Behrooz.
Navi arrived at the hospital and took Behrooz hostage. Dina reminded Jack that she was only helping him to save Behrooz. She warned him that if Navi killed Behrooz, she would happily let the reactors melt down.
Navi (of The Araz Family) is holding his son Behrooz captive. Navi calls Habib Marwan asking him about the progress about the power plants melting down. Marwan tells him about two hours remain. Jack Bauer then has Navi in custody and Behrooz shoots Navi.
Curtis Manning is questioning Marianne Taylor demanding names. They go to an office building. Some men enter the room and shoot Marianne. Curtis is knocked out by the men.
Jack Bauer calls Audrey Raines and informs her about Paul Raines being the Chief Financial Officer for the company who owns the building the terrorists planned the attack in. Audrey goes to meet Paul in his hotel room. Jack storms the room demanding answers from Paul.
Jack confronted Paul Raines about his name being on the lease of the building where the terrorists planned the attacks. Paul claimed he knew nothing. Jack tortured him in front of Audrey, who begged him to stop. Paul looked up the lease information on his laptop and gave Jack a name: Harris Barnes.
Sarah Gavin ran a search for the name "Harris Barnes" and discovered that it was an alias used by a man named Habib Marwan.
Jack Bauer went to the Rockland Building, where Curtis and Marianne Taylor had gone to retrieve a computer file, but were ambushed by Marwan's men. Jack found Curtis, who explained that he'd overheard a conversation between Marwan and Forbes, and that Marwan was in the building with the override device.
Marwan spotted Jack and Curtis and created a panic by firing a gun in an office. He disappeared in the crowd, and escaped after impersonating and killing a CTU agent. Curtis found the override and called Edgar for help. Edgar logged onto the override and stopped the remaining nuclear reactors from melting down.
Erin Driscoll got an urgent call from the CTU medical clinic about her daughter, Maya. When she finally went to the clinic, she discovered Maya had committed suicide.
McLennen and Conlon fear that CTU will find out the truth by looking the deleted files of Marwan's activities there and that they helped terrorist acquire arms(weapons). Paul finds an encrypted file; Jack orders him to print it. Conlon orders his henchmen not to let Jack Bauer, the CTU agent, find it.
Jack Bauer finds a room with a huge EMP Bomb. Jack tries to stop the doors from closing on the bomb so that it can't explode but it's no use. He screams as the bomb explodes in flashes of light. Outside, the area outside McLennen-Forster blackout in Los Angeles.
An EMP is detonated at McLennen-Forster, disabling all objects with an electronic component for within an 8 mile radius. CTU assumes that whoever detonated the EMP did so to prevent Jack and Paul from uncovering incriminating evidence tying the company to the terrorist attacks.
Dave Conlon and his security guards assault Paul Raines, in order to find out where he hid the encrypted document he printed. Jack kills the guards, rescues Paul, and retrieves the document.
Jack Bauer and Paul take up shelter at sporting goods store and enlist the help of the owners, Safa and Naji, to fight off the McLennen-Forster mercenaries that are searching for them.
Conlon tries to shoot Jack, but Paul pushes Jack out of the way. Jack kills Conlon and realizes that Paul was hit with the bullet meant for him.
Jack Bauer tells Habib Marwan whatever he is planning next will fail. Marwan tells Jack about deaths from his previous attacks and how the country will be afraid to let its leaders appear in public.
Rafique tells Habib Marwan that CTU will be alerted about a police report of a military pilot's missing family. Marwan wants CTU to be distracted to realize its significance. Marwan calls CTU wanting to exchange Jack Bauer for Behrooz Araz.
Habib Marwan tells Nicole to keep searching Mitch Anderson's apartment for a hard drive containing information that could jeopardize the next phase of his plans.
At the Counter Terrorist Unit, Michelle Dessler calls President John Keeler and warns him about the stealth jet. Jack Bauer tries to talk Mitch Anderson out of shooting down Air Force One, but Anderson ignores Bauer and fires. The missile hits one of Air Force One's escort fighters. Chloe reports Air Force One suffered an indirect hit and pieces are falling to the ground.
Jack Bauer is instructed to recover the nuclear football. After successfully doing so, he goes over the contents and reports that there are some pages missing. These pages contain warhead locations and activation codes.
