16:44:52, unfortunately, the high tensions between the W.A.S.F. Wetworks Division and the C.I.A. Special Activities Center do not stop Taylor and Kane from talking in private and sharing vital information behind Hendricks, Sarah, Diaz, Maretti and Shadow's backs.
KANE: (quietly) There's something I need to tell you.
TAYLOR: (quietly) Okay. But where's my team? Where's Shadi?
KANE: (quietly) They're on the tarmac enjoying the view. I'm keeping an eye on them with The Elysium Checkpoint's closed-circuit. Can I trust you?
TAYLOR: (quietly) Can I trust you?
KANE: (quietly) How about I tell you the truth. When Stone, Ramirez, Fierro and Conrad uncovered the Black Project, they threatened to go public. The C.I.A. couldn't take the risk. Even with no confirmation of Chase and Jackson even knowing of their discovery. They were all called back to be silenced by a C.I.A. Black Bag Team composed of Operatives from Special Activities, Special Operations, and Paramilitary Operations. All of our dead, inside and outside the control room, were part of that Black Bag Team. When they died, we called you in to finish what they failed.
TAYLOR: (quietly) Okay, I understand. But this cannot be shared with the others. You and the C.I.A. are already in deep hot water with The American, Australian and South Korean People.
KANE: (quietly) Agreed.
TAYLOR: (quietly) Stone's still speaking to us even though he's off the grid. How can that be?
KANE: (quietly) I think a third party is helping Vanguard Squadron 2 reach our frequency without going anywhere near our ISR. That could be why we can't track their location.
TAYLOR: (quietly) Chase, Jackson, something else, they are evidently as good as us. But we can track the Doctor.
After the unannounced one-on-one, Vanguard 1-2 and Aphrodite get to the Briefing Room and ready up for the pursuit of Dr. Salim and Vanguard Squadron 2.
KANE: I can read Hendricks, Hall, Diaz and Maretti like books. They're simple puzzles I solved on Day 1. But the person, the... thing... I can't grasp is...
TAYLOR: Shadow.
KANE: That's right. Shadow. I have never seen him this quiet before. He could be so angry at Khalil that he doesn't have words, but I don't wanna ignore it. Especially since Hendricks' recent outbursts might convince him to do more. You know what I'm talking about. That's why you didn't tell your teammates about the tracker you slipped Salim.
TAYLOR: We're about to launch an assault alongside the Egyptian Army. How do we make sure their heads stay straight?
KANE: I can put them under 24/7 surveillance, which should help level them out. But we can't let them compromise our chance to kill Vanguard Squadron 2.
COMPUTER: (visually) *shows Taylor's ID picture* Captain TAYLOR, John/W.A.S.F. Executive Officer/Mission: Follow Dr. Yousef Salim's signal all the way to Vanguard Squadron 2 *shows a picture of the Cairo U.S. Embassy*
TAYLOR: It won't come to that, Kane. I'll make sure of it.
20:55:17, Embassy of the United States, Cairo, Egypt, Vanguard Squadron 1 and the Egyptian Armed Forces come in hot but stealthily thanks to the Egyptian Air Force VTOL Warships' stealth tech as they deploy Egyptian Army Soldiers, El-Sa'ka Forces Operators, Talon-Gs, Talon-Rs, A.G.R. Hounds, and A.G.R. Cerberuses. But regardless of how fast they are going, the plan already goes awry when the C.I.A. Tracking Gel reports that Dr. Yousef Salim has flatlined.
--
Demon Within
Embassy of the United States, Cairo, Egypt
CPT. John Taylor
W.A.S.F. Wetworks Division, C.I.A. Special Activities Center, El-Sa'ka Forces, Egyptian Army, Egyptian Air Force
February 21st, 2065 - 20:55:17
--
KANE: Egyptian allies are in position. They have the U.S. Embassy surrounded, waiting for our go.
[C.I.A. Tracking Gel alarm blares]
TAYLOR: *checks tactical pad* SHIT! Kane, we just lost the Doctor's vitals!
