The Objective

My name is Benjamin Keynes.

I work for the directorate of operations within the CIA.

Three days after 9/11,

reconnaissance satellites picked up a radioactive heat signature

in a remote tribal region of Afghanistan.

The Agency feared Al-Qaeda may have finally got their hands on a nuclear weapon.

However, I was told by a local source with a high degree of confidence

that it was maybe something much more powerful

It has been more than ten years, since I left this place.

I forgot how brutal it could be.

I feel like every time we enter this country, it tries to spit us back out.

Almost everyone here at the TOC is too busy fighting a war,

to pay much attention to me. Which is a good thing.

Sir, Agent Keynes.

I finally met the CO and the teamleader,

Sergeant Wallis Hamer.

I gave them the official line, as if I read it from the memo back at Langley.

Major Keynes, this may be your show, but these are my boys, understand?

Absolutely.

No doubt they assumed I was lying.

My first order of business was to recconect with my local source, Mohammed Aban.

He asked me come, therefore I hope that he is there, when we knock at his door.

Sir, the men are ready for you now.

Major Keynes, let me introduce you to the guys.

This is my team daddy, Master-Sergeant Tanner, he's also our fox, intel.

He helped me put the group together back in the day.

- Our senior medic, Sergeant Degetau. - What's up, man.

Demolitions, Sergeant Trinoski. That on the floor there is Sergeant Cole.

And last but not least, Sergeant Sadler, he's weapons and resident Afghan expert.

392 is a shit-hot team. You won't find any better.

That's why I'm here.

Gentlemen, thank you for coming together on such short notice.

My orders are to make contact with an HVT called Mohammed Aban.

A cleric, living in the Southern provinces.

We are to get his recorded statement, in which he supports the American mission here.

This is our man.

Everybody take a look.

Aban is highly respected by the local population.

He is considered the spiritual force, that helped the Mujahadin defeat the Soviets.

I thought the CIA was the spiritual force that helped them defeat the Soviets.

That depends of your definition of spiritual, sergeant.

Aban has kept a very low profile under the Taliban,

so it is crucial that we make contact,

as soon as we have a fix on his position.

Remember, when we hit the ground, this is a meet and greet.

To smile at the locals, we hand out pens,

we win hearts and minds. No kicking in doors, okay?

The mission starts at 1400 hours.

0130 inspections.

- 0230 we are wheels up. - Let's move out.

Remember nothing's routine.

Special Forces Team 392. I'd actually heard of them.

They worked with the Zagran. Smart men, men good with secrets.

But that goes without saying.

Nice camera.

I gave my wife one for our anniversary. Still don't know how to use the damn thing.

That's because you never let her use it, Ski.

What kind of a man gives his wife a video camera for their anniversary?

- Very romantic, ski. - I'll use it to film the baby when it comes.

Your wife's gonna spread her legs,

let you put the camera right here and film the head coming out?

My sister's gonna do the recording, I still don't know how to use the damn thing.

All I'm saying is don't be surprised if your baby's born with a suntan.

Two minutes!

Get ready!

When I stepped off the chopper, I had an overwhelming sense of relief.

The time for second-guessing is over.

The objective is all that matters.

I have no choice now but to find it.

- It's pretty quiet from here. - Those are the ones I worry about most.

I say we set an overwatch.

Yeah, you and Pete set up down there on that hill. Let us know when it's good to go.

Everyone else, Keynes and I are the welcome wagon. We go in first.

- Keynes, are you ready? - Yeah, let's do it.

Everybody keep your eyes open. The place could be crawlin' with bad guys.

Hello.

Let me talk to her.

Nothing has changed since I was here last.

The only way you can tell which decade you are in

is the colour of the soldiers' uniforms.

Aban contacted me a week before I received orders to come out here.

He was barely coherent at the time and I thought he'd finally lost his mind.

That was until we saw it for ourselves.

My grandfather says, he has gone because the Taliban would have murdered him.

What d'you want? You want some chocolate?

Got some special stuff. I got that from New York. For you.

You're a smart, little kid.

Looks like we're gonna be ghostbustin' again.

Yeah, well, that's what Spooks do, isn't it?

Hey, any of you guys get a close look at that camera?

No, what's wrong with it?

He didn't pick that shit up at the PX, I'll tell you that much.

Need to use the radio.

Serpent 76. Serpent 76. This is Beast 92, over.