Vice President Charles Logan is informed President John Keeler is alive, but in critical condition. Bill Buchanan recommends Logan and the Cabinet invoke the 25th Amendment and assume the presidency as soon as possible. After being sworn in, Mike Novick informs Logan part of the nuclear football was stolen.
Jack Bauer tells Bill Buchanan he can get information from Prado without implicating anyone but himself. Bauer gets the information from Prado regarding Marwan's location shortly thereafter.
Charles Logan wants Jack Bauer to be arrested for defying his orders. Bauer is informed the Secret Service is coming to arrest him. Jack finds Habib Marwan in the building, but he escapes.
Habib Marwan gets a call from Robert Morrison, one of his men in Iowa. He tells Marwan the warhead has been reconfigured and the technician Sabir's girlfriend is getting suspicious.
Sabir's girlfriend Nabilla Al-Jamil calls the Counter Terrorist Unit and believes Sabir may be involved with terrorists. Chloe O'Brian is ordered to take a team over to her house to investigate. She shoots and kils a man attacking Nabilla and herself.
The Counter Terrorist Unit is going over a video tape of Habib Marwan saying America will wake up today to a different world. This leads them to believe he will detonate the warhead before dawn.
David Palmer speaks with Charles Logan and has full authority to act as his proxy whenever necessary. Palmer calls Koo Yin at the Chinese Consulate asking for permission to talk to Lee Jong.
Palmer calls Jack Bauer and asks him if there's any doubt Lee is working with Marwan. Jack says there isn't and Palmer authorizes him to go into the Consulate and get Lee. During Bauer's escape, Koo Yin is shot and killed by one of the Chinese men. Su Ming calls Palmer informing him of what happened.
Lee Jong was shot and is being rushed to the CTU clinic. Paul Raines is undergoing surgery, but Jack orders the doctor to help Lee Jong instead. Audrey Raines is also present and is horrified after Paul dies. She hits Jack and screams at him afterwards.
President Charles Logan confronts David Palmer about the covert attack on the consulate. Palmer admits that he sanctioned the operation, and Logan furiously reveals that the Chinese Consul, Koo Yin was killed. Mike Novick tries to justify the attack, but Logan worries that the US may soon be at war with a billion Chinese.
Jack pressures Dr. Besson about Lee Jong, the Chinese national abducted from the consulate, and stresses that he needs him coherent enough to interrogate.
Jack apologizes to Audrey for forcing the CTU doctors to abandon Paul Raines while operating on him, which resulted in his death.
Jack Bauer questions Lee Jong, who doesn't know where the nuclear warhead is, but tells Jack that Marwan might be at a warehouse.
Habib Marwan prepares to launch a missile carrying the stolen nuclear warhead. CTU scrambles to trace the encrypted video uplink that's showing the missile, but runs out of time. The missile launches.
President Logan was furious after hearing about the attack on the Chinese Consulate. Cheng Zhi revealed his proof against Howard Bern to CTU and warned that the mission against the Chinese could be construed as an act of war.
Meanwhile, CTU discovered that Richard Heller called Marwan a week before the attacks. Richard confessed that he was with a man and woman, and that one of them used his cell phone. CTU tracked down the couple, Gary and Mandy, and Richard gave descriptions of the suspects.
Mandy killed Gary to buy herself time to get away. She killed CTU Agent Lee Castle and took Tony hostage. Jack Bauer found Castle's body and realized they were dealing with a hostage situation.
Bill Buchanan tells CTU Agent Howard Bern that the Chinese are still insinuating that CTU was responsible for the attack on their consulate. They have to ensure any surveillance video of Bern is destroyed. Bern is captured by the Chinese and interrogated.
Buchanan informs everyone that the nuclear warhead is using stealth technology and can't be tracked on radar. The missile is traveling at 600 miles per hour and could hit any city target in three hours on either coast. Charles Logan wants to know how CTU will handle the problem. Logan tells David Palmer that he failed the country.
Jack Bauer pulls his gun on Mandy, who's using Tony Almeida as a body shield. Mandy asks Jack if he has the guts to let her kill Tony while looking him in the eye. Jack says yes. Curtis disarms Mandy from behind, and Jack offers her a deal. She insists on seeing the signed pardon before talking.