HENDRICKS: What the hell does that mean?!
KANE: It means he's dead or about to be dead.
[doors open]
TAYLOR: *keeps tactical pad* Khal— Shadi, have your men and drones hold position. We're coming in for landing. We'll sweep the Embassy. Await our "all clear".
[Manticore jumps out of the Cairo U.S. Embassy and forces Vanguard Squadron 1's VTOL Warship to crash land]
[30mm Minigun fire]
[Javelin Missiles launch]
[explosions]
HENDRICKS: HOLD ON!
SHADOW: WE'RE GOING IN! WE'RE GOING IN!
[Egyptian Air Force VTOL Warships crash]
SHADOW: IS EVERYONE ALRIGHT?!
SARAH: Yeah! You two?!
HENDRICKS: We're good! Let's get out there!
Major Shadi will be the only Egyptian point of contact on this mission because Khalil is not taking the necessity of leaving Egypt to regroup and rearm well. Just before the Egyptian military strike team can form up and the W.A.S.F. Wetworks Division can land, Conrad, in the flesh, jumps out of the abandoned Cairo U.S. Embassy with her N.R.C.-sponsored Manticore, the bigger, heavier, more powerful, and more nimble Russian cousin of the P.A.W.W.S., and shoots all the first squadron of VTOL Warships.
Thankfully, all aircraft are able to crash land in controlled manners, and all human and robotic passengers can move out and respond. And Vanguard 2-4 does not plan to kill Vanguard Squadron 1 or Platinum Hawk 2, but to decimate El-Sa'ka Forces, the Egyptian Army, and the Egyptian Air Force enough to force a retreat.
MAJOR SHADI: Platinum Hawk 2 to all friendly callsigns! We have an N.R.C. Manticore operating with a human pilot! Alice?! CONFIRMED! Human pilot has been positively identified as Sergeant First Class Alice Conrad, callsign: Vanguard 2-4!
CONRAD: Vanguard Squadron 1, Platinum Hawk 2, my fight is not with any of you. But if I have to decimate your Egyptian military strike team in order to force a retreat, then I will. The C.I.A. and their Egyptian lackeys can go to Hell.
TAYLOR: You got a fix on Stone and Fierro, Kane? Where are they headed?
KANE: Negative. New orders are to disable Conrad's Manticore, interrogate her, and terminate. Engage!
TAYLOR: Then the only way to Stone and Fierro is through Conrad! We can't afford to lose her again! TAKE HER DOWN!
[Spike Launcher fire]
[Spike detonation]
[VKM-750 fire]
[KN-57 fire]
[ICR-7 fire]
[VAPR-XKG fire]
[ICR-1 fire]
[KN-44 fire]
[XR-2 fire]
[Titan fire]
[Hades fire]
[Paladin HB50 fire]
[Koshka fire]
[Razorback fire]
[MX9 fire]
[205 Brecci fire]
[SG12 fire]
[Talon-G fire]
[Talon-R fire]
[A.G.R. Hound fire]
[A.G.R. Cerberus fire]
[30mm Minigun fire]
[Anti-Personnel Rocket Pod fire]
[explosions]
[Javelin Missiles launch]
[explosions]
[El-Sa'ka Forces Operators painfully scream]
[Egyptian Army Soldiers painfully scream]
[Egyptian Airmen painfully scream]
MAJOR SHADI: *deploys Ballistic Shield* I AM SO SORRY, ALICE! *breath trembles*
[VKM-750 fire]
HENDRICKS: FUCKING BULLSHIT, TAYLOR!
[Tempest fire]
SARAH: *activates Optical Camo* THIS IS FUCKED UP BIG TIME, TAYLOR!
[XR-2 fire]
DIAZ: WE ARE REAL SORRY FOR THIS, ALICE! HELL NO!
[Grav Slam Spike detonation]
[Titan fire]
MARETTI: FUCK YOU, C.I.A.! FUCK YOU VERY MUCH!
