Hyena Road (2015) - full transcript

Hyena Road is centered around the Canadian Forces deployed in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. The Forces are encountering resistance from insurgents as they construct "Hyena Road" deep into Taliban territory. Warrant Officer Ryan Sanders, the leader of a rifle squad, finds himself under heavy fire while on sentry duty on the road. After their assigned evacuation vehicles are unable to reach their location, the squad moves on foot and reaches a Pashtun village. There are harbored by a tribal elder in his home, who also sends the Taliban away after they attack the village with rockets while searching for the Canadians. Sanders and his squad evacuate the area and return to base, where his secret lover Captain Jennifer Bowman, a communications officer, is also stationed. Meanwhile, Captain Pete Mitchell, an intelligence officer, carries out normal duties as the road is constructed, with little help from the Canadian's Afghani allies. When he hears Sanders' story of the Afghani elder, he decides to search for the man as a potential ally. He is helped in his search by a local asset assisting against the Taliban, called The Cleaner. While a search of the village yields nothing, Sanders' is able to remember that the elder has eyes of two different colors, with one being brown and the other blue. Mitchell is immediately able to identify the man as "the Ghost", formerly a fighter against the Soviets who gained his nickname for disappearing every-time he was injured, since his comrades would take him across the mountains into Pakistan, out of the range of the Soviets. Mitchell eventually arranges a meeting with the Ghost, but he refuses to accept money as a deal for his help, stating that he is now an old man and his days of combat are behind him. Meanwhile, the Canadians Afghani Allies, BDK and his son, Karim, are double-crossing them and receiving bribes from the Taliban. Sanders' squad sees this firsthand while observing the Ghost visit his son's home and granddaughters. The home was situated on land owned by BDK, while the crops had been destroyed by a Coalition airstrike some time in the past, leaving the Ghost's son with nothing to give BDK as his tithe for protection. Soon after the Ghost leaves, BDK arrives with Taliban protection and instructs the Ghost's son to pay up his money. When the son states that the entire opium crop was destroyed, BDK takes the Ghost's granddaughters and drive away. Sander's fireteam observe the whole seen and are desperate to prevent BDK from taking the children, but Mitchell repeatedly instructs them to hold their fire as they do not fully understand local politics. While everyone in the Canadian intelligence group knows their Afghani allies are crooked, there is no alternative in the province and they need all the help they can get. Meanwhile, Bowman reveals to Sanders that she is pregnant with his son, having conceived while both were on leave. Sanders rejoices in this, despite it being a serious problem regarding military rules prohibiting fraternization between officers and NCOs. The Canadians follow the Ghost, who has declared a personal war on BDK in revenge for the kidnapping of the girls. With assistance from his tribe, the Ghost abducts BDK's son Karim and beheads him when he is unable to reveal the location of the girls. Following this, the Ghost arranges a meeting with BDK in an isolated house, at the same time when BDK is supposed to be with the Canadians as they commemorate the opening of Hyena road. BDK agrees to exchange the girls for Karim. However, when BDK arrives with his bodyguards in a convoy, he demands to know the location of his son. The Ghost response by opening a sac he has brought and holding up Karim's severed head, at which point BDK pulls out his pistol and threatens to kill the Ghost. Sanders and his squad, who have been watching the whole action, fires on BDK as they have positive intent of violence. They do not, however, know that the Ghost desired to die having nothing else to live for, and only wanted to avenge his grandchildren who he assumed were lost forever.A firefight ensues after BDK is shot in the head by the Canadians, and the Canadians soon drive off BDK's bodyguards and begin moving out. As they move down to the house, dozens of Taliban insurgents arrive and they are trapped with the Ghost around the house. Although they fight off the insurgents, there is no support available and the Canadians are pinned down. After Travis, one of the members of Sanders' squad, is shot in the head by a sniper, the squad decides to relocate into the house under heavy enemy fire. As they move, they run into IEDs and the squad is incapacitated, with only Sander being able-bodied, along with the Ghost. Recognizing that there is no escape, Sanders calls in for artillery ordering to fire on his exact location to eliminate the insurgents, instructing them to fire for effect. After apologizing for the last time to Bowman, who heavily weeping tries to countermand the order, Sanders pulls off his helmet and tells the Ghost that he was going to be a father, something the Ghost appears to understand despite him not speaking English. Moments later, the artillery rounds hit the house obliterating Sanders, the Ghost, his squad, and many of the Taliban insurgents around them. The movie ends as Canadian troops rescue numerous Afghani children including the Ghost's granddaughters from one of BDK's safehouses, having acted on the Cleaner's information and other assets. Mitchell talks about how things will eventually get better, in the long term.

