Abu Fayed tells CTU that he will keep his end of the bargain. He gives them Assad's location. Bill Buchanan orders that the attack helicopters be moblised for the assault, and Jack escapes from Fayed.
After his father was arrested, Ahmed Amar was attacked in his home by Stan. He then went to the home of his friends and neighbours, the Wallace family. However, he was working for Fayed, and he must deliver a package soon.
Contacted by Abu Fayed, Ahmed Amar was told to deliver a package. As he did he was attacked by Stan and badly injured. He killed Stan as Scott Wallace arrived. Ahmed said that he would hurt Scott unless he did exactly as he said.
Jack Bauer saved Hamri al-Assad from the attack helicopters, and the two followed a suicide bomber as Assad tried to convince Jack that he had arranged for a cease-fire between his organistaion and the West.
In a subway station, Jack Bauer followed a suicide bomber onto a train. Having a fight with the man, Jack managed to throw him from the car. Leaving the subway, Jack took a call from Assad, who was following the man's handler. Jack realised that he was their only link to Fayed.
Following a brief battle, Jack Bauer salvaged the remains of a burnt-out hard drive. Chloe O'Brian decrypted the remnants of a file, and Hamri al-Assad identified the files as plans for electronic components needed for the construction of a nuclear device.
Contacted by Abu Fayed, Ahmed Amar was told to deliver a package. He took the Wallace family hostage, and told Ray Wallace to take it to a man. Ray did as he was told, but Marcus demanded too much extra money for the device Ahmed was supposed to collect, so Ray killed him Marcus and stole the component.
Jack Bauer ended his call to Chloe O'Brian, and went outside just in time to see Curtis Manning threaten Hamri Al-Assad. Unfortunately, after a brief stand-off, Jack was forced to shoot and kill his friend.
As a mushroom cloud rose over Valencia, Tom Lennox and Karen Hayes informed PresidentWayne Palmer that no less than 12,000 people died in the blast and that four other nuclear weapons, other than the one that was detonated, had been stolen. Karen tells Palmer that CTU is still in search of Abu Fayed.
Abu Fayed called Darren McCarthy and told him that he needed a new technician, as Hasan Numair had been killed in the blast in Los Angeles. McCarthy said that he would find someone, and Fayed told his men that the bombs would go off during the day.
In Washington, Sandra Palmer and Samuels watched as Walid Al-Rezani infiltrated a terrorist cell inside the Anacostia Detention Facility. FBI agents wired him, and beat him, saying that he should say that the FBI agent was asking about Abu Fayed. Sandra was concerned about the people in the facility discovering that Walid was a mole. Samuels tried to allay her fears.
Liddy called Graem Bauer, telling him that his brother, Jack, had called their father's house. Graem says that they should have killed Jack when they had a chance, not given him to the Chinese. Jack went to Graem's house, and tortured him by putting a plastic bag over Graem's head.
Tom Lennox confides in Reed Pollock that he no longer wants Karen Hayes in the White House bunker. He eventually blackmails her, saying that she was covering up a mistake made by her husband, Bill Buchanan. Despite her objections, Lennox gave her an hour deadline to present PresidentWayne Palmer with her resignation
Despite the beliefs of the FBI, the men Walid Al-Rezani had been spying on were not terrorists, as evidenced by Chloe O'Brian's testimony. Sandra Palmer went to get Walid out, but he was set upon by a group of his fellow internees, lead by a man named Salim.
In Los Angeles, Rita Brady was reminding her boyfriend, Darren McCarthy of the detonation of a nuclear bomb twenty-five miles from their location. Darren told her that he could provide her with a small country when his deal went through, since he was working with the terrorist Abu Fayed, the man behind the nuclear detonation.
Torturing his brother, Graem, Jack Bauer learnt of his father's involvement. Jack called CTU, and told them that he was headed to Simi Valley, and McCarthy's office. Jack arrived, and was attacked by an armed man.