Serpent 76, we are at the location. The package is not here.

Request immediate extraction, over.

We found Aban's house, but we can't tell if we're finding clues or breadcrumbs.

I wonder what these people would do

if they had suddenly the power to destroy nations.

The rest of us can only pray that they have become weary of fighting.

My grandfather says that no-one can liberate Afghanistan.

Only Allah can free us from the Taliban.

Yes, I know. My father took me there a few years ago

He showed me the place where he wanted to be buried, But it's too late now.

He was kidnapped by the Taliban last year. I fear he is dead now.

How did you know this?

What'd he say?

I think he can help us.

You have up to 0300, then we're moving out for extraction.

- I have to make a call. - Cole, the sat-phone.

- I have my own. - Got his own.

- Fuckin' James Bond. - You know James Bond?

Yeah, I know James Bind. He washed out of basic training.

I told headquarters I was moving on to phase two.

They told me that our footprint was fading.

That's what they called the heat trace that was seen by the satellite.

Chief.

- Good way to get killed. - We need to talk. A change of plan.

This had better be good!

I have new orders to continue searching for Aban now that we have

updated intel on his whereabouts.

Intel? What, that crap Obi-Wan told us?

We suspected that Aban was in the mountains by now. We had to check here first.

We're talking two days, three max. All we need to do is get our hands on a vehicle.

Well, excuse me if I wanna check with the TOC

Little does he know, we don't have much of a choice.

Man, there's no place to shit around here.

Any of you guys got any more chocolate?

- No man, I gave you all I had yesterday. - I got some stale cigars.

- Hearts and minds, man. - Whatever. Get in the truck.

Sorry, kids.

What's he doing here?

- He offered to be our guide. - We have a full boat.

Someone who knows the area can get us in and out much faster.

I understand that, but this place is crawling with bad guys.

Any time we gain, is going to be lost by our having to babysit him.

I fought with my father. I can take care of myself.

Good. You can feed him your rations.

Go.

She is just my mother. Keep going.

Where we're going, technology means very little.

50 bucks to a local guide can render a multi-million dollar GPS obsolete,

as soon as you lose your connection or your batteries go dead.

The stakes were too high to take that chance.

Chief, I know that we have our orders, but we are pretty fuckin' exposed out here.

I don't like it any more than you do, but I ain't the one in charge right now.

As far as we're concerned you are.

Everything looks the same to me out here.

At least back home, you had a Quick-Stop every now and again.

- Where are you from, Cole? - Tampa, Florida, born and raised.

- How about you? - Chicago.

Cole, Stop the truck.

- What's he stopped the truck for? - No idea.

What the hell's he doin'?

Why in the hell are we stopping?

That's why, - Son-of-a-bitch.

- Fox said this road was clear. - It probably was...

Look, see that hole?

Looks like somebody's been doing some transplanting..

Guess so.

Good call, Keynes. You may have just saved us from having a very bad day.

Let me guess, we're gonna be going through that canyon.

Yes, we are.

There are few places on Earth, that are as unforgiving as this desert.

Whole armies, from Alexander to the Soviets

have paid the price for wanting to make it their own

I can only hope we aren't as foolish.

Ah shit. Not good.

- Gotta be booby-trapped. - Cole, back us the fuck outa here.

- Hold on, I'll go check it out. - No, hold on.

RPG!

Ski's down.

Let me look at this. Chief, Ski's bleedin' pretty bad.

Hold that right there, okay?

Chief, keep firing on that ridge, man!

Cole, get your ass over here!

When he's reloading, you're gonna go and take those fuckers out!

Let's go!

Reload.

- Pete, Keynes, cover them. - Okay.

Let's go.

I gotta bag you, baby.

You guys okay?

Let's go check the RPG position, see who these guys are.

Are you sure this is the spot, Pete?

Yes, I sighted the first one just left of the gully here.

- Maybe you just wounded him. - No way.

I saw him pop one right in the melon.

One was a headshot, the other was in the chest.

I saw 'em go down.

- Then where are the bodies? - That's a good question.

These guys aren't known for carrying off their dead.

I got you, okay..

I got you.

Fuck!

He took a frag to the heart, I couldn't stop the bleeding.

You did everything you could. We need to get him in the truck.

The only body from that entire firefight was one of our own.

It doesn't make sense.

As far as I know, ghosts don't shoot real rounds.