On the way back, even though Owen knew that "Jack" was fake, he still couldn't shake his frustration.
They had escaped again.
The Mission Impossible Squad truly lived up to their reputation—ghosts in the shadows, impossible to pin down.
Owen pondered the situation. Why did Ethan Hunt go out of his way to rescue Salim? Based on his past-life knowledge, it had to be about the nuclear warheads. Only a crisis of that magnitude would warrant the involvement of the Mission Impossible Squad.
But why stage Jack Bauer's execution? The answer was obvious—to gain Salim's trust. Salim, who had never encountered 3D-printed silicone masks, would easily be fooled.
And this kind of elaborate deception was exactly Ethan Hunt's style.
Back at CTU, the SWAT team disbanded to rest, while the field agents returned their gear to the armory.
As Owen stepped out, he noticed two figures following Nina into the conference room.
Something about their backs seemed familiar.
Curious, he spotted Chloe busy working and walked over.
"Who are they?"
Chloe glanced up and, with a hint of annoyance, replied, "Two CIA agents."
Right now, CTU's relationship with the CIA was strained at best, hostile at worst.
"The CIA? What do they want?"
"No idea." Chloe shrugged.
Owen didn't press further, but he stuck around, trying to make conversation.
Since joining CTU, he had deliberately worked on building rapport with Chloe.
Anyone who had watched "24" knew exactly how crucial she was to Jack Bauer. Without her, Jack would've been dead ten times over.
Before, watching the show, Owen had always thought Jack Bauer was incredible—diving into danger, facing impossible odds, and single-handedly saving America time and time again.
But now, having lived it, he realized the real power at CTU wasn't the field team—it was the data support unit, led by Nina.
As a counterterrorism agency, CTU had unparalleled access to intelligence. They held backdoor permissions to nearly every civilian system and were leaps ahead of the CIA and FBI in communications, cybersecurity, and surveillance—only the NSA could rival them.
Even in classified military operations, CTU had priority access. In emergencies, they could even take direct control of satellites.
On top of that, division heads—like Jack Bauer—had direct reporting privileges to the President. Their power made other agencies envious.
CTU's equipment was also cutting-edge. Unlike the CIA's reliance on experimental gadgets, CTU opted for high-end, fully operational technology.
In an era where most phones were still 2G, CTU had 3G and even 4G devices. Their phones could transmit large files, had GPS navigation, video call capabilities, and ultra-long battery life. Apart from the lack of modern smartphone apps, they were practically next-gen devices.
In 24, Chloe and Jack relied on each other to survive. That was exactly why Owen was making an effort to befriend her—
Not just because she had high-level access and elite IT skills, but because she was loyal.
When it mattered most, she would risk everything for her friends.
And you could never have too many friends like that.
---
Inside the conference room…
With Tony still out, Nina was the highest-ranking officer present.
"How do you prove your identity?"
Nina's tone was sharp and unfriendly as she confronted the two CIA agents.
Simon and Harry exchanged glances, assuming her hostility was due to CTU's recent terrorist attack.
Simon spoke first. "We're from CIA's Special Activities Division, callsign 'Omega'—but we prefer to call ourselves Squad Seven. I'm Simon Westeros, and this is my partner, Harry. Here are our credentials."
Simon handed over two ID badges.
Nina examined them. They were legitimate CIA identifications.
But she had had enough of these special ops teams—Omega Squad, Mission Impossible Squad… To hell with all of them.
She realized she was getting paranoid.
That damn silicone mask incident had messed with her head.
Just to be safe, she pressed her intercom.
"Chloe, get in here. I need you to verify two IDs."
One minute later, Chloe entered, took the badges, and walked out.
Simon and Harry, both seasoned CIA agents, had never encountered this level of skepticism from another U.S. agency.
Simon opened his mouth to speak again, but Nina cut him off.
"Not another word until we confirm your identities."
Silence.
---
Outside…
Owen noticed Chloe returning with the two CIA IDs and asked, "What's going on?"
Chloe waved the IDs. "Those two inside are CIA. Nina wanted me to verify them—you know, she's a bit on edge after this whole situation."
She gestured toward the silicone mask sitting on a nearby table.
Owen nodded—understanding completely.
He glanced at the conference room.
The frosted glass panels obscured the view, only revealing blurred figures—but he could tell they were big guys.
Then, a thought struck him.
Salim. CIA. Nuclear warheads.
The pieces connected in his mind, bringing up a vaguely familiar feeling…
"Verification complete—they check out."
---
Owen grabbed the IDs before Chloe could react.
"I'll bring them back."
Chloe blinked, stunned, as Owen marched into the conference room.
He knocked.
"Come in."
Owen stepped in, handing the IDs to Nina.
"Chloe got caught up with something, so she asked me to return these. Their IDs are legit."
His eyes, however, weren't on Nina—they were locked onto the two men sitting across the table.
Nina didn't think much of it and passed the IDs back to Simon and Harry.
She hesitated for a moment, then made a decision.
"You've proven you're from the CIA," she said, her voice steady.
"Now, prove that you are actually YOU."
What?
The two agents froze, staring at her in confusion.
"Excuse me?"
Nina knew she sounded insane.
But she didn't care.
"Sorry about this," she muttered.
Then she reached out and pinched their faces.
What the hell?!
Both agents jerked back in shock.
But Nina, finally satisfied, nodded.
"Alright. You can continue."
Simon and Harry exchanged a bewildered glance.
Before they could ask what the hell just happened, Tony entered the room.
Nina gave a quick introduction before Simon resumed.
"Recently, we've been investigating a suspicious financial operation. The funds were linked to a terrorist organization, and all evidence pointed to a man named Salim Abu Aziz.
We also believe he's connected to a stolen nuclear warhead.
Yesterday, we learned that you captured Salim—so we're here to see if we can work together."
Simon chose his words carefully.
Strictly speaking, CTU didn't need the CIA for this. Counterterrorism was CTU's specialty.
Nina hesitated.
Should she tell them the truth?
CIA was looking for Salim.
But… Salim had already been broken out—by CIA agents.
Would these guys even understand if she told them?
Then she noticed Owen still lingering in the room, watching intently.
She shot him a questioning look.
_________________________
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