Phillip Bauer stepped out of the shadows, and stood over Jack, explaining that he had come to fix Graem's mess. However, Graem had turned on them both, and was in fact controlling Phillip's men. Both he and Jack were spirited away in a van.
After kidnapping Morris, Darren McCarthy contacted Abu Fayed, and the two narrowed down the terms of their agreement. NcCarthy told Fayed that he would have to make Morris cooperate.
Jack Bauer was once again torturing his brother, Graem Bauer, and he admitted that they were involved in murdering David Palmer, twenty months earlier. Phillip Bauer approached Graem, and asked why he admitted their involvement in the Palmer assassination; he then killed Graem with another dose of hyoscine penethol.
Graem Bauer, being tortured by his brother Jack, who explained the effects of the drugs in use, admitted that the connection Jack found between their father, Phillip Bauer and Russian General Dmitri Gredenko, had to do with a contract given to BXJ Technologies. Phillip then killed Graem.
PresidentWayne Palmer beseeched Hamri Al-Assad to help him stop Abu Fayed. Assad said that he had lost credibility, and would lose more, especially if he appeared as an American puppet. Palmer assured him that he would not be a puppet, but a partner.
Tom Lennox was disgusted by the fact that Palmer had rejected his security policy, and told Reed Pollock of his feelings. Pollock suggested that there could be a way to remove Palmer.
Jack Bauer was approaching Morris and Fayed's position. As Morris armed the bomb, the apartment was attacked. Fayed managed to escape with the device Morris had constructed.
Wayne Palmer asks Hamri al-Assad to make a televised statement denouncing terrorism. Assad warns him that members of his administration would not like that. Noah Daniels thinks trusting Assad is a terrible mistake
Associate Dmitri Gredenko is upset at Abu Fayed's loss of two tactical nuclear weapons. It is revealed that Gredenko thinks that Russia should have nuked the U.S. so he would do it and the blame would fall on Fayed.
Jack Bauer and a TAC team enter the location that Phillip fed to Marilyn. Jack sees a charge of C4, and yells a bomb warning. Jack dives out a window as the charge detonates. Milo Pressman and Marilyn Bauer flee their vehicle and are chased.
Reed Pollock tells Tom Lennox that he needs his authorization of clearance to get someone inside the bunker who will carry the bomb designed to kill President Palmer. Pollock also reveals that they will use Al-Assad as their cover, making it look like he carried out the bombing. Lennox calls Secret Service Head Agent Hollister to warn of the impending attack on Palmer. Lennox receives a flashlight to the head delivered by Pollock. Pollock vents his displeasure of Lennox's change of heart, but Lennox protests that nothing would justify the killing of a President.
Dmitri Gredenko criticizes Abu Fayed's carelessness and leaving them with only 3 of 5 nukes to use on high priority targets. Fayed assures him that they will be enough for their purposes. Gredenko expresses his concern to henchman Victor about remaining exposed. Victor asks if he's worried the authorities know their involvement. Gredenko says that if they don't, they will know soon.
Jack Bauer calls Bill Buchanan at the Counter Terrorist Unit to let him know they have the address of Gredenko's safe house. Bill confirms that Hal Turner's team is will be there any minute. Turner's team breaches the door to a house, clearing it room by room. Agent Turner radios Bill that there is no sign of Gredenko or anyone.
Jack Bauer slams Marilyn Bauer against a wall and expresses his anger that the person on the phone earlier was Gredenko, that she tipped him off; because of that half of his TAC team is dead. Marilyn tells him he's wrong, so he asks who really sent those men. Marilyn cries and confesses that the person on the phone was Phillip Bauer, his father, and that he has her son, Josh Bauer.
Abu Fayed asks Dmitri Gredenko how soon after they arrive, will Gredenko be able to deploy. Gredenko says it will take two hours to assemble the delivery system, and one additional hour to install the bomb. Fayed is unsatisfied, but Gredenko reminds Fayed that it would take Fayed weeks to deliver the bombs with out his help. Gredenko tells his men that if the plan succeeds, the West and the Arabs would be in war.