[Tempest fire]
SHADOW: YEAH, FUCK YOU, C.I.A.! FUCK YOU ALL TO HELL!
[Micro-Missile Launcher fire]
[explosions]
SHADOW: WATCH THE FRIENDLY FIRE! WATCH THE FRIENDLY FIRE!
KANE: Manticore operating at 70 percent.
TAYLOR: WE GOTTA GET TO HER TO GET TO THE REST OF VANGUARD SQUADRON 2! FOCUS FIRE!
HENDRICKS: THIS IS BULLSHIIIT!
[Grav Slam Spike detonation]
KANE: Conrad now operating at 40 percent.
TAYLOR: HER ARMOR WON'T LAST MUCH LONGER!
SHADOW: FUCK YOU FOR THIS, ELITISTS!
[Grav Slam Spike detonation]
KANE: Manticore hull integrity down to 10 percent.
TAYLOR: SHE'S OUR ONLY LEAD TO VANGUARD SQUADRON 2! BRING! HER! DOWN!
[Taylor climbs into the Cairo U.S. Embassy hole Conrad came out of]
[Spike Launcher fire]
[Spike detonation]
[Conrad grunts]
HENDRICKS: TAYLOR, WAIT!
TAYLOR: *boost jumps onto the Manticore's cockpit* HeAAAH!
[Grav Slam Spike detonation]
[Manticore powers down and collapses]
SHADOW: THANK GOD THE MANTICORE'S ARMOR IS QUITE STRONG!
KANE: She's down! She's down!
Taylor ultimately brings Conrad and her Manticore down with a Grav Slam Spike to the cockpit regardless of whether or not the direct impact might destroy it and kill the pilot in the process. He is just lucky the hit was not strong enough, and it only shut the Combat Robot's power off.
HENDRICKS: THAT WAS RECKLESS, CAPTAIN!
SARAH: WHAT IF YOU BLEW UP THE COCKPIT, YOU DUMBASS?!
KANE: HALL, HENDRICKS, STAND DOWN! THAT'S AN ORDER! Taylor, don't listen to them! You have to hurry and interrogate before she kills herself!
TAYLOR: Roger. Shadow, I need you to cut the locks! I'll cover!
[Shadow cuts the Manticore canopy's locks with his Disaster Cutting Laser]
KANE: We need a full extract! Recordings, intel, memories, everything! Something's gotta give us a lead on Vanguard Squadron 2!
[Shadow holsters his Disaster Cutting Laser and opens the Manticore canopy]
TAYLOR: DON'T MOVE! DON'T MOVE!
CONRAD: *calmly raises hands* Ease up, Taylor, I don't even have the means to kill myself. Joe has my rifle, and you can thank General Hakim for the loss of the rest of my shit. Payment, my ass.
TAYLOR: SHUT IT! *pulls Conrad out of her Manticore* ON YOUR KNEES!
[Conrad gets on her knees]
[Taylor handcuffs Conrad's hands behind her back]
HENDRICKS: So this is what we do now?! KILL OUR OWN BECAUSE THEY BLEW OPEN A CONSPIRACY IN OUR WORST DOMESTIC ENEMY'S BACKYARD?!
KANE: I SAID STAND DOWN, HENDRICKS!
TAYLOR: GUYS, GUYS, CALM DOWN! I will handle the interrogation and liquidation this time. Shadow, Shadi, you're with me. The rest of you, security. Move!
He then takes over the immediate interrogation with Shadow and Major Shadi beside him to help in getting through to their "former" friend turned "traitor" and O.G.A. target. Apart from the fact that the acting commander of the Nile River Coalition in Jula's death, General Abasi Hakim of the Sudanese Armed Forces, took W.A.S.F. weapons, Specialist Gear, and hardcore, unprotected sex with her as payment for the N.R.C.'s cooperation, Vanguard 2-4 willingly shares everything that has happened to Vanguard Squadron 2 since Singapore.
