Jack confronts Gaines who, realizing he has failed Drazen's assignment, chooses death over helping Jack. Back at CTU, Nina and Tony interrogate the mother of the traitor and learn of a secret bank account containing deposits from Belgrade. They also learn that additional assassins may be making their way to Los Angeles.

While Jack is questioned at the CTU, Teri and Kim are taken to the clinic to be examined. Meanwhile, certain he recognizes the name Jack Bauer, Palmer has Jack's background investigated. When he discovers that Jack was the sole survivor of a secret mission that he authorized two years ago, Palmer becomes convinced Jack is out for revenge and insists on talking to Jack face to face.

After Jack convinces Palmer he is not trying to kill him, they go over the "Operation Nightfall" file. The goal of the operation was killing a man named Victor Drazen, and a startling piece of information in the file convinces Jack and Palmer that they are both being targeted. Meanwhile, a scare at the clinic results in Teri and Kim being whisked away to a safe house.

Jack learns that one of the assassins, Alexis Mecir, is actually Victor Drazen's son and has become intimate with one of Palmer's aides. In an attempt to find the man ordering the assassinations, the aide agrees to plant a tracking device in Alexis' wallet. Back at the safe house, Teri and Kim discover their location is no longer secret or safe.

During their escape from the safe house Teri and Kim become separated, and the traumatic events of the day result in Teri passing out and then awakening with amnesia. Assuming her mother has been re-kidnapped, Kim conducts her own search for information concerning her mother's abductors. When the plan to track Alexis backfires, Jack pretends to be Alexis in order to keep a rendezvous with one of Alexis' contacts.

Jack has Nina connect Victor Drazen to a hospital phone so he can talk directly to Alexis. Nina then advises Palmer of the situation. Palmer urges Mason to arrange the exchange Drazen proposed: the return of Jack for the return of Alexis. Although Alexis is delivered, Drazen holds onto Kim and tells Jack he needs to do one last thing if he wants to see his daughter again.

Jack arrives at Palmer's hotel with a phone on which Drazen will call and ask Palmer to unfreeze $200,000,000 of his assets. When Palmer tells Jack that Drazen knows that's impossible, Jack grabs the phone and throws it off the balcony. It explodes seconds later. Realizing Drazen will never give up, Jack suggests having the television report that Palmer died in the explosion, leaving Jack to offer himself up in exchange for Kim.