10:00 pm to 11:00 pm


The team transports the bomb to hanger 12. The tech begins working on it. They look at the circuit panel. It has been redirected. Jack oversees. Mason arrives at the scene. He looks bad. Jack wants to know what he's doing here. Mason wants to be here, it's the thing that is killing him. Jack tells him he should be somewhere else. Mason says he promised himself he'd be there to the end. He starts to heave then fumbles for pills. Jack goes to check on the techs. The trigger is tamper-proof. It they try to disarm the bomb - it will go off. Jack tells someone that they have to fly the bomb out. He needs to find the fastest plane on the field. Jack calls Palmer. They have 55 minutes on the timer.

Kim walks through the dark. She reaches the road. We hear a pair of motorcycles approach. The pass Kim and keep going. A car comes by. It stops. A guy is inside. Kim asks where he's going. The guy asks where she's going. She says San Jose. She starts to get in the car, stops and backs away. The guy questions her. He gets out of the car. Kim pulls a gun. They guy thinks she's bluffing. She shoots his car window. (Is it me or was that the smartest thing Kim has done in 2 seasons?). The guy drives off.

Palmer will get back with Jack in 10 minutes when the plane is ready. He tells Jack to prepare for the scenario they discussed. Palmer is briefed by the Chief of Staff on what will happen when Jack ditches the plane in the ocean. There will be fallout and some incidents of cancer. Shipping Lanes will be effected. The blast will affect the marine ecosystem. Even beach usage could become hazardous for years to come. Lynne briefs on the Mohave scenario. They can evacuate the local town. But can't take into account campers. There is a slight risk of fallout over Las Vegas - but that seems unlikely. There will be a highly radioactive ground zero, but it will be isolated. Palmer leans toward the desert scenario. Lynne informs him that the desert site must be precise, below sea level with mountains surrounding it. It must be deep enough to contain fall out. The airplane they will be using is civilian. It doesn't have the precision needed for an accurate drop. The pilot will have to go down with the plane. If the bomb isn't dropped accurately, the pilot will die anyway.

Palmer calls Jack. Jack tells Palmer CTU came to the same conclusion. Jack tells him that there are several volunteers. Palmer tells Jack to tell whoever goes that they will take care of whatever family they leave behind. Jack hangs up. Mason tells Jack that he doesn't see any volunteers. He asks when Jack last flew a plane. Jack says he can get the plane in the air and put it down where it's needed. Mason says he can do it and he's going to die anyway. Jack protests and says that Mason could pass out. Jack clears the field and heads for the plane.

Tony is on the phone with someone. He doesn't care what division says. They bring Ali's personal effects to CTU. Someone has come along with the items. Tony meets with the man. He understands that there is still analysis to be done. Tony tells him to get some coffee. Yusef Auda. Tony tells Michelle he needs hand holding. Officially he's supposed to be helping. Unofficially he should see nothing. Tony tells Michelle to assign someone to it. Michelle assigns herself to it (I'm telling you, she's going to turn out to be a bad egg - you watch). The new girl questions Michelle, who tells her to asks Jacobs for help if she needs it. Tony is shown a device they found in Ali's things. It is encrypted and obviously of high importance. They don't have the technology in the field to read it in the field. Tony will get his people on it right away.

Jack and Tony talk on the phone. Jack asks if Tony has found Kim yet. Tony hasn't. Jack says he is running out of time. Tony says to wait until the plane takes off. Jack tells Tony he's flying it. Tony is shocked. Jack says he can't order anyone else to do this. Tony says he'll locate Kim. Jack asks Tony to get the will and a letter to Kim in case something ever happened to him out of the safe in his apartment.

An SUV stops next to Kim. Kim gives the woman inside a story about being on a date and the guy parking. She asks to go to San Jose. The woman tells Kim she's not an idiot and doesn't buy her story. Kim asks a cell phone so she can call her father.

Jack is handed a timer synchronized to the timer on the bomb so he'll know how much time he has left. Jack gets on the plane. Kate learns that the Jack is going to fly the plane on its suicide mission. She calls to Jack as he closes the plane's door. Baker stops her. Jack closes the door. Baker tells her she has to stay back. Jack requests permission for takeoff. Kate watches the plane leave.

Lynne hands Palmer a preliminary draft of his statement for tomorrow. The chief of staff gives him an update on the progress of the evacuation. Palmer wants Lynne to revise the speech. Palmer tells them he is going to Los Angles. The Chief of Staff and Lynne both think that Palmer is making a mistake. Palmer tells them the whole country will be traumatized by news of this bomb - especially Los Angles and he intends to be there. Palmer asks who is flying the plane. The Chief of Staff gives Palmer a grim look and informs him that it is Jack Bauer. He would have told Palmer sooner, but he figured he had enough on his mind.