Jack Bauer, asks Bill Buchanan if CTU has new information about Gredenko. Bill Buchanan tells him that the house they raided was deserted. Jack tell Buchanan that he has a new lead with the help of Charles Logan. Buchanan is surprised, and tells Jack, that Logan is under house arrest.
Hamri Al-Assad tells President Wayne Palmer that he is taking a great risk. Palmer reminds him that they are both taking risks. The situation is desperate since there are three loose nuclear weapons in the country.
Bruce Carson assembles the bomb and tells Reed Pollock that the bomb is armed. He tells Tom Lennox, who is tied in a room, that the president is going to die. Reed puts the bombs in the podium that Palmer will be using. He activates it, but Assad recognizes it as a bomb just before it explodes. Wayne Palmer is found unconscious on the ground after the explosion.
Vice President Noah Daniels is walking off Air Force Two as his assistant, Lisa Miller, directs a call from CTU to him. He now knows that Palmer granted Charles Logan a furlough. Bill Buchanan conveys to Daniels that Logan thinks he can help find the remaining nukes through the Russian Consulate in LA. Jack and Logan walk into the consulate.
Former President Charles Logan talks to Anatoly Markov, who cuts his cigar with a cigar-cutter. Logan reiterates that the nuclear explosion in Valencia was a Russian suitcase bomb supplied to the terrorists by Dmitri Gredenko. Logan asks Markov where Gredenko is. Markov insists that he doesn't know.
Jack Bauer listens to Logan's reasoning. Logan conveys to him that he just spent two years in Chinese custody because he violated their sovereignty. Logan asks if he wants to take that chance on happening again because he's about to enter the Russian consulate illegally. Bauer simply looks at him. Later, Bauer shouts saying to Markov, how can he find Gredenko as he points a gun at his head. Markov breaks and says Gredenko is in the Mojave Desert, in the Shadow Valley. He's preparing aerial drones for Fayed. In two hours, all the bombs will be in the air. Outside, an agent tells his men not to move yet because Bauer's close to Markov. As Bauer leaves, they bomb the door down. They secure Bauer and carry him into custody.
Consul Anatoly Markov shuts down the phone lines at the Russian consulate. Jack Bauer calls CTU and tells them he knows where Gredenko's location is, but gets cut off.
Dmitri Gredenko warns Abu Fayed the Americans know their location, and insists they launch one of the aerial drones immediately and find another way to use the remaining two nuclear bombs later. They watch as the nuclear drone takes off.
The Counter Terrorist Unit loses track of the nuclear drone on its satellites. Chloe O'Brian discovers it is able to stay hidden because the pilot has access to their systems through Nadia Yassir's workstation. Mike Doyle accuses Nadia of relaying the data deliberately and violently interrogates her, but Milo Pressman stops him after they track down the pilot himself.
Jack Bauer leads an assault against the pilot's hideout. He discovers the nuclear drone's target is San Francisco and uses the pilot's control panel to force it into a crash-landing, successfully preventing its detonation.
Vice PresidentNoah Daniels is informed by Bill Buchanan the aerial drone was brought down, but the nuclear bomb's core was damaged, releasing radioactive material in the area. Daniels insists this represents an attack on their nation and that they must retaliate against the Middle East with an "in kind" military response. He gives Secretary of DefenseEthan Kanin the order to launch a missile as soon as the nuclear submarine is in range.
Jack Bauer invades Hauser's home and captures him. He uses Hauser's autistic brother Brady to set a trap for Gredenko. Once captured, Gredenko agrees to give up Abu Fayed in exchange for amnesty from the United States government and a promise he will not be sent back to Russia.