MAJOR SHADI: General Abasi Hakim? What did he do to you?
CONRAD: Aside from taking my Weevil, L-CAR 9, Specialist Gear, both of my knives, and Joe's ICR-7 and Battery Gear Set for himself, *sighs* *shakes head* he also had sex with me as "payment" for the N.R.C.'s services. The mission demanded it. I'm so sorry. *cries*
MAJOR SHADI: *hugs Conrad* I am not mad at you. You had no choice. I will rip Hakim's princess parts off for this.
CONRAD: I know you will.
TAYLOR: *separates Major Shadi and Conrad* Alright, that's enough! This is an interrogation, not couples therapy.
SHADOW: EASY, Taylor. They've been through enough already. Alice, whatever Stone or someone or something else told you, it isn't too late to make it right. Give us everything that has happened since your first job for the C.I.A., and I'll guarantee your safety.
CONRAD: Are-Are-Are you sure you can do that, Shadow? Alone?
SHADOW: *hugs Conrad* (quietly) Shh. Task Force Sentinel can help. (normally) You know me. You can trust me. Please, Alice. I give you my word, and you will be treated fairly.
CONRAD: *nods* Okay, okay, okay. *exhales* To tell you the truth, C.I.A. ops always zoned me out. But it's okay. I—
DR. SALIM: (recording) Mr. Krueger, I do not think you quite appreciate or quite understand what I am telling you.
TAYLOR: What is that? Is that a recording on our comms?
SHADOW: Sounds like it, yeah.
HENDRICKS: Intel.
TAYLOR: Kane, did you hear that?
KANE: Negative. Whoever's broadcasting has blocked me specifically from her channel.
HENDRICKS: Figured. Our audio recordings should catch that.
MAJOR SHADI: Alice?
CONRAD: *breath trembles* If it's HER, then we are all dead.
TAYLOR: Who is she?
CONRAD: I wish I knew.
TAYLOR: To the broadcaster of this message, this is Vanguard 1-2. Identify yourself immediately, or I will have you tracked down and brought in, over
UNKNOWN: Shh. You don't have to say anything, Vanguard 2-4. Everything's gonna be okay. Vanguard Squadron 1, Platinum Hawk 2, listen to this.
Over on Vanguard Squadron 1, Platinum Hawk 2, and Conrad's comms and theirs only, the eight of them hear a recording and a British woman's voice talking them. But when Taylor tries to report them to Kane, she goes silent, and the C.I.A. liaison officer gets blocked.
KRUEGER: (recording) Oh, I understand, Dr. Salim. I just don't agree with how your perspective, your limited perspective, should influence my decisions regarding the project's future. The MK-ASHLEY program has been an unmitigated success. You should be proud.
DR. SALIM: (recording) Please, listen to what I am saying. The exchange of information is a two-way street. If you remove humans from the diagnostic loop, there is no way to predict or control or influence—
KRUEGER: (recording) We're standing on the verge of a breakthrough. Zürich is ready for the MK-ASHLEY program. We can finally unlock its true potential.
UNKNOWN: This is where I was born. A brief but influential moment of arrogance and complacency. Then, despair.
TAYLOR: Who is that voice?
SHADOW: I have a guess, but that would just be conjecture without proof. What good is that to you, Kane or SecDef?
TAYLOR: Alice, that voice, do you recognize it?
CONRAD: Like the events of these past hours, I remember it, but it's almost like it was a dream. Like it was happening with someone else.
TAYLOR: Tell us everything you remember.
CONRAD: The C.I.A. sent us in to investigate an alarm triggered underneath the old Coalescence Corporation Singapore Facility. We figured the Immortals had been tipped off.
Operation Hypocenter went down almost the same as Vanguard Squadron 1's version, and Vanguard Squadron 2 was just as suspicious.
STONE: (flashback) Clear left.
FIERRO: (flashback) Clear right.
CONRAD: (flashback) Rear's clear. We're good.
