Thursday, November 30, 2006
When Fiction Meets Reality - Pt. 4
Jack got up and walked over to Nina's station. He asked her to check the personnel at Fox around the time of the first phone call and she promised she'd keep him updated. Jack then led Kiefer out to the main parking lot. He noticed the big shiny limo the moment he walked out. The car set in motion nearly at once and Jack waited for it to reach them, but he stopped Kiefer from getting in.
"Let me just get rid of him, we'll take my car."
Kiefer couldn't hide the sigh of relief.
Jack spoke to the driver for a moment after what the man drove off, probably relieved to be done with the shitty job of chauffeuring the same guy around all day. Jack walked over to his car and hopped in without bothering to open Kiefer's door. That too was a relief to Kiefer, he could handle a door. He didn't mind the whole business with limo's and their drivers whenever he was to attend a big awards show or something similar, but on a daily basis, it was simply too much. He climbed into the big black SUV and buckled up. He didn't know if it was the car, or the company, or anything specific or simply the sum of all those factors, but he felt better, safer. Jack started the engine and steered the car out of the parking lot, stopping before pulling out into the street.
"Where to?" he asked, casting a sideways glance at Kiefer.
Kiefer checked his watch. "I should get to the studios; they'll be waiting for me."
"Where is that?"
He gave him the address and Jack pulled out into the street. Traffic was dense due to the time of day and Jack sighed when they got stuck in slow traffic. The glare of the sun on the cars around him stung his eyes and he reached for his sunglasses, slipping them on in a quick move. Kiefer did the same and he sagged back a little in the chair, judging by the mass of vehicles around them, they would be here for a while. He reached for the control to lower his window, but found it to be inactive.
Jack flicked a switch on the dash, releasing the controls. "Don't open it too far."
The window descended no more than 2 inches, enough to let some fresh air in, not enough to see much more than the top of his head. Wearing sunglasses behind tainted glass, the chances of anyone recognizing him were minimal, which was the only reason why Jack allowed him to lower the safety glass.
Ten minutes later, they had covered the amazing distance of 3 yards and Jack cursed under his breath. He looked around, trying to find a way out, suddenly hit a switch turning on the emergency beacon and sirens and he manoeuvred out of the lane, cutting through oncoming traffic which was almost at a standstill as well and shot into a one-way street, going the wrong way. Horns blared all around them, but Jack ignored them and steered the big car around the obstacles with steady hand. The moment they emerged from the street, he pulled to the curb and pulled out his PDA. He punched in his destination and requested the best itinerary for this time of day. Seconds later, the PDA bleeped twice and showed the best route.
He steered the car back into traffic and followed the directions the PDA gave him, reaching the Fox Studios about half an hour later. He flashed his badge at the security officer at the main gate and was waved through.
"What was that you were saying about increased security?" he asked grimly.
"What do you mean?" Kiefer asked.
"I just waltzed through security without a single problem."
"Well you're a federal agent."
"What do they know? Why am I here? Do I have an appointment with someone? Is that badge real? If there have been threats against the network as well, those guys should be a lot more vigilant. It's guys like that who will get you killed."
"I'll let the head of security know."
"Don't worry about that, I'll let him know." Jack replied dryly. "Concentrate on your job, don't worry about mine."
Jack steered the car to the building Kiefer pointed out and parked near the entrance. Both men hopped out and Kiefer led the way, taking him deep into the bowels of the huge building. He stopped at a door with a red light on above.
"They're shooting, we'll have to be quiet." Kiefer said.
Jack nodded and they went inside. He stayed right behind Kiefer, knowing for a fact he would get lost in the maze they had just entered. At the sound of gunfire, he tensed and his hand lowered to his gun in a reflex, but since Kiefer didn't budge, he supposed it was part of the scene they were shooting and he eased up a little, keeping his hand on his gun however. They reached an area that was obviously set up for the director and producer, a number of screens all displayed a different view on the scene that was being taped, three people sat watching intently, eyes switching back and forth between the screens, checking the scene from different angles. Kiefer shook hands with the three men but not a word was spoken and Jack stayed out of the way. Moments later one of them stood up and yelled "CUT!"
An instant later, the air filled with all kinds of noises, blending together into chaos. Kiefer finally introduced Jack to the men and they shook hands. Jack took all three of them in, he would have to remember the faces that belonged here.
"You good to go Kiefer?" the shortest, Jon, asked.
"Yeah, I'll go get changed, I'll see you guys in a bit."
Jack followed him out of the studio and to his changing room. The moment Kiefer reached for the knob, Jack stopped him.
"Hang on. Let me check it out first."
"I don't think-"
"That's right, don't think. Let me do the thinking when it comes to your safety."