(indistinct radio

communication)

(man): Kandahar Province,

southern Afghanistan,

the birthplace of the Taliban.

It's 54,000 square kilometres

of brutal insurgency,

conflicting agendas,

tribal rivalry and blood feuds.

This is the Canadian Forces'

area of operation. We wear it.

And every day, we drive deeper

into the furnace

of enemy country.

It's one hell of a rough road.

(soft music, chanting)

- Three Niner Alpha, this is 66.

- 66, this is Three Niner Alpha.

Send. Over.

- 66. I have contact. Over.

- Three Niner Alpha, roger.

(whispering):

About 15 left to one.

- Wind gusts 15 to 20.

Left to right.

Old left-hand-sided target.

- On.

The buddy's got a shovel.

- Could be a farmer.

- On a road?

- Why not?

- 'Cause it's a road, man.

- Could be

a real shitty farmer

who's, like, constantly

puzzled, you know?

He's in the village asking,

"Why are my crops so lousy?"

And no one has the heart

to say, "Hey, buddy...

you can't grow, like...

anything on a road."

- Will you shut the fuck up?

Bad move. He's got a

shell casing shaped like a 122,

orange det cord

sticking out of the nose.

- Three Niner Alpha, this is 66.

I have PID, positive ID

on one times insurgent.

Time of contact 10:28 local.

- 66, this is Three Niner Alpha.

Over.

- Three Niner Alpha, 66. Sitrep.

One times insurgent,

grey man jams,

black head dress, holding

a 122 mm shell casing

with orange det cord

emanating from the top.

- Emanating?

- Coming out of the top.

- And now he's placing

the projectile into the hole.

- One Road Hyena. 650 meters

to the north-north-west

of grid Quebec Quebec 4176-8134.

- Three Niner Alpha,

acknowledged.

- When he stands back up,

engage.

- Standby.

- Send it.

(gunshot)

(soulful Arabic music)

Three Niner Alpha, 66.

- Three Niner Alpha, send.

- One times insurgent engaged

in centre mass. No motion.

At grid Quebec Quebec

4176-8134.

Moving to RV extraction

at grid Quebec Quebec 4199-8226.

- Three Niner Alpha,

roger that, 66.

One times insurgent VSA.

We are pushing higher assets

to confirm.

- 66, roger. Exfiling now.

- Three Niner Alpha, roger.

Your ride's en route.

- Three One Charlie,

this is Three Niner.

Move new.

- Three One Charlie.

We're on the move.

Pick them up in 10 Mikes.

- Higher assets confirmation:

one times insurgent KIA

at grid Quebec Quebec 4176-8134.

- What's up?

- Take a look at that culvert.

Covers a stretch of road out

50 metres to the left.

Three One Charlie, this is 66.

What's your ETA?

- 66, Three One Charlie.

We're 3-4 Mikes the other side of the hill.

- Three One Charlie, this is 66.

Advise you hold your position.

Do not crest the hill. I say

again, do not crest the hill.

We've got something weird

on the road.

Gonna have a look.

Wait out.

- 66, Three One Charlie.

Good copy.

- Hickey, get the Coyote

on the patch just 10 meters

left of that culvert,

put a round in it.

(sighs)

(gunsnon

What do you think?