RAMIREZ: (flashback) Fucking human test subjects?
STONE: (flashback) Great. This is in breach of every W.A. ethics mandate in the book. It's all I fucking need. Look. *points* Another path. Conrad, call it in.
CONRAD: (flashback) *nods* Storm's Eye (C.I.A. Black Station - Singapore), this is Vanguard 2-4. Grave Robber has been extended. We have another path leading further down Project MK-ASHLEY's ops site, over.
Storm's Eye: (flashback) Acknowledged, Vanguard 2-4. You may proceed, over.
CONRAD: (flashback) WILCO, Storm's Eye. 2-4, out.
STONE: (flashback) Chase, Jackson, hold here and guard our exit. Those Immortals have probably called for reinforcements.
JACKSON: (flashback) Fuck yeah.
CHASE: (flashback) They won't get past us.
STONE: (flashback) Everyone else, on me. Let's go do some more Immortal hunting.
The only differences were the additional 54 Immortals presence in Project MK-ASHLEY's ops site's server room and a call from an unexpected guest over the comms once the Central Core was being accessed.
CONRAD: (real-time) We all knew that we had just stumbled onto a C.I.A. Black Project that had been buried for more than half a decade. A program that in all probability had led directly to the Coalescence Corporation Singapore Disaster. But before we could call it in before we were ordered back to Storm's Eye for, quote, unquote, "debriefing", we received this warning from... her. That voice you just heard for the first time.
[Hades fire]
[ABR-223 fire]
[ICR-7 fire]
[SDM fire]
STONE: (flashback) Shit, the Immortals had already finished working. Alright, you know the routine. Secure the area, I'm gonna pull all information from the servers. Go. *picks up a 54i tactical pad* Connection complete? From the U.N. Skyscraper Headquarters? How?
UNKNOWN: (flashback) I gave them access to The Pearl's communications systems. I knew you'd be here. Impressive technique, by the way. Thanks to you, I won't have to pay them anymore.
RAMIREZ: (flashback) Already recording, boss—
UNKNOWN: (flashback) Oh, don't worry, Vanguard 2-2. You can record as much or as little as you like.
FIERRO: (flashback) Who are you, British lady? What do you want?
UNKNOWN: (flashback) Special Agent Alison Stone, MI6. But you can call me Alison. What I want is to warn you of the danger you're gonna walk into at C.I.A. Black Station - Singapore.
STONE: (flashback) What danger? How do you know Storm's Eye?
After the meeting with the mysterious MI6 Operative named Special Agent Alison Stone, Conrad further explained the things she did for her, Stone, Ramirez, Fierro, Chase and Jackson.
CONRAD: We'd uncovered a secret that could destabilize the U.N.'s grip on the world and undermine the C.I.A. forever. Alison warned us about the dangers of returning to base. The C.I.A. believed we couldn't be trusted. The C.I.A. couldn't take the risk. When people really wanna bury secrets, they tend to bury bodies right along with them. When Vanguard Squadron 2 and I proceeded to see for ourselves, we left Chase and Jackson at an abandoned apartment to provide overwatch. The C.I.A. Operatives who were expecting us said they needed to run a medical check for any harmful chemicals from the super storm upon arrival, but that wasn't the truth. Ramirez hacked into their electronics when close enough to the Black Station and found a C.I.A. Kill Order on our heads. But by the time we got in there, the staff and the heavily armed spooks, who Alison revealed to be a C.I.A. Black Bag Team, were already dead. Carved to pieces via the execution method of the late Jae Xiong, the 54 Immortals Enforcer creator of the killing style. We knew the C.I.A. would never believe us and send another Black Bag Team after us, especially with the cam footage edited to somehow make the real, unidentified murderers me, Dylan, Javier and Joe. With no other choice, we followed Alison's instructions for safety and the pursuit of the people who framed us. First step was to take C.I.A. Black Station - Singapore's data drives, retrieve Project MK-ASHLEY's ops site data, cut a deal with the Immortals, and get the hell out of Singapore.