Vice PresidentNoah Daniels commands Admiral John Smith to proceed with the nuclear strike. Karen Hayes and Sandra Palmer have PresidentWayne Palmer taken out of his coma in order to put a stop to the missile launch. Daniels receives a call from a now-conscious Wayne, informing him he called it off and is resuming his duties as Commander-in-Chief. Daniels announces his intent to remove Wayne from power.
Captured by CTU, Dmitri Gredenko offers to help them locate Abu Fayed. They send Gredenko to meet with Fayed after injecting a tracking device into his arm. Fayed realizes Gredenko led the Americans to him.
Abu Fayed runs into a bar with Gredenko, only to be betrayed by Gredenko when he alerts the bar's patrons to Fayed's identity as a terrorist. Gredenko escapes from the bar as the ordinary people inside begin to attack Fayed. Jack arrives quickly, however, stopping the attack before Fayed can be killed and taking him into custody. He orders a search for Gredenko, just as Gredenko happens to die from his wound underneath the pier outside.
Vice PresidentNoah Daniels argues one member of the cabinet's vote is invalid, making the true outcome 7:6 in favor of evoking the 25th Amendment against Wayne Palmer. Tom Lennox privately confronts Daniels with evidence revealing Daniels and his assistant Lisa Miller's scheme to commit perjury before the Supreme Court in order to win the Presidency. Daniels has no choice but to withdraw his case against Wayne.
Tom Lennox receives word PresidentWayne Palmer is about to go ahead with Noah Daniels' nuclear strike. Tom confronts and argues with Wayne over the decision, but Wayne refuses to reconsider. Admiral John Smith announces a successful missile launch.
PresidentWayne Palmer is informed of a successful launch. The Middle Eastern nation's ambassador contacts him in desperation for the nuclear strike to be aborted. He reveals that his country's government has just uncovered a connection between Abu Fayed and Mohmar Habib, one of their generals. Wayne suspects they already knew about Habib.
As Jack Bauer and Mike Doyle transport Abu Fayed to CTU for interrogation, the vehicle is suddenly attacked by masked men, who take Abu Fayed. The masked men claim to have been sent by Mohmar Habib, but, in actuality, this is a setup by undercover agents in order to be led to the nuclear bombs. Abu Fayed suspects they are lying.
Jack Bauer discovers Abu Fayed has murdered the undercover agents and escaped. Fayed hijacks a sanitation truck and drives to the warehouse where his people are keeping the suitcase nukes, unknowingly bringing Jack along, as he secretly hangs onto the bottom of the vehicle. At the warehouse, Jack single-handedly eliminates the terrorist cell, including even Fayed himself. Mike Doyle then arrives at the site and secures the nuclear weapons.
To his shock, Jack Bauer receives a call from Audrey Raines, who he was told was dead, but is actually being held captive by Cheng Zhi. Cheng tells Jack he must call him back within ten minutes if he wishes for her to remain alive.
Jack Bauer contacts Cheng Zhi, who is covertly holding Audrey Raines hostage. Cheng explains to him that what he wants is the FB sub-circuit board from the triggering mechanism of one of the Russian suitcase nukes, and claims he will release Audrey Raines if this device is brought to him.
Jack Bauer removes the component from one of the suitcase nukes, but is then confronted by Mike Doyle, who has been ordered to stop him. A standoff ensues before Jack is knocked out and Doyle apprehends him.
PresidentWayne Palmer discusses the situation with Jack Bauer. Jack explains he only needs to have the component on him so that he can make the Chinese believe he is willing to go through with the exchange. He promises he will sacrifice his own life to destroy it with explosives after they release Audrey Raines. When Palmer expresses his reluctancy to authorize the operation, he responds, "Mr. President...you owe me."
Morris O'Brian discovers Chloe O'Brian helped Jack Bauer get the component. He forces her to explain the situation to Bill Buchanan, who then orders her off the operation because he can no longer trust her.