- It's probably nothing.

- Hickey, put a round

in that patch next to it.

(sighs)

(gunsnon

- Could be just

a bad patch of road.

- What if you're wrong?

- When have I ever been wrong?

- My sister.

- Yeah, that was bad.

- Hickey, just for fun,

chamber up a Raufuss.

Line up on that patch

dead ahead of us.

Let's see what

an incendiary does.

- Standby.

- Send it.

(gunsnon

(explosion)

You okay?

- Yeah. Fuck!

(panting)

- We're blown.

(gunshot)

(shouting in Arabic)

(all shouting)

(gunfire)

- Ambush!

- Go, go, go!

- Go! Get the fuck outta there!

- Covering!

(gunfire)

- Move it!

- Covering!

- Covering!

- Leaving!

- Leaving!

(panting)

- Three Niner Alpha,

this is 66. Sitrep.

We are being effectively

engaged. Exfiling now. Over.

- Three Niner Alpha, roger. Out.

- We got a TIC,

we got troops in contact.

- Three One Charlie,

Three Niner Alpha.

Did you acknowledge last

from 66?

- Three One Charlie, roger that.

Moving out now.

- 66. Negative.

Do not crest the hill.

The road is filled with lEDs.

You're the target.

Can you circle the ridge,

get us on the back side?

- Three one Charlie, roger.

But it's two zero,

two five Mikes at best.

- Break Break. 66, Three Niner

Alpha. What's the force size?

- 66. Two zero

to two five hostiles.

Am seeking strong point.

Wait out.

- Fuck!

- They're still on us!

- Fuck!

- Motherfucker!

- They got us cut off!

- We need to find

a strong point!

- I got a village!

- 66, we're moving

at the grape field.

We'll strong-point from there.

Wait out.

(gunfire, shouting)

" moving!

- Covering!

- Fuck!

We're blocked, we're blocked!

Go that way!

- Over the wall! Come on!

- Cover!

- Go, Tank!

- Let's g0!

' Go, 90. go!

' On my 6!

' Go, 90. go!

(shouting)

- We got a door!

- Move, move!

_ Qhanging mags!

(all shouting)

(insurgents yelling)

- Check your back!

- Check your back!

- Covering!

- Covering!

- Covering!

- Tank, Hickey, go!

- Go, go, go!

- Go, go! Argh!

- Covering! Go!

- We got a door straight ahead!

- Go!

- Fuck! It's blocked!

(panting)

- 66, Three Niner Alpha.

Send sitrep. Over.

- 66.

- Covering!

- We still have contact.

We're moving into village,

will strong-point from there,

Send grid, over.

- Get Lavigne on Zero, ASAP.

- You're with Zero, ma'am.

- Zero, this is

Three Niner Alpha.

I've got troops in contact.

Force size: two five insurgents.

Request fast air.

Over.

- Three Niner Alpha,

this is Zero. Roger that.

We'll see what we got

in the air.

TAC-P, what lines

are we flying right now?

- A 2-ship, not in range.

- Get 'em there. Push 'em hard.

Fires, get me a PSS-SOF grid.

- Roger that.

(gunfire)

- 66, this is

Three Niner Alpha.

Convoy's en route

and Zero's pushing fast air,

but you're gonna have to hang in there.

- 66, acknowledged, over.

We gotta find another

point of entrance!

- RPG!

- There's an opening!

(all shouting)

- Thank you, Mister Taliban!

(villagers shouting

in foreign language)

(Arabic)

(panfing,shoufing)

- Clear!

Hank, Hick!

(door creaking)

Clear! Clear!

- Clear!

- Let's go!

It's all clear!

- Alright, Ryan, we got

a compound, dead up there.

(Ryan, indistinct)

- Roger that. Go!

" moving!

(gunfire)

- Contact grid!

- Moving!

- Covering!

- Covering!

- Covering!

- Moving!

(villagers shouting)

- Clear!

- Clear!

