(August 20th,2016)
Captains John Price and John Mactavish, and Major Nat Price have been labeled most wanted war criminals due to Shepherd's betrayal.
"We got one good UMP. They've got a thousand. We don't even know if Makarov's intel is any good. Dad....Dad?" Nat says.
"The healthy human mind doesn't wake up in the morning thinking this is its last day on Earth. But I think that's a luxury. Not a curse. To know you're close to the end is a kind of freedom. Good time to take... inventory. Outgunned. Outnumbered. Out of our minds. On a suicide mission. But the sand and rocks here, stained with thousands of years of warfare... They will remember us. For this. Because out of our vast array of nightmares, this is the one we choose for ourselves. We go forward like a breath exhaled from the Earth. With vigor in our hearts and one goal in sight: We. Will. Kill him."
The satellite tracks Nat and Price at Site Hotel Bravo, Afghanistan.
{Site Hotel Bravo}
"Nat, I'm picking up a thermal spike up ahead. The cave must be somewhere over the edge."
They spot a Shadow Company patrol on the road below. Nat was altogether silent, still distraught over Simon's death.
"Hold up. Enemy patrol. Hold your fire. Looks like Makarov's intel was solid. This is it." Price looks at her
The patrol separates its group and begins its patrol.
"Good, they're splitting up. Let them separate. This decryption code better be worth the price we paid. Focus on the group on the right, directly beneath us. Let's take them out first. I'll take the two on the left. On my mark. Three... Two... One..."
They snipe out the four men and the dog on the right side of the road.
"Just like old times." Nat smiles. "Dog neutralized. I count five tangos down."
They slide down the hill onto the road, taking out the two men and the dog.
"We don't have much time before they find the bodies. Let's keep moving. Here we go - hook up here."
They hook up on the railing on the edge of the cliff.
Shadow Company HQ says on the com, "Disciple Four, Oxide. Do you copy, over?"
"Go." Nat said calmly. They steadily rappel down the cliff. "Got two tangos down below."
They take out knives when they're right above them. Both silently take out the two guards at the cave entrance.
"Let's go." Price says. They hide behind a covering while a group of Shadow Company soldiers walk towards the entrance. "Take out the guard having a smoke, or wait for him to move along."
Nat knifes the guard.
"Good night. Let's go."
They reach a steam room. It goes pitch-black, they prepare to engage. They fire on them. A dark shootout ensues. Nat felt multiple bullets whiz past her head. Price pulls her back behind cover.
"Grab a riot shield...we'll need cover out here." Price hands her a riot shield. They come out of the steam room and move along the catwalk. "They point with the riot shield. I'll take care of any resistance."
Nat moves along the catwalk under cover with a riot shield taking fire from Shadow Company soldiers from across the catwalk. Price takes them out as Nat moves forward. Soon they were in the clear.
A voice goes off on the loudspeaker, "Butcher One-Five, rendezvous at the nest and prepare to escort Gold Eagle to the LZ."
"Gold Eagle must be Shepherd! We're running out of time, let's go!" Nat starts running. They fight their way farther into the cave, fighting Shadow Company soldiers using shields and popping smoke.
Nat has to yell over the gunfire,"They've sealed the control room. Get a frame charge on the door!"
Soap breaches and clears the control room wired and rigged with tons of explosives.
Shepherd's voice comes on the loudspeaker, which sends shivers down Nat's spine. "All units be advised this is Gold Eagle. The site has been compromised. I am executing directive one-one-six bravo. If you're still inside, your service will be honored. Shepherd out."
Price unlocks the doors and escapes the cave with Nat by his side, just as the explosives go off. Nat blacks out, shell-shocked. Price is seen shooting at Shadow Company soldiers outside.
"Lass! Incoming! Get down! Get down!"
Artillery fire lands all over Site Hotel Bravo, killing, wounding, and dazing many of Shadow Company's soldiers. Price pulls Nat up. She wobbles for a moment. They move out of the caves, engaging more SC soldiers outside. They push through Site Hotel Bravo, eliminating SC soldiers along the way to the tunnel where General Shepherd is escaping.
Price looks at Nat, "Head for the tunnel! He's getting away! Shepherd mentioned Zodiacs...there must be river access nearby - let's go!"
They chase Shepherd in the tunnel.
A satellite tracks a broadcast, analyzing the voice, which is Nat. Nat broadcasts to the world and any surviving Task Force 141 members who may be in hiding.
