24 (TV Series)

Day 5: 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. (2006)

Jude Ciccolella: Mike Novick

Quotes 

• Mike Novick : I thought you should know Walt's body has been moved to the Secret Service out building for the time being

  Mike Novick : [after he doesn't respond and stares out the window]  you realize Sir, we still need to issue a public statement about his death

  President Charles Logan : No statement until his wife is notified

  Mike Novick : Of course, if you don't mind me saying, perhaps we may have an "opportunity" here? This statement you and Mrs. Logan plan to release: disclosing the fact that Walt was a part of the conspiracy, he supplied the terrorists with the nerve gas, and he was involved in David Palmer's assassination

  President Charles Logan : What's your point?

  Mike Novick : I'm sorry Sir, I wonder his death might render all that mood?

  President Charles Logan : [Turns around]  go on

  Mike Novick : Very little will come dragging Walt's name through the mud: when his not here to answer for what his done and it would be devastating for this country, particularly God forbid if that nerve gas is used against us

  President Charles Logan : What're you suggesting?

  Mike Novick : We can attribute Walt's suicide to a "despondency" over the day's events. "Overworked", "personal issues"

  President Charles Logan : Let him go out with some dignity you mean? Not as a traitor?

  Mike Novick : Yes Sir

  President Charles Logan : My wife will have a "considerable" problem with that

  Mike Novick : I respect the First Lady's moral conviction but this is your decision: not hers

• President Charles Logan : [while taking off his jacket]  well, has CTU got any closer?

  Mike Novick : Their mounting an undercover operation, which they hope will lead them to the canister

  President Charles Logan : "Hope" is not good enough: we want results. You need to make that abundantly clear to them

  Mike Novick : I believe their doing everything they can be done Sir

  Martha Logan : [Entering the room]  I just read the statement you issued on Walt's death

  Martha Logan : [Reading the statement to him and Mike]  "Stress due to over work robbed this country of one of its most dedicated public servants. His work with this Administration..."

  Martha Logan : [Looking directly at Charles]  you're covering everything up

  Mike Novick : I'll wait outside

  Martha Logan : You're not going anywhere Mike, your fingerprints are all over this

  Martha Logan : Charles, we worked on this together. I thought we both agreed you needed to go public with Walt's involvement with everything that's going on today

  President Charles Logan : I know you're disappointed but I think its obvious Walt taking his own life "changes things"

  Martha Logan : Well, it's obvious this is a pack of lies

  Mike Novick : Mrs. Logan, full disclosure would've been necessary to ensure Walt faces justice for what he'd done: with his death making that a non issue, it was decided "this course" was best for his family

  Martha Logan : [to Mike]  oh... .don't, you don't care about his family

  Martha Logan : [to Charles]  you decided this was best for "you" but you are dead wrong

  President Charles Logan : [Raises his voice]  that's enough. I made my decision and I'm the President

  Martha Logan : Which means it's your job to tell the truth: even when it's "ugly." If you don't, I will

  President Charles Logan : Lf you feel so strongly about telling the truth you can start with Walt's wife when she arrives

  Martha Logan : Suzanne's coming here?

  President Charles Logan : To collect her husband's body, so you can be the one to tell her the real reason that Walt took the coward's way out was because he disgraced himself and he betrayed his country

  Martha Logan : [Slightly nods]  alright, it'll be very painful, but it's the right thing to do

• President Charles Logan : [Over the speakerphone with Mike Novick standing nearby]  yes?

  Lynn McGill : I know this not what you ordered stipulated: that's why I thought it important to let you know what was happening

  President Charles Logan : What's "happening" is I sent you over there to make sure CTU is running smoothly in a time of crisis and you seem to be incapable of doing that

  Lynn McGill : Sir, Bauer refused the order, there was nothing I could do

  President Charles Logan : [Before hanging up]  now I don't want excuses, just do your job and if you can't do it, I'll find somebody that can

  Mike Novick : Estimates from the mall are lower than what we originally anticipated: it "appears" the fatalities will be limited to ten and twenty people

  President Charles Logan : Thank God, so what are we telling the media?

  Mike Novick : Nothing yet, CTU is maintaining a "black out" on the ground and air until we can give them a cover story

  President Charles Logan : What about the nineteen canisters?

  Mike Novick : CTU has a terrorist under surveillance as we speak. They believe there's a good chance he'll lead them to Erwich and the rest of the canisters

  President Charles Logan : Alright, good

  Mike Novick : There's something else Sir: Suzanne Cummings has arrived to claim Walt's body. Martha is on her way to speak with her now

  President Charles Logan : Thank you Mike

• Lynn McGill : [Over the speakerphone with Jack patched through]  this is Lynn McGill. You also have Bill Buchanan, Audrey Raines, Chloe O'Brian, and Edgar Stiles in the room

  President Charles Logan : [Over the speakerphone as Mike Novick stands nearby]  go ahead

  Lynn McGill : Sir, we're calling for your decision on a critical operational matter

  President Charles Logan : What is it?

  Lynn McGill : Jack Bauer is currently undercover with some of the terrorists: their expecting Jack to help them release a single canister Sentox nerve gas in the Sunrise Hills Shopping Mall, where they are right now

  President Charles Logan : Well then arrest them, what's the problem?

  Lynn McGill : Sir, the problem is if we don't maintain Jack's cover, there's no guarantee they'll lead us "back" to the other nineteen canisters

  President Charles Logan : [Raising his voice]  do you mean actually let them release the Sentox? Are you out of your mind?

  Bill Buchanan : This is Bill Buchanan, I had the same initial reaction then I looked at our updated scenarios: with the help of other terrorists organizations, the remaining nineteen canisters can be deployed at other more crowded public areas such as subway stations, hospitals, and sports arenas Sir. The loss of life could exceed hundreds of thousands of people

  President Charles Logan : My God

  Mike Novick : What kind of casualties are you predicting at the mall?

  Lynn McGill : We don't have exact numbers but based on video surveillance, our best guess is between eight and nine hundred

  Audrey Raines : Sir, many of them are children

  Mike Novick : Can't you evacuate the mall?

  Lynn McGill : Not without the terrorists knowing

  President Charles Logan : The public will not tolerate the government's complicity in this

  Lynn McGill : They wouldn't know Sir, this would be a covert decision. We're monitoring the terrorists, we know with a hundred percent certainty that when they leave the mall, their going back to the remaining canisters

  President Charles Logan : What's your recommendation?

  Lynn McGill : Bill Buchanan and I agree that the "greatest good served" would be to allowing them to release this single canister of Sentox nerve gas

  Audrey Raines : And I believe Sir that we have no right to sanction the lives of innocent people: we should take our chances, interrogate these men and find the location of the other canisters

  Lynn McGill : We're running out of time. We need your decision Sir

  President Charles Logan : This is a field operation, it's up to you

  Bill Buchanan : With all due respect, it's not. We don't have the legal authority to make this decision, only you do

  President Charles Logan : [Before putting them on hold to talk privately to Mike]  you're putting me in a terrible position, Mike?

  Mike Novick : CTU has laid out the facts well, you have to make the call

  President Charles Logan : [after reconnecting with CTU]  alright, the terrorists are forcing us to make a tragic choice. I'll go along with your assessment, let them release the Sentox but you better find those other canisters or those people would've died in vain