(panting)

- Clear!

- Clear!

- Clear!

(panting)

(foreign language)

(all): Grenade!

(explosion)

- They're surrounding us!

- Three Niner Alpha.

Send sitrep. Over.

- Inviting us in?

- I think he wants to help.

- 66. Three NinerA/pha.

Sitrep, please.

66, send sitrep. Over.

- Three Niner Alpha, 66.

- Three Niner Alpha, send.

- 66, we're hold up inside

compound at grid... Travis!

- Quebec, Quebec, 4133...

- Quebec, Quebec, 4133-8921.

We have a section plus of

insurgents encircling compound.

We need QRF extraction

for 4 PAX, ASA-fucking-P.

We got an elder with crazy eyes,

he's uh...

he's asking us inside.

I'm moving in.

We'll strong-point from here.

Over.

- Did he say crazy eyes?

- Yeah.

- Can I get a description

of the elder?

- 66, this is Zero.

Describe the friendly.

- 66, (Md you not hear me'?

We need QRF extraction now!

- It's important.

- 66, I say again,

describe the friendly.Over.

- 66, elder is about, uh...

I don't know, he's Afghan old.

Weird eyes, different colours.

- Break, break.

Zero, they're jammed here,

we gotta get them out!

- Three Niner Alpha,

we're pushing. Will advise.

- Fuck!

(sighing)

(shouting in foreign language)

- Let's move in! Come on!

Let's move in!

- Clear!

- Clear!

Everybody take a quarter.

Three Niner Alpha, 66 looking

for status on that ride home.

- 66, Three Niner Alpha,

QRF is two zero Mikes out

and you are danger close

for artillery.

You'll have to hunker down.

We'll get you out of there ASAP.

- 66, roger, out.

We're on our own.

- They can't get anything to us?

- Not for a while. Okay, guys, let's arm up.

- What the fuck?

(foreign language)

- Grenade.

We need a grenade.

- I got one. Here.

(foreign language)

- What do you think

they're doing?

- Same as us, getting ready.

(foreign language)

You see anything?

- They got an 82 recoilless!

- Oh, great.

(exhafing)

(explosion)

(coughing)

- Everybody okay?

- Good!

- I'm good.

- You?

- What's he doing?

- I don't know.

(elder shouting

in foreign language)

(gunfire in the distance)

- They killed him!

- Gents, it's been a privilege.

- Likewise.

- Kill every fucker

that comes through those doors!

- Roger that.

(cocking rifles)

(rhythmic music)

- Hold your fire!

Taliban?

- No Taliban.

(foreign language)

- We're safe?

(foreign language)

- You trust him?

- Let's gear up!

Let's gm!

(foreign language)

Thank you.

- Clear!

- Clear!

- Clear!

- Clear!

- Where the hell'd they go?

- Three Niner Alpha, 66,

we're clear in the village.

Moving to rendezvous point

at grid 4012-8883.

- Three Niner Alpha,

acknowledged.

RV Quebec Quebec 4012-8883.

Over.

Zero, this is Three Niner Alpha.

66 coming home. Over.

- Zero, acknowledged.

Fuck!

(soulful music)

(man); KAF.

You might as well be

on Mars as in Afghanistan.

We're out in the middle

of the desert,

surrounded by a force

of razor wire.

It's a coalition force

from over 45 different nations.

Two thirds of the soldiers

deployed here

never even see the country.

They just see blast walls,

DFACs, Tim Hortons.

Nobody even knows how many

people are on this base.

35, 45, 60,000?

It's here, inside the wire,

that we organize everything

that goes on outside the wire.

Half the time, we got it wrong,

but that means half the time,

we got it right.

It's a vast organism

that consumes

14 metric tons of food a day

and shits into a lake

that fills the air

with 30% fecal matter.

In KAF,

you breathe your own shit.

- I'm building a road,

gentlemen.

I'm building a big fucking road

and it's going like a dagger

into the heart of the enemy

and it is fucking him up.

