October 27th, 2022 - 12:52:01, The Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia, United States of America, three plus months worth of tracking is about to pay off as Laswell approaches Shepherd in his office with new, solid intel regarding Hadir's location. In response, Gold Eagle gives whatever is needed for mission success like there is no tomorrow.
THREE MONTHS LATER
[Laswell knocks on the door]
Shepherd: Come in.
[Laswell opens the door]
Shepherd: Laswell.
Laswell: General Shepherd.
Shepherd: Well, I know that look. Do we have someone to kill?
Laswell: You would be the first to know, sir.
Shepherd: I can only imagine why. Talk to me.
Laswell: We have an actual hit on Junior Lieutenant Hadir Karim's location. Intel's good, triple-checked it myself.
Shepherd: Is that so? Slippery little bastard.
Laswell: He's been busy maintaining the Ultranationalist Party's ties with Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Money. Weapons. Intel.
Shepherd: For the Zakhaevs. Go a long way back. Can't let 'em down. What do you think about this friendship, Special Agent? Ambitious or dangerous?
Laswell: Both, sir. He wants retaliation for the Dasht-Kavir strike. He's planning something.
Shepherd: Syrian Desert. Any idea what he's doing there?
Laswell: Only one way to find out, General.
Shepherd: Shall we?
Laswell: When?
Shepherd: What time is it now?
Laswell: Who do we send?
[Shepherd smiles]
Soap, Major Mac 'Baseplate' MacMillan (Zach Hanks/Tony Curran), who is still bound to a wheelchair, and even Captain Paul Jackson (Miles Teller) himself enter the room for the mission's briefing despite the history.
[door opens]
Laswell: Major, Captains, glad you can make it. *extends right hand*
Soap: *shakes Laswell's hand* Likewise, Laswell.
[Major MacMillan tries to stand up]
Shepherd: At ease, Major.
Major MacMillan: Roger, sir.
Jackson: *bumps into Laswell and Soap* Special Agent. Captain. *salutes to Shepherd* What's the op?
Shepherd: You're wheels up in five after this. Marine Raiders are loading up now. Soap, you and your team are leading the way on this.
Soap: Ghost, Roach and I? Including the Staff Sergeant?
Shepherd: That's right, MacTavish.
Soap: Fucking hell.
[Laswell tries not to laugh]
Shepherd: Any issues?
Soap: Negative, sir. My end's all good.
Jackson: *coughs* Bullshit.
[Major MacMillan chuckles]
Shepherd: Laswell?
Laswell: Airstrikes are hitting enemy positions all over the Syrian Desert. Intel confirms a concentration of Al-Qaeda/Taliban fighters converging in an Ultranationalist Inner Circle temporary airstrip. We believe they're protecting something.
Major MacMillan: Or someone.
Laswell: Surveillance indicates terrorists guarding the Crew Quarters, the Command Center, and the Hangar. Junior Lieutenant Hadir Karim may be holed up inside. Soap, Ghost and Roach will lead a Marine Raider Regiment platoon to kill or capture Hadir tonight.
Jackson: Let me guess. Your favorite British playthings are gonna personally take care of Kilo 2 while my men and I form cordons around and babysit.
Shepherd: Crude, but you got the picture. Can it be done, Captain Jackson?
Jackson: Not a problem, sir.
Laswell: Two TiltRotors will insert two teams at separate offset points bordering the target area. Hotel Team will sweep and clear all buildings with Hitman Team 1 while Hitman Teams 2 and 3 keep the airstrip on lockdown. All shooters have execute authority. But we want Hadir alive for interrogation. And be advised, Hadir is Al-Qaeda and the Taliban's lifeline to the Ultranationalist Party. If he is there, they will die for him. Good hunting.
Jackson: "All shooters have execute authority", she says. "But we want Hadir alive for interrogation", she says. What could go wrong?
Shepherd: If there's nothing else, Captains, then you're dismissed.
Major MacMillan: Hey. Don't worry about Hotel Team, or Laswell, or anyone else. Alright?
[Jackson nods]
October 28th, 2022 - 01:28:43, Syrian Desert, Syria, now that the Temporary Airstrip has been softened up by Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt IIs and is surrounded by Hitman Team 2 and Hitman Team 3, Hotel Team and Hitman Team 1 land and get to work. But not before Jackson lets the British S.A.S. Operators know what his priorities are first.
Soap: Hotel Team, Hitman Team 1 this is our drop zone. The Marine Raiders will form an inner cordon around the Crew Quarters while my team and I sweep and clear. Remember, we want Kilo 2 alive. But this is kill or capture.
