Collateral Damage - Marc Cerasini [13]
"He figured out you broke into his system?"
Layla nodded. "The next time I tried to gain access, he'd erected all kinds of new security barriers. I think my actions made him paranoid."
The conference room's intercom buzzed. "I'd better take this," she said.
"Put it on speaker," Jack commanded. He noticed her eyes flash with annoyance, but she did what Jack asked.
"Abernathy here."
"This is Peter Randall in Communications. I just received a strange call from Deputy Director Foy's cell."
Layla leaned forward. "Where is..."
"This is Special Agent Jack Bauer from CTU Los Angeles," Jack interrupted. "What did the Deputy Director say?"
"That's what's strange, sir," replied Pete Randall over the speakerphone. "Agent Foy didn't say anything. There was silence, followed by the sound of a siren. Finally, I heard voices, then the line went dead."
Jack and Layla exchanged looks.
"Did you trace the signal?" Jack asked.
"That's standard procedure," the comm tech replied.
"But the call was so short we can't triangulate."
"I'll be right down," Jack replied, ending the call. Then he snatched the receiver and dialed Brice Holman's office. On the eighth ring, O'Brian picked up.
"What do you bloody want?" O'Brian barked. "Can't you see I'm busy?"
"It's Bauer."
"Oh. Hello, boss," Morris said smoothly.
"I need you at the comm station. Now."
Morris groaned. "Can't Almeida handle it? I've got my hands full with the locks on the Director's computer. This Holman person is nearly as devious as you are. Needless to say, I haven't quite cracked it — though I'm close."
"It can wait," Jack replied. "I need you to trace a cell phone signal. The call didn't last long so there might not be much of a trail."
Morris snorted. "Child's play compared to this, Jack-o. I'll be there on the double."
Agent Abernathy led Jack down a flight of steel steps, onto the floor of the Operations Center. There were no offices, only workstations inside cubicles. When they arrived at the communications station, Morris was already there. He stood beside a lanky, thirty-something technician with a receding hairline and nervously blinking eyes partially obscured behind small, round glasses.
Jack extended his hand. "Peter Randall? I'm Jack Bauer. Have you retrieved the memory cache of Deputy Director Foy's call?"
Randall nodded. "I have, sir, but the call lasted less than two minutes, so triangulation will be difficult, even if we can isolate her digital trace inside the phone company's transmitters."
"You have signature protocols, correct?" Morris asked.
"Of course. Each member of this unit has intelli-signatures unique to them embedded in their cell phones."
Jack knew the answer to the next question, but asked anyway. "Have you tried to locate Foy using the GPS chip in her cell?"
The comm tech frowned. "She deactivated it, sir. I can't imagine why."
"I can." Jack glanced at Layla. "She didn't want CTU to know where she was."
"I think I've got something," said Morris.
Jack peered over his shoulder, at the high-definition monitor. Morris tapped a few keys and a map of New Jersey appeared, the telecommunications grid superimposed over it.
"Deputy Director Foy's call came through a forwarding station in this little town here." Morris tapped the screen.
"Pissant. Pissant, New Jersey."
Peter Randall cleared his throat. "That's Passaic, O'Brian. Passaic, New Jersey. It's an American Indian word."
Morris squinted theatrically. "I must be going goggle-eyed. I swear it says Pissant."
"Get on with it, Morris," Jack said tightly.
"Anyway, from the forwarding station in Passaic, I traced the signal back to communications grid A-NE 8804. That's right here..." Morris tapped the screen again.
"Newark," Jack whispered. He faced Layla.
"Retrieve the patient admission records from all the hospitals around Newark, see if anyone fitting Agent Foy's description has been treated in the past hour. Contact the Newark Police Department and the city morgue, too..."
"On it," Layla said, punching keys.
Jack laid a hand on Morris's