Jack is in the air. He'll be given final vectors in 5 minutes. 26 minutes until the bomb goes off. Tony is patched through to Jack. They have found Kim. She is on the other line. They haven't told her anything yet. Tony puts her through. Jack asks if Kim is okay. Kim asks what the noise is. Jack tells her she is in a plane. They found the bomb. It was wired in a way that makes it impossible to diffuse. They have to fly it into the desert so no one will get hurt. Kim asks how he is getting off the plane. He tells her she isn't. Kim begins to cry, telling him he can't do this to her. She says she's sorry. She's been so mean to him. Jack tells her that whatever happened between them, it wasn't hurt fault. He tells her that he loves her more than anything in the world. He wants her to grow up and be the kind of person who would have made her mom proud. Jack makes her promise this. Jack tells Kim that he has to focus on things up in the plane. He loves her more than anything in the world. He'll always be with her. Kim says she is proud of him and she loves him. Jack loves her too. He says goodbye. Kim is in tears.

The woman tells Kim that she's sorry and asks what she can do. Kim gets out of the SUV. Getting out of LA doesn't matter now. She wants to be alone and runs off (okay, back to being stupid).

Tony tells Michelle that they found Kim and that Kim had a chance to say goodbye. Michelle tells Tony that they decrypted the hard drive from Ali's apartment. There was a recording of a phone conversation on it. The conversation took place between Ali and high-ranking Officials from 3 countries. Tony looks at the list. The countries not only knew about the bomb, but also bought it. Tony wants copies of the translation. Tony calls the President. He watches Michelle below. Tony breaks the news of the recording to the President. Palmer asks who knows. Tony says division headquarters. Palmer tells him that it has ties to other agencies and that means the Pentagon knows. Tony tells him it was flagged for section 4 security (whatever that means) but he's got it on authentication process. Palmer asks why Ali would record the conversation. Tony tells him that most of the time these people don't trust each other.

Palmer tells The Chief of Staff about the latest. They could be at war soon. And once it starts, it might not be limited to those three countries. Palmer says once the bomb goes off, his options will narrow very quickly.

Jack is on final line of target. He locks the final coordinates into the autopilot. There is a noise of some sort. Jack pulls his pistol and whips around. Mason is in the back seat. Everyone at the sight thinks he's still head of CTU. Mason brought Jack a parachute. He tells Jack that the only thing now is to fly the plane straight, level then take it into a dive, unless Jack wants to die. Mason points out that this could be the easy way out for him. Mason tells him if he wants to be a hero to get back down there, forgive himself for what happened to his wife and make up with his daughter. 12 minutes left, does Jack want to live or not. Jack asks if Mason thinks he can do this. Mason says yes. Jack asks if he is sure. Mason climbs into the seat next to Jack. Jack tells him he has to maintain that heading. Then take it into a 30-degree dive. He has to make sure the bomb is in the depression before it goes off.

Mason urges Jack to get his chute on. Jack isn't leaving until the last possible minute - he's going to bail out at 4 minutes. Jack gets on the horn to CTU and tells them to get a chopper in the air. Tony tells Michelle to get a chopper in the air to get Jack because Mason is on the plane and taking it down. The visitor questions Tony about what they found on the hard drive. Tony tells him he doesn't have the clearance. The visitor says that his country helped them find the safe house. There is a "you American's comment" Tony questions what he means. They man shrugs it off.

The General goes in to see Palmer. He congratulates the President. He wants to discuss retaliation. The General reveals he knows about the backing of the other governments. He wishes to activate a plan to invade the countries in question. Palmer wants to know what he means by activate. It means they have plans in place. The General says they have plans for every conceivable action. Palmer gives him the go ahead to begin moving on the plan but not to act without his approval.

Jack puts on his chute. Jack asks Mason if there is anything he wants him to take care of. Mason says he took care of everything and even got to see his son. Jack didn't know he had a son. Mason asks Jack to check in on his son. Mason tells Jack it's time. Jack puts on a helmet, opens the door, and jumps.

The Chief of Staff is given a message. He tells Palmer that at this altitude the explosion will be visible over the eastern horizon. Palmer moves to the window and looks out.

Mason takes the plane into the dive. The plane shudders. Jack lights a flare and glides to the ground. He reaches the ground safely. He gets out of the gear and takes off the helmet. He seeks cover in nearby rocks. A flash. Kim sees the flash over the horizon. Palmer sees the flash from the plane window. Jack stands up and we see the mushroom cloud.