24 (TV Series)

Day 5: 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. (2006)

Jude Ciccolella: Mike Novick

Quotes 

• Mike Novick : [to the Vice President]  I thought you'd be in Salt Lake City today?

  President Charles Logan : Hal canceled his engagement so he could be here. I think you'd agree we need all hands on deck to deal with this Sentox situation?

  Mike Novick : Of course Mr. President

  President Charles Logan : Ok, so what's on your mind Hal?

  Mike Novick : When these terrorists attack, you're going to need to "maintain" order and I submit to you the plan you're implementing to CTU is inadequate

  Mike Novick : [to Logan]  Sir, it was drawn up after a careful study of an attack of just this magnitude: CTU is already coordinating with first responders

  President Charles Logan : [to Mike]  fine, then they should still do so

  Vice President Hal Gardner : [to Logan]  but what I'm proposing is something far more "sweeping" and I believe it's warranted by the facts

  Vice President Hal Gardner : [after instructing his assistant to prepare a presentation on a monitor]  to begin with, I'm revising all of CTU's casualty estimates: based on the assumptions, the terrorists will hit all of these high profile targets: hospitals, malls, and sporting arenas. My low estimate is four hundred thousand casualties

  President Charles Logan : That's a "considerable" upwards revision, I'd like to know how you reached it?

  Vice President Hal Gardner : You're free to talk to my working group. You know frankly I believe there are a lot of people who don't take this threat seriously enough

  Mike Novick : [to Hal]  I assure you we're taking very seriously and we have no agenda but to do so

  President Charles Logan : [to Hal]  considering your revised numbers, what's your recommendation?

  Vice President Hal Gardner : I believe we should be thinking about a preemptive declaration of Martial law in the greater Los Angeles area

  Mike Novick : Mr. President, Martial law is appropriate only as a "last ditch measure", not as a preemptive one

  President Charles Logan : [to Mike]  go on

  Mike Novick : Every study we've done has shown it would incite more unrest: not less and you couldn't do without approval from Congress

  Vice President Hal Gardner : Which is why we won't call it "Martial law", no one is going to play semantics here when we're putting troops on the street to try to keep people from killing each other

  Mike Novick : [Adamantly]  you're talking about a panic that hasn't happened, right now the public isn't aware there's a threat. You declare Martial law, you'll have to tell them

  President Charles Logan : [to Hal]  how long would it take to deploy the troops?

  Vice President Hal Gardner : I've already been in touch with the Pentagon: the National Guard and the Army are on standby, pending your decision

  Mike Novick : Mr. President, I agree there's a case to be made but for God's sake, let's make it to Congress. We can declare an emergency session

  President Charles Logan : We don't have time Mike. Hal is right, this attack could take place any minute, if CTU can't find this Bierko, and we're going to get hit! It would be smart to have control of the streets

• Martha Logan : [Meeting privately]  what is it?

  Mike Novick : The country's facing a crisis: the President needs you

  Martha Logan : [Amused]  he needs me

  Mike Novick : If you think the decision to let the attack on the motorcade was easy for him, you're wrong. I was with him when he got down on his knees and prayed

  Martha Logan : He did?

  Mike Novick : He loves you: he didn't want to lose you but with the lives of so many people in jeopardy, he felt he had no choice

  Martha Logan : We've known each other for a long time, you and I. why don't you stop talking about how a positive influence I am and tell me "precisely" it is your trying to get me to do?

  Mike Novick : [Sits down next to her]  Vice President Gardener is advising your husband to declare Martial Law in Los Angeles in preparation for the release of the nerve gas. He wants to do it without Congressional sanction or a time table to lift it

  Martha Logan : He can't just rewrite the law

  Mike Novick : Hal's got an agenda

  Martha Logan : Well, his wrong: this will make things far worse

  Mike Novick : All I know is the President is listening to Hal Gardener and it will only help the country to have him listening to you as well