While announcing the resolution of the nuclear threat to the press, Wayne Palmer suddenly loses consciousness and collapses. Vice PresidentNoah Daniels is raised to Acting President, and his first act as such is to order that Jack Bauer's operation be aborted.
While driving Jack Bauer to his meeting place with Cheng Zhi, Mike Doyle receives orders from Bill Buchanan to bring him back. Realizing this, Jack pulls his gun on Doyle and forces him to pull over. Jack takes the car and drives away, leaving Doyle stranded alongside a freeway.
Wayne Palmer suffers a sudden cerebral hemorrhage which incapacitates him, leaving Vice PresidentNoah Daniels to assume the Presidency. He confesses to Lisa Miller that, despite his duties as such, he cannot stop thinking about her. They have a romantic moment.
Karen Hayes is shown a video recording of Reed Pollock revealing her husband's responsibility for releasing Abu Fayed when the government had him in custody. Peter Hock tells her someone is going to have to carry the blame, and the further away from the administration the better. Karen is forced to fire Buchanan from his position at CTU Los Angeles.
While lightheartedly exchanging insults, Morris O'Brian is suddenly hurt when Chloe O'Brian mentions his having provided terrorists with the means to detonate their nuclear weapons.
Bill Buchanan tells Nadia Yassir he is appointing her to be his successor in charge of CTU Los Angeles until someone can be assigned to the position on a more permanent basis. Her first act is to order that they continue the current operation to apprehend Jack Bauer in order to keep him from handing over an important piece of military technology to the Chinese.
Cheng Zhi meets Jack Bauer in an abandoned motel and releases Audrey Raines. Mike Doyle, who has secretly followed Jack, is ordered not to allow the exchange to take place and intervenes immediately after Jack happens to toss the component to Cheng inside the building. CTUTAC teams launch an assault on the Chinese agents, but Cheng himself escapes the area, with the component in his possession.
Jack Bauer is arrested. He explains he was going to detonate explosives he planted inside the building after handing the component over to Cheng Zhi, but Mike Doyle's interference prevented him from being able to do so. On his way out of the building, he attempts to speak with Audrey Raines, but quickly realizes something is wrong with her.
Shortly after 4:00pm, Jack Bauer has Marilyn Bauer and Josh Bauer go to CTU. Jack tells Josh that they will sit down and talk once the situation is over. Marilyn thanks Jack for saving Josh, to which Jack says that he reminds him of her.
Chloe O'Brian told Morris O'Brian that she was sorry about telling him that she should stop helping terrorists arm nuclear bombs. Morris says that they are done.
President Yuri Suvarov conferences with Vice PresidentNoah Daniels, Tom Lennox, and Karen Hayes. Suvarov says that they know that a Chinese agent acquired the Russian circuit board, and will threaten military action if they do not intercept the component before it leaves the country. Lennox suggests that there is a spy within the administration as the Russians should not have found out about this.
Tom Lennox reports to Vice President Daniels that Lisa Miller has been passing intelligence over to her intimate partner Mark Bishop, a spy for the Russian government. Lisa claims that she did not know about Bishop, regardless of the fact that her actions were treasonous. Daniels tells her to go back to Bishop and make him believe that the component was secured.
Nadia Yassir tells Mike Doyle that they are being pressured to find Cheng, and that they need to get information out of Audrey Raines. Dr. Bradley reports that she needs to be shocked out of her state in order for her to be complicit.
Mike Doyle enters Jack Bauer's holding room. Jack asks if they are letting him speak to Audrey. Doyle tells Jack that Bradley was about to administer drugs into Audrey's system in order to make her talk, but has the possibility of killing her. Doyle uncuffs Jack, believing that he needs to do something about it. Jack locked himself into a room with Audrey, as CTU is cutting themselves in. He asks Audrey if she knew anything about Cheng's whereabouts. The door opens, and Doyle and Jack standoff; Jack demanding a guarantee of Audrey's safety. Audrey suddenly says "Bloomfield" and Nadia has Chloe research this information. Back in his holding room, James Heller tells Jack to stay away from Audrey, saying that everything he touches ends up dead.