Jackson: Then let me make this absolutely clear, ladies' man. You and Ghost are Laswell's hands in this op. You may run this platoon in any way you see fit. But the gunfighters around you and the air crew flying us in are my Marines. Their lives mean everything to me. I couldn't give two shits about either of yours.
Ghost: Do you really want to clarify that to us, Captain?
Jackson: Oh, please don't make me fucking laugh. A real human skull taped to a balaclava makes a real man. Is that your philosophy?
[door opens]
Roach: LZ's clear. Why don't we let off some steam?
Jackson: *nods* First in, last out, Marines! Let's go!
Marines: OO-RAH!
Ghost: Keep up, Roach.
Roach: Don't break a hip, granddad.
--
Kill Or Capture
28th October, 2022 - 01:30:43
Lt. Simon 'Ghost' Riley
British S.A.S., Marine Raider Regiment
Syrian Desert, Syria
--
To keep the unique "laser sights when NODs are on" mechanic of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019), you can only aim down the sights, including sniper scopes and thermal optics, when the night vision goggles are off here as well. Otherwise, you will be using the laser sights.
The first point of interest is the Crew Quarters, which are jam-packed with Al-Qaeda and Taliban Terrorists firing rockets at Hitman Team 3. There will be no time for subtleties as Ghost and Roach already have L86 LSW SOCOM light machine guns.
For those who do not know, the Daniel Defense L86 LSW SOCOM is a fictional, modified, Americanized version of the RSAF (Royal Small Arms Factory) Enfield L86 LSW. USSOCOM, with help from Daniel Defense, adopted and improved the LMG to add a proper bullpup machine gun into the U.S. Special Operations' small arms inventory.
To fix the firing, chambering, loading and design issues, Daniel Defense took some tips from a more efficient bullpup machine gun called the Norinco QBB-95 LSW. As well as quality bullpup rifles like the IWI Tavor TAR-21, the IWI Tavor X-95, the Springfield Armory Hellion, the Steyr AUG and all of its variants, the Desert Tech MDR and all of its variants, and the RSAF Enfield/HK L85A2.
It features a black and sandstone paint job, a railed handguard, a railed dust cover, a smaller but clearer iron sight system (similar to the original MW2's L86 LSW), no factory issued bipod, no integrated back foregrip, the L85A2's buttstock, a bolt release behind the magazine well, a magazine release button on the front part of the magwell, a simpler safe and full-auto trigger and selector switch, a 100-round metal box magazine made with assistance from Magpul Industries, and fine-tuned, high-end loading and firing mechanisms. With all of that, the L86 LSW can finally thrive and do well in combat with little to no technical, environmental and non-environmental problems.
Ghost: Force up to the house.
[RPG-7V2 fire]
Hitman 3-1: Hitman 1-1, this is Hitman 3-1. We're taking effective RPG fire from the Crew Quarters, but we're still holding. Interrogative: Are you nearby, over?
Jackson: We're breaching and clearing the Crew Quarters now, Hitman 3-1. Just keep your perimeter secure. We'll take the heat off, over.
Hitman 3-1: Roger that, Hitman 1-1. Please hurry, over.
Soap: Your men can't take a little bit of heat, Captain?
Jackson: You gonna clean up those buildings with us or not? Come on. *climbs downspout*
[windows open]
[M4A1 Block II fire]
[M249 SAW fire]
[SR-25 fire]
Ghost: Hammer.
[Roach gives Ghost his Tactical Breaching Hammer]
Soap: On me, lads.
Ghost: Breacher up.
[Tactical Breaching Hammer hit]
Roach: Ladies first.
[Vector Gen II fire]
[L86 LSW SOCOM fire]
[Roach holsters Ghost's Tactical Breaching Hammer]
Jackson: Second deck, clear. Negative ID on Kilo 2.
Soap: Copy. First deck, clear. No Hadir. Let's move on.
Jackson: Hitman Team 1, move to the second Crew Quarters building.
With the first Crew Quarters building a dry hole, Hotel Team and Hitman Team 1 move onto the second one. Where Roach paints a hallway red with light machine gun fire, Ghost kills a Taliban shotgunner with his S.A.S. Dagger thrown at the Terrorist's left eye, and Soap cracks an Al-Qaeda submachine gunner's head open with his Tactical Breaching Crowbar.
Ghost: Hold fast, Jackson. We can handle this.
Jackson: Just watch your balls, Hotel 7. Forming up.