"Fine." Kiefer replied, holding his hands up in surrender.
Jack opened the door and entered the spacious room. He quickly checked the room and the small bathroom attached to it and found it to be secure. "It's clear."
"I didn't expect it to be anything less." Kiefer replied.
"I'd like to call in a team to sweep the place for bugs anyhow." Jack stated, "But I'll make sure they're not in here when you are. Do you have a cell phone?"
"Yes I do."
"Can I have it for a moment?"
"Sure." Kiefer said, reaching into his pocket and fishing out his cell phone.
"I'm going to put my number in, that way, if you need me, you won't have to waste time going through the CTU switchboard."
He punched his number in and saved it, putting it in first place in the address book so it would be the first number to come up. In case of emergency, having that number readily available could make a difference between life and death.
"There you go." he said, handing back the phone. I suppose you'll be okay as long as you're on the set, there's too big a crowd to attempt anything."
"I think they're just trying to scare me, I really don't think they're actually going to try something."
"I would have to have a look at all the evidence to be able to judge the situation, but for now I'll assume the threat is real and I'll act accordingly. Don't go anywhere on your own until I'm back."
"Where are you going?"
"I need to talk to the head of security."
"I'm not sure he'll see you without appointment." Kiefer replied, taking off his shirt and putting it on a hanger. He further stripped out of his clothes, not in any way embarrassed or uneasy under Jack's watchful eye. Jack was the one who felt slightly uncomfortable watching another man strip down to his briefs in front of him.
Jack noticed the tattoos covering his arms and he wondered for a moment what they meant, he was pretty sure Kim would have an answer to that. Kiefer changed into a set of clothes that looked like they had just barely survived an explosion of some kind, leaving the top button on the shirt undone and rolling up the sleeves to about halfway his underarm. He checked his reflection in the mirror and Jack noticed the frown settling on his brow.
He turned and went straight for the phone, punching in an extension number and waiting for it to be answered.
"Yeah Jon it's me. Tell me, the bloodstain on my shirt was on the left side wasn't it? That's what I thought, thanks."
He put the phone down and punched in another.
"Hi, this is Kiefer, I'll need another shirt, the bloodstain is on the wrong side on this one. ... No, it's supposed to be on the left side. ... That's right. ...I'll be waiting. ...No problem."
He hung up again and stripped out of the shirt, put it on a hanger and put it back on the rack where it had been. He turned and saw the questioning look on Jack's face.
"I can't have a bloodstain on the left one moment, and have it on the right in the next shot."
"Would anybody notice?"
"Maybe not, but I'm not willing to take that chance. I don't like sloppy work. "
Minutes later, a soft knock on the door announced the arrival of the new shirt. It looked in just as bad a condition as the other one, but it had the bloodstain on the left side where it was supposed to be and Kiefer thanked the lady who brought it. She took the other shirt with her and Jack could only guess what would happen to it. Kiefer put the shirt on and checked his reflection. Satisfied with what he saw, he turned and headed for the door.
"Time for make-up." he explained to Jack who fell in behind him.
He went down the hall and walked into a large room which held a huge mirror along one wall and a set of comfortable looking leather chairs facing the mirror. Two ladies were seated together at a table in the far corner, but they got up at once.
"Hey Kiefer." they both said, almost in perfect sync.
"Morning ladies." Kiefer replied, giving both of them a peck on the cheek.He took a seat and sat back, getting comfy.
"You'd better have a seat as well, this is going to take a while." he said, addressing Jack, "They have quite a transformation to put me through."
Jack took a seat and watched in silence as one of the ladies threw a light cape over him, covering the clothes to protect them against any make-up smudges. Next she put some paper towels around his neck to protect the collar of his shirt. Kiefer closed his eyes and relaxed and she set to work. Layer after layer of make-up powder was used to create an impression of fatigue and strain and fake blood came into play to recreate a cut on his brow. After about half an hour, the girl pushed up and tapped Kiefer on the shoulder. He opened his eyes and looked in the mirror, examining his reflection closely. She handed him a picture and he compared his reflection to it.
"That's looking good. But I think you should smudge the blood just a little more on this end." he suggested, pointing to the area he meant.
The girl checked the picture first, agreed the blood seemed to have been smudged more than that and she turned to adjust it. Kiefer was satisfied with the result and the lady picked up a small bottle, spraying his face and neck. When she was done, the other one came up and did his hair, again working from the picture. Almost an hour after they walked into the make-up room, they walked back out with Kiefer now looking like crap instead of fresh out the shower.
They went back into the main studio and Kiefer went over to where Jon and the others stood, they were discussing something and Jon called out to Kiefer the moment he saw him. He hurried over and Jon rewound a tape and they watched it together, discussing the issue with Kiefer now and Jack took his cue. He walked by the table, making eye-contact with Kiefer to let him know he was leaving, getting a short nod in return.