Every morning he wakes up,

I'm standing there

and I'm punching him

in his fucking face.

Now, we've never been this deep

into the Horn of Panjwai,

but Hyena Road is in there

and she's in there to stay.

And they don't like it,

'cause we're fucking

with their freedom of movement.

So they're going after

our dump trucks and our

gravel trucks and our workers.

- What are you saying?

- I'm saying I've lost 36

civilians in the last 4 months

and this bullshit

has got to stop.

And I'm gonna need

a little help from you.

- General, I am just one man.

- You're Bashir Daoud Khan, BDK.

You're one man with a militia.

- And I am your partner

in peace.

- So I need your eyes and ears

and I need you and your son

to be at our little

dedication ceremony,

how many clicks, there, Shorty?

- 15, sir.

- 15 clicks of hardtop

into the Horn.

Your presence there

would be... very meaningful.

(foreign language)

- Hyena Road is a gift

to all Afghans.

It would be an honour

for my father and I

to attend your ceremony.

- Out-fucking-standing.

- Thank you, general.

- Thank you, sir.

- Look at the little prick.

He's like Caligula.

It'd be a fuck of a lot easier

to get Hyena built

if that prick

would stop breathing.

- Right there, you're right.

I'm gonna hop a flight.

I wanna get to Sper,

run down a lead on an elder.

Tell Armstrong I'll call in

from the FOB.

- You don't want

to hang out with me?

- Oh, you know there is nothing

I'd rather do

but the future

of Western civilization

depends on my ass

getting out to Sper.

(rhythmic Arabic music)

(man): Alexander the Great

marched into this graveyard

about 2,500 years ago.

Easy to march in,

hard to march out. His words.

He and his mother wrote

to each other all the time.

One day, he got a letter from

her saying,

"What the hell? You conquered most

of the known world in a day and a half,

what are you doing

bogged down in Afghanistan?"

- He grabbed a bag

and shoveled it full of dirt

and had it sent back to Greece

with a message to his mother,

"Take this dirt and

dump it around the palace,

see what happens."

- 6-1, taking fire,

left, 1O o'clock.

300 metres, breaking right.

(indistinct radio

communication)

(gunfire)

- Clear to engage.

Target is neutralized.

- Roger.

(man): So Alexander's mother

spread the dirt

all around the palace.

Later that night, a couple

of attendants showed up

to make sure she was alright.

One says, "Go ahead, after you."

And the other says,

"No, after you."

And the first one says,

"No, I insist."

And the second one says,

"Don't you tell me what to do."

They pull their swords

and go at it

till they kill each other.

Alexander's mother

watched all this

and wrote a note to him saying,

"Okay, okay, now I get it."

And he wrote back saying,

"Even the dirt is hostile."

In Afghanistan, dogs fight dogs,

birds fight birds, men kill men.

- Fire!

(mixed chatter)

- Oh, man, come on,

show me their picture.

- Mind if I join you?

- Not at all, Warrant. Please.

Hey, I got an update

from the engineer

on that stretch of Hyena

from yesterday.

They cleared 8 lEDs in all.

Something went wrong

with the last one.

The guy lost his leg above the knee.

They airlifted him to Landstuhl.

I think we need to talk.

- Hey, uh...

Hi, Jen.

Sorry to interrupt here.

Ryan, I'm Pete Mitchell,

one of the effects guys

with Brigade.

I don't mean to wreck

your meal, but you mind

if I have a word with you?

- Sure.

Catch up to you later.

- I was in the TOC

where you guys

had that engagement

in Haji Babe.

You were fucking lucky.

- You come all the way

out here to tell me that?

- Nope.

No, I came out here because -

and I could be

way out of line here but... -

you know, manifestly,

you and Jen got

a little something going.

On behalf

of the entire battle group,

I'd just like to express

our collective fucking jealousy!

(laughing)

- You got a girl?

- Yeah. Woman of my dreams,

back home.