[doors open]
[L86 LSW SOCOM fire]
[S.A.S. Dagger hit]
[hatch opens]
[PP-19 Vityaz fire]
[Tactical Breaching Crowbar hit]
Soap: Fuck off. *holsters Tactical Breaching Crowbar*
Ghost: First deck, clear.
Soap: Hotel 6, moving to the second deck.
[Vector Gen II fire]
Soap: Room clear. Hall—
[AK-105 fire]
[Soap painfully grunts, gets to cover, and signals Ghost and Roach to move inside]
[L86 LSW SOCOM fire]
Roach: Flashbang.
[Flash Grenade detonation]
[AK-74M UUK fire]
[L86 LSW SOCOM fire]
[door opens]
[Unknown Female 1 screams and picks up the Taliban Terrorist's AK-74M UUK]
[L86 LSW SOCOM fire]
Roach: Hotel 8 to Hitman 1-1, RPG threats are down.
Ghost: All stations, Crew Quarters are secure. Negative on Hadir.
Jackson: Hitman Team 3 thanks you, Hotel 8.
Soap: Understood, Ghost. Rally on the first deck and prepare to assault the Command Centre.
Roach: How are you, Hotel 6?
Soap: Had worse, Gary.
[Roach shakes his head]
But before they can take the Command Center, Hotel Team and Hitman Team 1 have to hold at the second Crew Quarters building because Hitman Team 3 is falling back with heavy Al-Qaeda/Taliban reinforcements behind them. The enemy QRF consists of fighters wearing Mordor Tac Plate Carrier Nazguls, Ops-Core FAST Carbon High Cut Helmets, BRI OEM/ODM GPNVG 18 Panoramic Grade Russian Gen II FOV 120 Degree Night Vision Goggles and NiCAM-31 Night Vision Binoculars, and BTR-90s operated by Terrorists.
Hitman 3-1: Oh, fuck! Taliban armor incoming! Deadly Squadron hasn't arrived yet! Fall back! Hitman 1-1, I'm gonna reposition Hitman Team 3. The southern part of the outer cordon is compromised, over.
Jackson: Understood, Hitman 3-1. Get to the second Crew Quarters building. We'll cover you, over. Unless you got a death wish, I recommend burning through the enemy munitions and holding them off until Deadly arrives!
Soap: Good point! I'm heading back up!
Ghost: Rog', same!
Roach: Hotel 8 to all stations, be advised, Al-Qaeda and Taliban Terrorists are working with high-end Russian gear. Expect better tactics.
Jackson: Yep, we see 'em. Thanks for the tip. Here they come!
[RPG-7V2 fire]
[L86 LSW SOCOM fire]
[AS50 fire]
[M4A1 Block II fire]
[M249 SAW fire]
[SR-25 fire]
[Shipunov 2A42 fire]
[PKT fire]
[AK-105 fire]
[AK-74M UUK fire]
[PP-19 Vityaz fire]
[PKP Pecheneg fire]
The British S.A.S. Operators and the Marine Raiders would then hold the Al-Qaeda/Taliban assault off until Bell AH-1Z Viper Deadly Squadron 1 arrives to mop up the survivors and provide close air support. Once the AO is momentarily clear, they get moving to secure the Command Center, which is guarded by snipers this time.
[M197 fire]
[Hydra 70s launching]
[explosions]
[Al-Qaeda Terrorists painfully scream]
[Taliban Terrorists painfully scream]
Deadly: Hotel, this is Deadly. In the airspace and at your service. Did you miss me, Soap?
Soap: Hell fucking yeah, baby! Right on bloody time! Thanks for the assist. We're moving to the Command Centre now, over.
Deadly: Roger that, Hotel 6. All Deadly callsigns are going into holding pattern, over.
Ghost: Get yourselves sorted. Hadir is still the target.
Hitman 3-1: Hitman Team 3, we're re-forming the southern part of the outer cordon. Weapons free.
Jackson: Hitman Team 1 is forming up around Hotel Team. And Hotel 6, you got some issues.
Soap: Not my fault you can't steal your American bitches back from me and Ghost, Jackson.
Roach: At least he's not a walking, talking melting pot of STDs (sexually transmitted diseases).
Ghost: Christ's sake, Roach. Whose side are you on?
Roach: Do you really want to know the answer to that question?
[Barrett M82A3 fire]
Jackson: Snipers all over the Command Center! Keep your heads down!
[VKS fire]
[L86 LSW SOCOM fire]
Roach: Team, follow my bursts and watch out for enemy laser sights.
[AS50 fire]
Soap: Sniper down!
[L86 LSW SOCOM fire]
Ghost: Dusted!