Vice PresidentNoah Daniels accuses Lisa Miller of betraying both her country and Daniels himself. Daniels tells Lisa to convince her spy "boyfriend" to make the Russians believe the circuit board was recovered. Tom Lennox briefs Lisa on the operation. When she arrives at the apartment, Lisa and Bishop small talk, then undress.
Cheng Zhi gives Zhou Yong and his assault team directions to CTU. Nadia Yassir has the building locked down in response to the Chinese assault. Zhou orders the CTU workers to get on the floor.
Jack Bauer escapes from his holding room, grabs a dead guard's weapon, and uses it to kill a mercenary. Going through the halls of CTU, he rescues Marilyn and Josh Bauer. Marilyn tells Jack that the Chinese want something with Josh. Jack has Josh enter CTU's ventilation, but Jack and Marilyn get captured as soon as Josh escapes.
Zhou tells Cheng that Josh escaped, and Cheng yells at him. Zhou uses the intercom to convince Josh to get out of the ventilation system. Cheng tells Phillip Bauer that his men have Josh. Phillip alerts Cheng that he will deliver the circuit board once he receives his grandson.
Zhou demands to know who is in command at the Counter Terrorist Unit. Milo Pressman identifies himself as the Acting Director of CTU. Zhou immediately shoots Milo in the forehead and falls forward to ground, to Nadia's horror.
Russian President Yuri Suvarov tells Vice President Noah Daniels that a Chinese agent has possession of a circuit board. Suvarov tells Daniels that the possession of the circuit board by the Chinese will threaten Russia's national security, which would prompt Russia to attack an American military base. Suvarov gives Daniels a 2-hour ultimatum.
Zhou Yong and his men invade CTU, then report to Cheng Zhi that they have custody of Josh Bauer. Cheng lets Phillip Bauer know about this. When Josh arrives at Cheng's location, Cheng has him speak to his grandfather, who tells him that he plans to take Josh away from "this ungrateful country."
Jack Bauer catches up with Cheng and engages in a firefight. Jack demands to know where Josh is, but an endangered Josh gives Cheng an opportunity to escape.
Cheng tells Phillip Bauer that he lost Josh, but Phillip finds the situation unacceptable, noting that Josh was the price to repair the damaged circuit board. Tom Lennox has Vice PresidentDaniels speak to Phillip Bauer, who demands Josh in exchange for the component. Daniels tells Karen Hayes that there's no choice but to accept Phillip's deal. Later, Mike Doyle grabs Josh, against Jack's wishes, and the two board a helicopter. Jack shouts out Josh's name.
Vice President Noah Daniels tells President Suvarov that he's aware that Suvarov's generals are pushing him towards a military response about the circuit board. Suvarov tells Daniels that unless the component is recovered, he will continue with his present course of action, but Daniels tells Suvarov about an exchange for the component.
Karen Hayes tells Vice President Daniels that Phillip Bauer is a sociopath and that the government cannot trust him. She tells her husband, Bill Buchanan to try to do anything to stop the exchange. Later, Buchanan tells Karen that the government will find out how he obtained the information about Jack Bauer's position. Karen says that she will be arrested, and promptly does so.
Mike Doyle tells one of Phillip Bauer's men to show the circuit board in exchange for Josh Bauer. Doyle attempts to verify the authenticity of the component, but it explodes in his face.
Jack Bauer and Bill Buchanan drive up to the beach where Doyle was injured, noting that it's the location where Josh was. Phillip's men fire upon Jack and Buchanan. Jack tells CTU to get coordinates for all the off-shore oil platforms within a close radius, believing his father might be there.
Chloe O'Brian's vision goes blurry in front of her computer screen. Chloe talks to Morris O'Brian about work, but Morris notices her stressed and asks about it. She says that she's fine, but immediately collapses. Morris yells for help.