TAYLOR: THAT WASN'T WHAT HAPPENED, ALICE! We saw the footage from the data drives. You did it. You butchered them in cold blood and made it look like a ritualistic killing. YOU DENIED THEM THEIR REINCARNATION! JUST LIKE JAE XIONG! WHY?!
SHADOW: Calm down, Taylor. Calm down. Let's try to read between the lines of this. Think about it. It's 2065, and the cam quality of the C.I.A. for their Black Stations are still glitchy and dogshit? Where the hell did the money they stole from us go to? As an I.T. and C.S. professional, those two glitches can only come from two places. Old recording equipment and nonprofessional, oversized CGI (computer-generated imagery) edits. As in, they used too many bytes of data to edit Stone, Ramirez, Fierro and Conrad in there.
TAYLOR: Can you prove this?
SHADOW: Yes. But in case we are right, I need to remove the edits away from the C.I.A.'s oversight. The last thing we want is to get hit with a pre-emptive drone strike. Give me that.
TAYLOR: NEGATIVE! This is still a C.I.A. tour! And what you're suggesting right now is treason! DON'T make me report you for collusion.
SHADOW: Why even ask for my help? You're never reasonable.
TAYLOR: Why I oughta—
ALISON: You. Should. Not. Be. Telling. Them. This. Alice.
MAJOR SHADI: If she is here or has assets here, then we need to go faster. Alice. After you discovered Project MK-ASHLEY, you, Dylan, Javier, Joseph, Robert and Harold went looking for Yankee-Sierra. Is that right?
CONRAD: Thanks, babe. And yeah, you're right. With Alison's help, we traded the intel from MK-ASHLEY and C.I.A. Black Station - Singapore and Javier's equipment to Goh Min and Goh Xiulan personally. Their U.N. connections gave us safe travels to Egypt. Once we had Salim's location, Alison made a strategic intel deal with General Hakim, and we used four N.R.C. assaults to make the grab.
TAYLOR: What was so important about Salim?
CONRAD: The Doctor was the only one who knew about Sebastian Krueger's whereabouts and the Frozen Forest thing the MK-ASHLEY test subjects were mindlessly rambling on about. Alison was obsessed and desperate. We all were. She said it was the only way to defeat the U.N. and get our freedom back. We held up at the old Aquifers and made our plan to snatch Salim.
TAYLOR: The Aquifers. The mobile water refineries in the Western Desert. Is that where Stone and Fierro are headed now?
CONRAD: Yeah. It's our temporary operating base. If you hurry, you may be able to reach them.
TAYLOR: Okay. Kane should be able to get the exact coordinates.
SHADOW: Oh, one more thing. What happened when you grabbed Salim? What did you and the others do with him before we got here? What did he tell you? We need to know.
CONRAD: Okay. *clears throat*
5 minutes before the good guys' arrival, Vanguard 2-1 immediately began his own interrogation of Dr. Salim after General Hakim got his end of the deal for the last 4 hours.
[door closes]
STONE: (flashback) Alice, you okay? Did he hurt you bad?
CONRAD: (flashback) I'm fine, sir. He may have been pretty aggressive, but I'll live.
FIERRO: (flashback) Are you sure you don't want me to call Chase and Jackson for emergency evac, dude?
CONRAD: (flashback) No need. It's nothing that a couple of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) meds, a morning-after pill, a piss break, and some fresh air can't cure.
[jet engines]
FIERRO: (flashback) I think I hear company. Alice, gimme your rifle.
[Conrad tosses her SDM to Fierro]
DR. SALIM: (flashback) Why are you Winslow Accord soldiers doing this to me? I have done nothing wrong.
STONE: (flashback) That is bullshit, and you know it. You forced my friend over here to offer her body to get to you. And you were part of it. You were there from the beginning. The C.I.A. D.N.I. mind control program.