- Does she know what you do?

- My wife? No.

She thinks I work

inside the wire

and I'm gonna leave it that way.

Let her sleep easy at night.

Tell me something.

How much you do you know

about Pashtunwali?

- Whatever's in the handbook,

you know.

It's a tribal code. It's old.

- Oh yeah.

It's so old they look upon Islam

as a kind of recent add-on.

- What are those?

- They're dates.

They're local.

They help you shit.

(Ryan laughs)

The code has got

a bunch of, uh...

Well, they call them pillars.

And one of them is Panah,

which means... protection,

more or less. So when that elder

invited you into his home,

he gave you Panah:

no harm could come to you.

- Uh... so I owe him, you mean?

- Well, he did it for Allah,

didn't do it for you.

But you're still breathing,

so that'd be your call.

This elder...

He speak any English?

- No. Just a couple words.

- Any marks about him,

any scars?

- No, but he had weird eyes.

- Weird how?

- His left eye was brown

and his right eye was deep blue.

- Hmm.

- So who is this guy?

Why do you...

Why did he give me this Panah?

- That's what I wanna know.

I got a patrol going back

into the village in the morning.

I'd really like if you'd come

along with me,

help me ID the guy.

- Yeah, sure, I'll be there.

- 0900.

- Alright.

- Alright.

- I'll see you in the morning.

- Yeah.

(soft music)

(chatter in the distance)

(Jen): What are you thinking?

(Ryan): Hmm...

I'm thinking

about our hotel room in Cyprus.

- Urn...

Okay, I'm gonna say something,

and I say it for both of us

and it's going to be shitty.

It's gotta be said.

- Fuck me.

- You know that I am

completely crazy about you,

and Cyprus was...

Cyprus was perfect.

We're perfect.

But we can't keep doing this,

we both know that.

If we get caught,

I'm gonna get cashiered.

This is my career.

- It's mine too.

- I know,

this is what I'm saying.

When we... rotate home,

we'll see.

But right now, while we're here,

it's got to stop.

(Ryan sighs)

- So this is it?

(sighs)

- I think it has to be.

- This is like

fucking Armageddon.

- I know.

You know there's nothing

that I would rather do right now

than climb over there and

fraternize the shit out of you.

- Hmm...

You can't dump me

in one sentence

then say something like that

in the next.

(sighs)

Ah...!

(soft Arabic music)

(orders in foreign language,

muffled)

(man): Now, when we get

to the grape fields, if you see wire,

you see metal, you see plastic,

newly turned dirt,

don't step on 'em.

You didn't drop it,

don't pick it up.

Try to stay

at least five body lengths

between the next man

in the patrol.

When we get in the village,

you're gonna see women

dressed in bags.

Please don't stare at them.

I know you've probably seen that

in Toronto or Paris,

but you haven't seen it here.

Here, those bags are like

magnets for your eyes.

If you get caught staring at

them, it'll fuck shit up for us.

Quick clot, tourniquet, bandage.

- I don't know how to use

any of that.

- Ma'am, if it has to be used,

it won't be you using it.

(rhythmic music)

(indistinct chatter)

(Arabic)

(man): Hey! Eyes!

(Arabic)

- In my job,

it is a great honour

to meet elders such as yourself.

Today, I meet you,

so it's a good day.

But I was hoping to meet

another elder in this village.

(translating)

(foreign language)

- He says that, "I'm the only

elder, and there is no other."

- Strange. Someone told me

there was another important man

that lived in this village,

but I forget his name.

But this person said you

couldn't forget him

because he had two different

coloured eyes.

(translating)

(shouting)

- Hey, hey, hey!

What's in your head?

You're too high.

You can see the women

without their bags.

Get down! Get down!

- Sorry, sir.

- I think you know who I mean.

(foreign language)

- He says he's a ghost.

- Even ghosts

have to live somewhere.

(translating)

(foreign language)

- He says most of them

live in Kandahar City.