[SR-25 fire]
Soap: Got another!
Ghost: Good shot! Sir, keep us covered. We're moving up.
[AS50 fire]
Soap: Covering! Al-Qaeda's pressing hard! If Hadir's not here, what the hell is?!
Roach: Taking effective fire!
Jackson: So be it! Soap, call in Deadly on the Command Center now!
Soap: On it! Hotel 6 to Deadly, I want fire on the Command Centre now!
Ghost: Soap, we don't know if Hadir's in there!
Soap: They're forcing our hand, Ghost! We can hit that building without leveling it! Deadly, call for fire. Target is in the building ahead of us. Do NOT level the building.
Deadly: Hotel 6, copy that. Making our run. Oh, I'll do you for free.
[M197 fire]
[Hydra 70s launching]
[explosions]
Ghost: Force up to that wall! Move! That's a glorious sight.
Soap: Thank Christ for air support. Let's hope Hadir's still in one piece.
Ghost: Several pieces'll do. Easier to find that way.
Roach: Close shave back there.
Jackson: All part of the game.
Soap: All Hotel, move up. I want the Command Centre locked down. Lead us in, LT. Let's find Hadir dead or alive.
Ghost: Hotel 7, moving interior.
Inside the Command Center, Roach stops a Taliban suicide bomber before he could reach any friendly, Ghost double-taps an Al-Qaeda medic who was trying to protect his wounded, and Soap constricts the last surviving Taliban Terrorist in the building with his Bolt Cutter. Unfortunately, Hadir is everywhere but in the actual AO.
Ghost: Look, Hadir's uniform. So he was here.
Soap: Lost him when we helped Hitman Team 3.
Roach: Are you saying we shouldn't have helped?
Ghost: Choices have consequences.
Jackson: Doesn't matter anymore. We would all be dead if we tried to split up before Deadly arrived. Besides, this is an airstrip. Kilo 2 was walking distance away from a plane or a chopper. Would've taken luck to intercept— Hold it, we got somethin'. Hotel Team, lights in the Hangar are still on, but it looks like they're preparing to bug out.
Soap: (on comms) On the way. (off comms) Rendezvous with Jackson outside. Go.
The last point of interest in the Temporary Airstrip is the Hangar. But Hotel Team and Hitman Team 1 end up finding less of an aircraft storage spot and more of a weapons cache with the possible crown jewel covered up in a huge but simple cloth blanket.
[L86 LSW SOCOM fire]
[M4A1 Block II fire]
[L86 LSW SOCOM fire]
[Vector Gen II fire]
Roach: Clear left!
Jackson: Clear right!
Ghost: All clear.
Soap: *pulls blanket up* Oh, shite. You're all gonna want to look at this. *pulls blanket down*
Roach: Am I feeling déjà vu or what?
Jackson: A Russian mobile ICBM launcher? But the missile controls are in English?
Ghost: How the fuck did Al-Qaeda and the Taliban steal from a band of master thieves like Aegis?
Jackson: Aegis? As in Aegis Defence Services?
Roach: Found a manifest. This isn't the only one they stole from Aegis. The Ultranationalist Inner Circle's got three more of these.
Ghost: What?! Where the hell are the other three?
Roach: I wish this paper said that.
Soap: Watcher, this is Hotel 6.
Laswell: Soap, do you have Hadir?
Soap: Negative, but we found a weapons cache in the Hangar. Hadir's got mobile ICBM launchers. I say again, Hadir's got mobile ICBM launchers. They're British.
02:22:43, Al-Tanf, Homs Governorate, Syria, after returning to base after Deadly leveled the Hangar and everything in it, Roach thanks Jackson for his and the Marine Raider Regiment's help in the operation. And in spite of the dire situation the United Kingdom just found itself in, Soap enjoys himself in the crowd of U.S. Military servicewomen who are big fans of his.
Soap: You coming, mate?!
Roach: And risk getting AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome)! With respect, sir, you're a moron!
Soap: Your loss!
Roach: Quiet professional?! My fucking arse!
Jackson: Well, I'm not sleeping tonight.
Roach: You and me both. Thanks for assisting us in this one, sir. I know this is a tough pill to swallow. But good company from you and Mac keep international joint ops with Soap from turning into shitshows. Believe me.
Jackson: Ah, don't mention it. You and Mac are the only British S.A.S. Operators I see as friends, let alone as actual people. And you already know what friends do.
Roach: *nods* One classified, world-saving op in Georgia and not even a Captain for half a year, and Soap already thinks the world owes him everything.