FIERRO: (flashback) Dylan, it's the C.I.A. and the Egyptian Armed Forces. They're headed this way.
STONE: (flashback) Alice! Suit up. Deal with it.
CONRAD: (flashback) Yes, sir.
DR. SALIM: (flashback) What do you want from me?
STONE: (flashback) First things first. What is the Frozen Forest thing the MK-ASHLEY subjects are on about?
DR. SALIM: (flashback) The-The Forest is-is nothing. It was just an idea I planted in the minds of the patients. The MK-ASHLEY Software is an excruciating program to run for a Direct Neural Interface user due to yottabytes of data traveling around the brain very quickly. The Frozen Forest was meant to help them work through the pain, heal, and find peace during and after the experiments.
STONE: (flashback) Right, the illegal D.N.I. experiment... hidden beneath a corporate facade, a project that killed over 300,000 people!
DR. SALIM: (flashback) It was not my fault. When we began testing the Software with robots and the Exo Suit, like yours, it malfunctioned, took control, and tried to operate all of the Central Intelligence Agency operations site's technological systems, causing them to overload and explode. The chloroform we used for the test subjects was leaking to our engineers and programmers. The liquid nitrogen we used to keep our motherboards cold was igniting. Our nuclear energy generators we used for blackouts started having meltdowns. The project was no longer under control. I was not to blame.
STONE: (flashback) Then who was? Who was?
DR. SALIM: (flashback) The project was under the direct command of Sebastian Krueger. The founder and Chief Executive Officer of Coalescence. The hidden director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The man who pushed for MK-ASHLEY Software technology experiments without the necessary research and equipment. After the disaster, he relocated to his headquarters in Zürich, Switzerland.
STONE: (flashback) Thank you.
[Strife fire]
Stone had to kill the Doctor because he did not want him to share Vanguard Squadron 2's whereabouts with O.G.A. or Taylor. Present Day, at the end of the recollection of past events, Vanguard 2-4, just like Ramirez, braces herself for death in the hands of Taylor so that the C.I.A. can get off the Winslow Accord Special Forces' back.
CONRAD: There you go. That's all that's happened. That's all I know. You better hurry now. If you won't kill all of us, Alison will. We should know. Chase and Jackson tried to find her, but she knew us move for move.
ALISON: She is right, Taylor. Let. Her. Go.
TAYLOR: (off comms) Alice, whoever this Alison Stone is, I think she wants to get rid of us. (on comms) Who are you? What do you want?!
CONRAD: Finish the Kill Order. Maybe when we're gone, she'll come out of hiding. Do it. Kill me. Let me go.
[Taylor points his MR6 at Conrad's head but starts hesitating and having his aim shake]
CONRAD: *looks at Major Shadi* I love you, Aharon.
MAJOR SHADI: *cries* I love you too, Alice. THERE'S GOTTA BE ANOTHER WAY!
SHADOW: *lowers Taylor's MR6* There is. We can hold her in The Elysium Checkpoint's brig and call for her extradition to the United States and her death penalty. When this tour ends, Kane can throw whatever shit she's gonna have at me in Washington. Besides, if Alison Stone wants to get rid of us, then killing any more of us is her winning.
TAYLOR: Fine. Get her outta here.
HENDRICKS: So, the Cairo Mobile Water Refineries it is then. Let's go before the N.R.C. track us down.
But Shadow has a prolonging alternative for any additional intel for the tour and Conrad and Major Shadi's relationship in the form of a brig in the temporary operating base of the W.A.S.F. Wetworks Division, the C.I.A. Special Activities Center, El-Sa'ka Forces, and the Egyptian Armed Forces. February 22nd, 2065 - 01:26:00, The Elysium Checkpoint, Syrian Desert, Iraq, while Shadow defends Conrad and Major Shadi and his decision from Kane and Hendricks, Sarah, Diaz and Maretti protect their Vanguard Squadron 1 guest and their only Egyptian friend from her, even the incredibly serious and mission-focused Taylor begins to question a few things in his journal.
