President Palmer's speech at the White House had been brief. While it certainly conveyed America's uncompromising stance on terrorism, its more important message was aimed at the country's allies and adversaries: the President of the United States was alive, and the White House still stood.
By the next morning, the White House crisis had become yesterday's news. After a short period of rest, the central hub of American power resumed operations. However, one major change was evident—the Secret Service had been replaced by U.S. Marines for perimeter security, and more than 2,000 National Guardsmen were now stationed near the White House and Capitol Hill.
The previous night had been a sleepless one for CTU, NSA, CIA, and various intelligence agencies. Though the immediate threat had passed, to them, the real war was just beginning. They still had an overwhelming list of questions to answer.
Were foreign powers involved? How did the White Masks infiltrate the White House? Was Martin working alone, or did he have more accomplices? Were Staz and all his men accounted for, or had some slipped through? These and countless other threads now demanded investigation.
Under normal circumstances, after a mission like this, Owen and the Quick Reaction Team would have been granted a few days of leave—perhaps Owen would even have returned to Los Angeles to visit family. But with Jack Bauer hospitalized due to his injuries, Owen had become the acting head of CTU—and President Palmer's most trusted operative. Every decision, especially those concerning the White Masks, now fell on his shoulders.
Even though the White Masks had escaped, CTU had never stopped tracking them. Previously, CTU was the only agency on the case, but now they had shared intel with the NSA. Rumor had it that Tier Three operators were also investigating the White Masks.
One matter that hadn't been made public was the connection between Vice President Lafferson's aide and the enemy. Tech analyst "Sweetheart" had thoroughly reviewed Lafferson's records but found no direct evidence implicating the Vice President. With the President's approval, the matter was being kept under wraps. Not even CTU was in the loop—only Owen's Quick Reaction Team and Sweetheart were investigating it in secret.
Days passed, but no new leads emerged. The White Masks were clearly masters at covering their tracks. Jack Bauer's condition eventually stabilized, and he returned to CTU to resume command. With that, Owen could finally breathe a little easier.
Just then, his phone rang. It was Benjamin.
"This is Owen."
"Buddy, how've you been these past few days?"
"Not great—feels worse than death," Owen replied tiredly.
Benjamin chuckled. "Well, listen, my family's throwing a party tonight. You're invited. My mom really wants to thank you in person. I know you're busy, man, but please don't turn us down."
"…Uh…"
Owen was momentarily speechless. Just as Benjamin had guessed, he'd been planning to decline. But the two of them had a strong bond—back in Los Angeles, Benjamin had supported him without hesitation while working as the FBI Assistant to Director Womack. After a short pause, Owen finally relented.
"Alright. Just give me the time and address. I'll be there."
"Awesome!" Benjamin responded, then rattled off the location.
Right after the call ended, Jack Bauer opened the glass door of the second-floor conference room and gestured for Owen to come upstairs.
Inside the room, Jack began, "The President is holding an emergency meeting this afternoon. He specifically asked for you to attend."
"What's it about?"
"I don't know exactly. But I think it has something to do with the Quick Reaction Team. Yesterday, the Secretary's office asked me to compile a report on everything related to QRT—training protocols, personnel files, past missions, performance records, final evaluations…"
Owen listened but still couldn't make out what the purpose of the meeting might be. He didn't press for more—whatever it was, he'd find out soon enough. Based on the role he and the QRT had played in the White House crisis, it didn't seem like bad news.
…
That afternoon came quickly. Owen and Jack once again drove to the White House—just like they had a few days earlier, only that time they'd walked straight into a terrorist siege.
Security was noticeably tighter now. Along with Capitol Police, Secret Service agents and Marines were stationed at every checkpoint. Owen followed Jack into the Blue Room—ironically, the same room where Jennifer and the other hostages had been held. That was where today's meeting would take place.
Owen and Jack were the first to arrive. As they entered, both instinctively glanced at the fireplace and air duct—memories of that escape still vivid.
They barely had time to sit down before more attendees began filing in: CIA Director Martin, NSA's head, the Director of the FBI, and the Secretary of Defense.
Everyone who entered also stole a glance at the vent above the fireplace. After the White House was retaken, Owen had submitted a detailed report—every survivor did. In Owen's case, his report had been particularly thorough and objective—after all, he had been the lone hero at the heart of the crisis.
Just before the meeting began, President Palmer entered and naturally took his seat at the head of the table. The meeting commenced.
"Gentlemen," Palmer began, "I'm sure you know why I've called you here. A few days ago, the White House experienced one of the darkest moments in its history. Outside of the British in the 1800s, never before has the White House suffered such a disgrace."
He scanned the room. No one spoke.
"These past days, every department has been reviewing its failures. I've been doing the same. Not just about this attack—but also about 9/11. I've come to the conclusion that we need to make changes to how we handle intelligence."
As the President paused, CIA Director Martin looked as if he were about to speak—but Palmer raised a hand.
"Hold on, Martin. Let me finish."
"Abroad, we have the CIA—supposedly the world's most powerful intelligence agency. At home, we have the NSA—another behemoth. Each military branch has its own intelligence division. While they're all theoretically coordinated by the CIA, there's a persistent problem with timeliness and verification. If I recall correctly, the CIA received warnings before 9/11—but the analysts dismissed them as unimportant, so they sat ignored…"
Palmer's words left Martin speechless. Owen exchanged a glance with Jack—they both sensed something major was about to unfold.
[A special discount will be available from December 30th until Three Kings' Day.]
[Use 37B44 to get 33% off all levels until January 6th]
[Unlock +20 Advanced Chapters on Patre on. com /Mutter]
[For every 50 Power Stones, 1 Bonus Chapter will be released]
[Thank you for reading!]