"This is for the record. History is written by the victor. History is filled with liars. If he lives and we die, his truth becomes written - and ours is lost. Shepherd will be a hero. 'Cause all you need to change the world is one good lie and a river of blood. He's about to complete the greatest trick a liar ever played on history. His truth will be the truth. But only if he lives, and we die."
They get on a Zodiac and begin to chase Shepherd along the river. They are encountered by OpFor soldiers on the banks of the rivers. Nat pulls out her Mini-Uzi and shoots at them while Price suppresses them with his M4A1. Shepherd is seen driving his boat into a tunnel.
"Through that cave!" Price points.
When they come out, Shadow Company soldiers are seen riding additional boats. Little Bird choppers are flying overhead and they encounter more OpFor along the bridges. Nat drives the boat left and right and between rock walls to prevent the choppers from firing on them. OpFor soldiers fire RPGs from the bridges.
"RPG's, on the bridge!"
Nat maneuvers the boat to dodge RPG fire. Soap drives the boat to avoid the Little Birds flying about them.
"We can't let Shepherd escape! Right, go right! Steer clear of that chopper! Go! Go! We gotta lose 'em! Shake 'em off!"
They head down a series of rapids. While they go down the rapids Shadow Company soldiers on boats, appear around them. Nat shoots at them. Once the rapids settle, the chase continues. A Pave Low is seen flying above the river. Shepherd's boat drives into the Pave Low's hangar. The Pave Low takes off and hovers above the waterfall.
"Hold it steady! Steady! Steady!"
As Nat maintains the boat still near the waterfall, Price fires his M4A1 three times. The third shot damages the Pave Low's rotors and the chopper goes down.
"Back up back up!"
The boat falls over the waterfall and into the river.
. . .
Nat wakes up on the bank of the river, coughing up water from his lungs. Sounds of the Pave Low falling and crashing can be barely heard. She stands up, wounded, knife in her hand, and begins to walk staggeringly towards the crashed Pave Low. She sees a wounded Shadow Company soldier crawling and bleeding. She slashes and kills him. Right next to the wreck, she sees another one lying on his back and holstering out a G18. The soldier pulls the trigger, but the weapon clicks empty. Nat slashes and kills him. Clatter is heard from behind the wreck. It's Shepherd. Shepherd frantically runs from the wreck into a sand storm and rests on a car. Nat slowly follows him and sees him resting on the car.
"You know what they say about revenge...you better be ready to dig two graves... Go ahead and end it. It won't change anything. Hmph. I knew you couldn't do it... You're a good warrior... but you could never take that extra step... to do what was absolutely necessary."
Nat raises her arm to kill Shepherd, but Shepherd blocks the knife and knocks her to the ground. He takes out his own knife and stabs her in the chest. She's too much in shock to scream. She blacks out.
"Five years ago, I lost 30,000 men in the blink of an eye. And the world just fuckin' watched."
As Nat wakes up, Shepherd takes out his empty magnum and loads two bullets in it
"Tomorrow there will be no shortage of volunteers, no shortage of patriots."
He points the gun at Nat and locks the hammer.
"I know you understand."
Shepherd pulls the trigger. But just as the bullet moves into the chamber; Price runs in and knocks away Shepherd, causing the bullet to miss, saving Nat. Price kicks away the gun and he begins to fight hand-to-hand with Shepherd. Nat slowly crawls towards the gun. Price is knocked down. Before Nat could reach the gun, Shepherd kicks it away and kicks Soap in the face. Nat;s vision fades in and out as she sees Price and Shepherd continue to fight. It would seem that Price is good but Shepherd is better. Shepherd kicks down Price and begins to punch Price repeatedly in the face. Nat, grasping the knife still in her chest, grips it firmly and begins to pull it out. The knife slowly comes out of her chest as she groans in pain. She pulls harder, straining her last bit of strength with both hands until it finally comes out. She twists the knife in his hand, looks at Shepherd, and throws it as Shepherd looks up. The knife lands in Shepherds left eye, killing him. Nat looks at Price, lying there motionless. She blacks out but regains his vision when Price wakes up.
"Lass? Lass!"
Nikolai arrives in his Little Bird.
"It'll hold for now. Come on, get up."
Price helps Nat up and carries her.
"I thought I told you this was a one-way trip."
"Looks like it still is...they'll be looking for us you know..." Nikolai says as Soap comes out of the Little Bird.
"Nikolai, we gotta get her outta here..."
"Da - I know a place."