"Let me just get rid of him, we'll take my car."
Kiefer couldn't hide the sigh of relief.
Jack spoke to the driver for a moment after what the man drove off, probably relieved to be done with the shitty job of chauffeuring the same guy around all day. Jack walked over to his car and hopped in without bothering to open Kiefer's door. That too was a relief to Kiefer, he could handle a door. He didn't mind the whole business with limo's and their drivers whenever he was to attend a big awards show or something similar, but on a daily basis, it was simply too much. He climbed into the big black SUV and buckled up. He didn't know if it was the car, or the company, or anything specific or simply the sum of all those factors, but he felt better, safer. Jack started the engine and steered the car out of the parking lot, stopping before pulling out into the street.
"Where to?" he asked, casting a sideways glance at Kiefer.
Kiefer checked his watch. "I should get to the studios; they'll be waiting for me."
"Where is that?"
He gave him the address and Jack pulled out into the street. Traffic was dense due to the time of day and Jack sighed when they got stuck in slow traffic. The glare of the sun on the cars around him stung his eyes and he reached for his sunglasses, slipping them on in a quick move. Kiefer did the same and he sagged back a little in the chair, judging by the mass of vehicles around them, they would be here for a while. He reached for the control to lower his window, but found it to be inactive.
Jack flicked a switch on the dash, releasing the controls. "Don't open it too far."
The window descended no more than 2 inches, enough to let some fresh air in, not enough to see much more than the top of his head. Wearing sunglasses behind tainted glass, the chances of anyone recognizing him were minimal, which was the only reason why Jack allowed him to lower the safety glass.
Ten minutes later, they had covered the amazing distance of 3 yards and Jack cursed under his breath. He looked around, trying to find a way out, suddenly hit a switch turning on the emergency beacon and sirens and he manoeuvred out of the lane, cutting through oncoming traffic which was almost at a standstill as well and shot into a one-way street, going the wrong way. Horns blared all around them, but Jack ignored them and steered the big car around the obstacles with steady hand. The moment they emerged from the street, he pulled to the curb and pulled out his PDA. He punched in his destination and requested the best itinerary for this time of day. Seconds later, the PDA bleeped twice and showed the best route.
He steered the car back into traffic and followed the directions the PDA gave him, reaching the Fox Studios about half an hour later. He flashed his badge at the security officer at the main gate and was waved through.
"What was that you were saying about increased security?" he asked grimly.
"What do you mean?" Kiefer asked.
"I just waltzed through security without a single problem."
"Well you're a federal agent."
"What do they know? Why am I here? Do I have an appointment with someone? Is that badge real? If there have been threats against the network as well, those guys should be a lot more vigilant. It's guys like that who will get you killed."
"I'll let the head of security know."
"Don't worry about that, I'll let him know." Jack replied dryly. "Concentrate on your job, don't worry about mine."
Jack steered the car to the building Kiefer pointed out and parked near the entrance. Both men hopped out and Kiefer led the way, taking him deep into the bowels of the huge building. He stopped at a door with a red light on above.
"They're shooting, we'll have to be quiet." Kiefer said.
Jack nodded and they went inside. He stayed right behind Kiefer, knowing for a fact he would get lost in the maze they had just entered. At the sound of gunfire, he tensed and his hand lowered to his gun in a reflex, but since Kiefer didn't budge, he supposed it was part of the scene they were shooting and he eased up a little, keeping his hand on his gun however. They reached an area that was obviously set up for the director and producer, a number of screens all displayed a different view on the scene that was being taped, three people sat watching intently, eyes switching back and forth between the screens, checking the scene from different angles. Kiefer shook hands with the three men but not a word was spoken and Jack stayed out of the way. Moments later one of them stood up and yelled "CUT!"
An instant later, the air filled with all kinds of noises, blending together into chaos. Kiefer finally introduced Jack to the men and they shook hands. Jack took all three of them in, he would have to remember the faces that belonged here.
"You good to go Kiefer?" the shortest, Jon, asked.
"Yeah, I'll go get changed, I'll see you guys in a bit."
Jack followed him out of the studio and to his changing room. The moment Kiefer reached for the knob, Jack stopped him.
"Hang on. Let me check it out first."
"I don't think-"
"That's right, don't think. Let me do the thinking when it comes to your safety."
"Fine." Kiefer replied, holding his hands up in surrender.
Jack opened the door and entered the spacious room. He quickly checked the room and the small bathroom attached to it and found it to be secure. "It's clear."
"I didn't expect it to be anything less." Kiefer replied.