KANE: UN-FUCKING-BELIEVABLE!
SHADOW: You can throw as much shit as you want at me in Washington once this already shattered tour is over. But if we need additional intel, Conrad's our woman. You know she'll be completely useless to us dead.
MAJOR SHADI: I will watch over her from suicide or assassins. EVEN YOURS.
HENDRICKS: And neither three of them will be alone.
[Sarah, Diaz and Maretti glare at Kane]
TAYLOR: (journal entry) Interrogation and Termination. Target Captured and Awaiting Termination: U.N. Defector Alpha-Charlie. Mission Status: Open. February 22nd, 2065 - 01:26:11. On approach to the HVI's location in the Cairo U.S. Embassy, the signal from the C.I.A. Tracking Gel indicated that the HVI's vitals had suddenly flatlined. We later confirmed that he had been terminated by Stone just moments before our arrival and his departure from the AO. Details on the engagement with Target Conrad are as follows: In coordination with the Egyptian Armed Forces and with continued support from Maj. Shadi (because Col. Khalil is busy trying to cope with the necessity of leaving Egypt to regroup and rearm), the DA was quick and clean. Conrad was subdued with minimal casualties to allied forces. After forming a localized cordon for security purposes, Vanguard Squadron 1 secured the target for questioning. In light of Hendricks' prior behavior during the interrogation of Salim, I made the decision to interrogate Conrad myself with help from Shadow and Shadi to calm her down. During the interrogation, Conrad appeared cooperative but afraid due to a mysterious MI6 Operative named Special Agent Alison Stone sharing an incriminating recording between Salim and the second HVI and talking to us over our comms while blocking LNO Kane from her channel simultaneously. Regardless, Conrad's recollections do have some much-needed clarity of detail at points. She revealed that Vanguard Squadron 2's interest in Salim was primarily concerned with identifying and locating those responsible for the Black Project and the disaster that befell Singapore. Once Salim had named Sebastian Krueger and provided his location, Coalescence Corporation Headquarters in Zürich, Switzerland, Stone put a bullet in his head. According to Conrad, Vanguard Squadron 2 and Alison intend to secure Krueger and force him to publicly confirm his company's role in MK-ASHLEY. Recommend HVI Krueger be moved to a secure location ASAP. Under further questioning, Conrad supplied Stone, Fierro, Chase and Jackson's likely location: the now abandoned Cairo Mobile Water Refineries. LNO Kane is discussing the possibility of a JAAT (Joint Air Attack Team) with Khalil and the commanders of the Egyptian Armed Forces. As remaining targets have likely fortified the position, we'll need all the support we can get. After all valuable intel was extracted, I wanted to terminate the target, but I hesitated for reasons I can't seem to understand yet. And as he was seeing my moment of hesitation, Shadow offered an alternative in the form of placing Conrad in The Elysium Checkpoint's brig for extradition to the United States and the death penalty once the tour is over. He promised that he would be more than willing to face the consequences of this choice in Washington. Regarding the open subject of Hendricks, in the last few days, he has clearly grown increasingly conflicted by the morality of our operations. Explicitly expressing that part of him understands and sympathizes with the motives of our targets. And he is not alone in this regard. Hall, Diaz, Maretti and Shadow, they all feel the same way. Were I to follow protocol, I would recommend they be placed on leave immediately. But our current situation and lack of communication with Langley mean I can't afford to lose any more people. I am confident that I can help them keep their emotional impulses under control and remain active assets for the team. But I also get this feeling that I can't bring myself to put Hendricks, Hall, Diaz, Maretti and Shadow on leave. Just like how I couldn't bring myself to kill Conrad when I had the chance and the unquestionable authority to do so. Why would I start hesitating now? Did I see Kane and myself in Conrad and Shadi? Why did I follow through with Shadow's alternative? Why am I asking these questions? When I find the answer to these, this journal will be the first thing to know about it. Taylor, out.