Contains spoilers for this episode.
Fayed and Gredenko rush a nuclear drone into the air before CTU can reach their desert base, then leave with the remaining weapons. The aircraft disappears from satellite tracking because its pilot can see CTU's movements. Chloe traces the breach to Nadia Yassir's workstation, and Doyle arrests her. Nadia denies helping the terrorists, but the apparent evidence leaves her isolated while Milo struggles to defend her.
Jack returns to CTU for treatment after his escape from the Russian Consulate. Marilyn tells him that Audrey Raines reportedly died in a car accident in China while trying to find him. Shocked that nobody told him earlier, he demands her file and then asks to join the team pursuing the drone pilot. His injuries remain serious, but Buchanan allows him to lead the operation after Jack insists on finishing the search.
The team finds the pilot, and Jack takes over the drone's controls with San Francisco approaching. He steers it away from the detonation boundary and crash-lands it at an industrial site. The weapon does not explode, although its damaged core releases radioactive material. Daniels treats the spill as grounds for the retaliation he has threatened. Karen Hayes and Lennox object, but he orders a submarine to prepare a nuclear missile for launch once it reaches position.