"I'd like to call in a team to sweep the place for bugs anyhow." Jack stated, "But I'll make sure they're not in here when you are. Do you have a cell phone?"
"Yes I do."
"Can I have it for a moment?"
"Sure." Kiefer said, reaching into his pocket and fishing out his cell phone.
"I'm going to put my number in, that way, if you need me, you won't have to waste time going through the CTU switchboard."
He punched his number in and saved it, putting it in first place in the address book so it would be the first number to come up. In case of emergency, having that number readily available could make a difference between life and death.
"There you go." he said, handing back the phone. I suppose you'll be okay as long as you're on the set, there's too big a crowd to attempt anything."
"I think they're just trying to scare me, I really don't think they're actually going to try something."
"I would have to have a look at all the evidence to be able to judge the situation, but for now I'll assume the threat is real and I'll act accordingly. Don't go anywhere on your own until I'm back."
"Where are you going?"
"I need to talk to the head of security."
"I'm not sure he'll see you without appointment." Kiefer replied, taking off his shirt and putting it on a hanger. He further stripped out of his clothes, not in any way embarrassed or uneasy under Jack's watchful eye. Jack was the one who felt slightly uncomfortable watching another man strip down to his briefs in front of him.
Jack noticed the tattoos covering his arms and he wondered for a moment what they meant, he was pretty sure Kim would have an answer to that. Kiefer changed into a set of clothes that looked like they had just barely survived an explosion of some kind, leaving the top button on the shirt undone and rolling up the sleeves to about halfway his underarm. He checked his reflection in the mirror and Jack noticed the frown settling on his brow.
He turned and went straight for the phone, punching in an extension number and waiting for it to be answered.
"Yeah Jon it's me. Tell me, the bloodstain on my shirt was on the left side wasn't it? That's what I thought, thanks."
He put the phone down and punched in another.
"Hi, this is Kiefer, I'll need another shirt, the bloodstain is on the wrong side on this one. ... No, it's supposed to be on the left side. ... That's right. ...I'll be waiting. ...No problem."
He hung up again and stripped out of the shirt, put it on a hanger and put it back on the rack where it had been. He turned and saw the questioning look on Jack's face.
"I can't have a bloodstain on the left one moment, and have it on the right in the next shot."
"Would anybody notice?"
"Maybe not, but I'm not willing to take that chance. I don't like sloppy work. "
Minutes later, a soft knock on the door announced the arrival of the new shirt. It looked in just as bad a condition as the other one, but it had the bloodstain on the left side where it was supposed to be and Kiefer thanked the lady who brought it. She took the other shirt with her and Jack could only guess what would happen to it. Kiefer put the shirt on and checked his reflection. Satisfied with what he saw, he turned and headed for the door.
"Time for make-up." he explained to Jack who fell in behind him.
He went down the hall and walked into a large room which held a huge mirror along one wall and a set of comfortable looking leather chairs facing the mirror. Two ladies were seated together at a table in the far corner, but they got up at once.
"Hey Kiefer." they both said, almost in perfect sync.
"Morning ladies." Kiefer replied, giving both of them a peck on the cheek.He took a seat and sat back, getting comfy.
"You'd better have a seat as well, this is going to take a while." he said, addressing Jack, "They have quite a transformation to put me through."
Jack took a seat and watched in silence as one of the ladies threw a light cape over him, covering the clothes to protect them against any make-up smudges. Next she put some paper towels around his neck to protect the collar of his shirt. Kiefer closed his eyes and relaxed and she set to work. Layer after layer of make-up powder was used to create an impression of fatigue and strain and fake blood came into play to recreate a cut on his brow. After about half an hour, the girl pushed up and tapped Kiefer on the shoulder. He opened his eyes and looked in the mirror, examining his reflection closely. She handed him a picture and he compared his reflection to it.
"That's looking good. But I think you should smudge the blood just a little more on this end." he suggested, pointing to the area he meant.
The girl checked the picture first, agreed the blood seemed to have been smudged more than that and she turned to adjust it. Kiefer was satisfied with the result and the lady picked up a small bottle, spraying his face and neck. When she was done, the other one came up and did his hair, again working from the picture. Almost an hour after they walked into the make-up room, they walked back out with Kiefer now looking like crap instead of fresh out the shower.
They went back into the main studio and Kiefer went over to where Jon and the others stood, they were discussing something and Jon called out to Kiefer the moment he saw him. He hurried over and Jon rewound a tape and they watched it together, discussing the issue with Kiefer now and Jack took his cue. He walked by the table, making eye-contact with Kiefer to let him know he was leaving, getting a short nod in return.
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1 Comments:
You know, maybe it's stupid, but this fanfic made me think about the REAL Jack, if there's any...
Nevermind :)
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