Still, it wounded him to know that he might never be able to watch his grandchild grow up, perhaps to have a family of her own. The peaceful life, the retirement that Jack had been ready to embrace only a day or so earlier, now seemed like a fantasy.
You don’t get to have that, said a voice in the back of his mind. Not after all you have done, Jack. Not after all the blood on your hands.
He looked down at his palms, and for a moment he felt an irrational stab of dread, that if he turned around Jack would find Nina Meyers standing there behind him, that predatory smile playing on her lips.
He shook off the thought, banishing the ghost of memory, knowing that it was just the fatigue talking, playing games with his mind.
As he watched the land finally slip beneath the horizon and vanish, he nodded to himself. The truth was, there were many ghosts following Jack Bauer, friends and lovers, enemies and victims alike.
A long time ago, he had made his peace with that, and Jack knew that somewhere out there a final deadline for his life was inching closer, a clock ticking down toward zero. He knew that one day his ghosts would catch up with him.
But today was not that day.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JAMES SWALLOW is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty-five books, including fiction from the worlds of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and more. His other credits feature scripts for video games and radio drama, including Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Fable: The Journey, Battlestar Galactica, and Killzone 2. A BAFTA nominee, James lives in London and is currently at work on his next novel.
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
24: DEADLINE
24 TM & © 2014 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
Cover art: 24™ & © 2014 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.
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The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-0-7653-7790-6 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4668-5826-8 (e-book)
e-ISBN 9781466858268
First Edition: August 2014
24: Deadline (24 Series) Page 33