(coughing)

- Haji, what the fuck

are you doing?

- The carpets, they are dusty!

- The entire country is dusty.

(Cleaner laughing)

Come on, let's have some tea.

Step into my office.

- How are you doing, Pete?

How's your family?

How's your time?

- It's good.

And how's yours?

You heard from Kabul?

When will you see 'em?

- Soon.

(Arabic)

(Pete clears throat)

- You're frowning.

(Cleaner sighing)

- I thought you were crazy,

but I was wrong,

and I don't like to be wrong.

My cousin says maybe he is here.

- In K-City?

- He thinks so.

Why is he back?

- If it's even him.

- But the eyes!

- If it is him, do you think you

can get me to see him?

- My uncle has arranged it

for tomorrow.

- Tell them I'm gonna

bring along another guy,

the master sniper

with the battle group.

- One other thing.

It's not relational.

- Related.

- Related, yes.

I'm hearing something

about an attack.

- In K-City?

- Soon.

That's all I know.

As soon as I

find out more,

I will tell you.

_ Qkay-

How are you?

Do you need anything?

- No, I'm good.

- You always say you're good.

- I'm Afghan!

(foreign language)

(laughing)

- Oh, listen, I got you...

I got you some of that shampoo,

some of that... hand cream

you guys are so crazy about.

(laughing)

- Thank you. This is great.

- You're welcome, my friend.

- It's my favourite.

(laughing)

- Guys, listen up, this is

straight from the brass.

Guys! Listen! Alright.

No more fraternizing with goats,

you bunch of goat fuckers!

(knocking on door)

- Okay, listen up.

All four DETs are out tonight,

all ops are observe and report,

except for you, Travis.

You guys are on that bend

in Hyena

where that fucking tree is,

so keep your eyes peeled.

I've been seconded to intel

for the day,

so I'm heading into K-City.

Wilf here is going to step up.

(applause, cheering)

Alright. I got some bad news.

They grabbed a couple of guys

from 10th Mountain

Dog Company.

- What?

- Yeah.

I don't know the details, but

there was an IED of some sort

and the Talis grabbed

two of them.

- Are they alive?

- Yeah.

(long hiss)

- Fuck!

(clattering)

You can blow me up

with an IED...

shoot me with an AK,

fucking run me over with a LAV!

I'm... I'm fucking fine

with that.

But do not let me get

taken alive by these...

fucking medievalists.

- You good?

- What exactly

do they do to you?

- It's unspeakable.

- New comm logs!

Fill them out.

- What do you mean?

- Hey... Unspeakable means

we don't fucking speak about it.

(muffled gunshots)

(whispering): Targets down.

Let's back up.

First time, well...

how do you feel?

- Good.

- Ready to go?

- No, not quite.

I gotta take a shit.

- What?! Why?

- Why? I don't know.

Maybe because my...

long intestine's full of shit?

Give me the bag.

Thanks.

(Hickey sighs)

- What a beautiful night.

You know, if they get this place

together, I'd come back.

Bring Joey camping-

- Camping?

- Yeah.

- In Kandahar?

- Why the fuck not?

- Number 2's fully offloaded.

Good to go.

- Three Niner Alpha.

This is 66 Bravo ready

for extraction. Over.

- Let's go, Wilf.

- It's a beautiful morning.

- Yeah, it's been for two hours.

How long until the convoy?

- Should be on the move,

five to ten Mikes maybe.

- These A&A dudes,

you trust these guys?

- With my life.

It's their war.

We're just along for the ride.

(music playing from radio)

Hey, Walid.

- Huh?

- What's he got going

on the tunes?

(laughing)

- Leif Garrett.

- You're shitting me.

- Yeah.

- Come on, put it out,

for all to hear!

