Malevolent mastermind Jonas Hodges emerges as Jack Bauer's latest adversary as the long, terrifying day ticks deeper into the night; Jack yields results from a surprise meeting; and the fight to avert additional terror attacks continues.

Jack steals a car from the hospital parking garage to make his escape. Meanwhile, Morris O'Brian has arrived at the FBI demanding to know where his wife is, and he learns that she's been arrested. Moss calls Janis, and tells her that Ryan Burnett is dead and Jack's the suspect; he has her put out an APB. Agent Walker, in the process of filling out her suspension paperwork, overhears and asks Janis what's going on. All Janis knows is that Burnett is dead and Jack's gone missing. Walker goes to her office… and Jack calls, declaring his innocence. He took a surveillance DVD from the hospital, and is viewing it on a laptop in the car; he e-mails a frame-grab of Quinn to Walker, and tells her that this is who killed Burnett. He's the only connection they've got to whoever else is still involved. Quinn calls Hodges, and tells him that Jack got away. Hodges isn't concerned: his shipment from Juma will arrive within the hour; once they deploy the weapons, it won't matter what Jack finds out. Hodges' number two, Greg Seaton, looks discomfited. Hodges insists he gets no pleasure out of killing people - even one death is tragic - but they're fighting a war, and what they're doing is absolutely, fundamentally necessary. He tells Seaton to wake up their colleagues, and tell them to assemble in one hour.

Renee calls Jack back; she's ID-ed Quinn as a former Black Ops combat vet who now works for Starkwood, which turns out to be a private paramilitary organization. Senator Mayer may know more: he was investigating Starkwood. Jack will need to talk to him. As Walker looks up Mayer's current location, Moss enters; the conversation they have about Jack convinces Moss that she's been talking to him. He goes to Janis, and tells her to access Walker's phone log and workstation. Walker is their best chance of catching Jack.

President Taylor prepares to make a statement; Olivia advises her to not just reassure the nation, but to also claim victory: that standing up to terrorism works. The President agrees. Ethan arrives, and relays what happened with Jack and Ryan Burnett. He also confesses his culpability in sanctioning Jack's plan. Meanwhile, as Walker attempts to leave the FBI, she is stopped by Moss and a security team. He demands to know where Jack is; she won't talk, and insists that as soon as Jack has the evidence he needs, he'll call. Moss has her arrested. Jack confronts Senator Mayer in his own home, holding him hostage. Mayer doesn't recognize Quinn; when he hears Jack's story, he says that if Starkwood was connected to Juma or Sangala, he'd have known it: he investigated Starkwood for six months. Jack insists on seeing his case files. Mayer asks him if he'll turn himself in if the evidence isn't there. Jack just tells him again to open the files.

As the President makes her statement on television, a TV news reporter asks Ethan for a statement about Jack being a suspect in the murder of Ryan Burnett… and Ethan's involvement. Ethan won't comment. He then confronts Olivia, who he realizes has leaked the information to the press. Ethan tells her that in trying to hurt him, she's inflicted political damage on her mother. The President is on record as condemning torture as unacceptable under any circumstances; it will now look as if she's condoned exactly that. Janis can't decode the information on Walker's computer. They ask Morris to help. He does so under the condition that Chloe gets full immunity and the expulsion of all charges from her record. Moss agrees, with Janis as witness. In moments he decrypts the files, and finds that Jack's probable location is the home of Senator Mayer. Moss musters the SWAT teams to move in on Jack. Morris is then reunited with Chloe, who is upset with him for helping the FBI to catch Jack. Morris apologies, but says his child and marriage come first. She's done enough for Jack; he'll prove he's telling the truth when he's taken into custody. Chloe, though, isn't sure the FBI will give Jack the chance.

As Jack goes through the files, he and Mayer speak about regret and sacrifice, and even begin to bond. Jack finds a photo of Quinn in the files at the scene of a car accident that killed a source inside Starkwood: a man who'd been making wild, seemingly unsubstantiated accusations that Starkwood was blackmailing Pentagon officials; was involved in assassination plots; and was seeking to acquire WMDs, including a bioweapon. Jack says that's the connection: Juma tested a bioweapon on his own people. It wasn't pursued because Juma destroyed the evidence by firebombing his village before the UN team could get there. Starkwood may have wanted bioweapons to fight back against Mayer's attempts to shut them down, and Juma provided them with a safe haven to test those weapons. Suddenly a voice is heard at the door: "Metro PD! Open the door!" Jack's about to run, but Mayer convinces him that he can protect Jack, and convince the FBI to listen to him. Mayer answers the door… but it's not the FBI. It's Quinn, who shoots Mayer dead. Quinn comes after Jack, who is forced to flee. Quinn pursues just as the police begin to arrive. He leaps through a French window, and lacerates his arm.

Olivia meets with the President and Ethan in the Oval Office. She professes her innocence: she says she can verify that she's not the leak; the source, at CNB news, will guarantee that the leak didn't come from the White House. Olivia offered him exclusive time with the President in exchange for him killing the story. The President is impressed; Ethan is chagrined, and apologies to Olivia.

Quinn pursues Jack onto a construction site. Quinn enters a trailer, looking for Jack. Suddenly the trailer tips over: Jack has tipped it over with a bulldozer. Quinn manages to get out of the trailer, and he and Jack fight hand-to-hand. Jack manages to get a hold of a screwdriver, which Jack impales him with. Jack asks him when the weapons will arrive, and Quinn says with his dying breath that they're already here. Jack finds Quinn's cell phone, and finds a text message: "Port of Alexandria. Yard C. 2230." Moss and the Metro PD have arrived at Senator Mayer's house. Moss calls Janis, and tells her that Jack has murdered the Senator. Orders are now to shoot Jack on sight. Jack uses Quinn's phone to call Tony Almeida to ask for his help. They'll meet at the Port of Alexandria; Jack asks him to bring weapons, and a surveillance package. He'll explain when Tony arrives; Tony's on his way.