# I never had no problems yeah #

# Burnin' down

one night stands #

# And everything around me

yeah #

# Got to stop

to fee/in' so low #

# And I decided quickly

yes I did #

# To disco down

and check out the show #

# Yeah they was dancin'

and singin' #

# And movin' to the groovin' #

# And just when it hit me #

# Somebody turned around

and shouted #

# Play that funky music

white boy #

# Play that funky music right #

(indistinct radio communication)

Okay, convoy's on the move.

Mount up!

# Till you die

till you die #

(soulful Arabic music)

Golf Niner Whisky,

we're pulling in. Over.

- Roger that,

Golf Niner Whisky. Join in.

(indistinct prayer,

foreign language)

(traffic sounds)

(barking)

(people chattering)

- Take this right.

- This is Golf Niner Whisky.

We're breaking off.

Thanks for the tow.

- Pete, anywhere here.

(Ryan): Who is that guy?

(Pete): He's called the Cleaner.

He's the bravest man I've ever

known and my greatest ally.

He works for us

but can't be seen with us,

if you know what I mean.

His family's up in Kabul

and he hasn't seen them

or slept in the same bed

for more than three nights

running in the last two years.

- Why's he doing it?

- Love of country?

I honestly don't know.

Can't just be for the money

we pay him.

(foreign language)

(introductions

in foreign language)

(foreign language)

(Walid): He says his name

is Mohammed.

- Yeah, of course it is.

This bread looks very good.

(Walid translates.)

(Pete sighing)

My friend Ryan,

we've been friends,

we've known each other

and loved each other

for many, many years.

And you helped my friend

in the village of Haji Baba.

(Walid translates.)

And I would like to repay you

for that kindness.

You must need something,

perhaps new prayer rugs

for your mosque.

I would like to help with that.

(Walid translates.)

- How much is that?

- I have no idea.

This is for your village.

(Walid translates.)

(foreign language)

- He says, "Only a fool

accepts a gift

without knowing

what it's for."

(chuckling)

- There is a legendary warrior,

a mujahideen in the Jihad

against the Soviets.

He was called

the Lion of the Desert.

(Walid translates.)

(foreign language)

- He says

he's heard of this man.

- The word is that he's back.

He's once again mujahid.

Have you heard anything

about these rumours?

(Walid translates.)

May I ask where you're from?

(Walid translates.)

(foreign language)

- He says his village is called

Abdullah Jan.

- Ah. So you're Pakistani.

(Walid translates.)

(foreign language)

- I have been Pakistani

for many years,

a Muslim for 1,400

and a Pashtun for 5,000.

- I understand.

(Walid translates.)

If you hear anything

about the Lion...

I would greatly appreciate it.

(Walid translates.)

(foreign language)

- So he's Pakistani?

- No.

No, that was just

a kind of test.

Abdullah Jan is just the ruins

of some village

across the border

from Spin Boldak.

Nobody's really lived there

for a couple hundred years,

least of all him.

- So he's not just some guy

from a village.

- No, he's not.

He's the Lion of the Desert.

That's what his people call him.

But the Russians,

they called him the Ghost

'cause they couldn't kill him.

They shot him four times,

they blew him up twice.

And each time, his guys would

get him up over the mountains

and into the Red Cross tents

in Pakistan.

And they'd get him stitched up

and he'd be back out there

blowing Russians out of the sky.

We just met a very big gun,

like a Rommel or a Patton.

This guy beat the Red Army

and he was a kid when he did it.

When the Russians pulled out,

he cut a deal with the Talibans,

"I'm going back to my grape

fields, I don't want any part

of your stupid civil war.

Just leave me alone."

Which they did,

which was kind of weird,

'cause generally speaking,

the Talis went after anybody

who stood against them.

But him, for some reason,

they just left him alone.

(Ryan): But now he's back.

- He's back,

and I gotta figure out why.

A guy like him,

with his influence,

he could prob--

(explosion)

(deafening noise)

(people shouting, crying)

(men moaning)

- We got multiple bombers,

vehicle-borne and coordinated.

- Reporting civilian casualties,

multiple civ KIA, city centre...

- Got a VBIED

southwest Kandahar City.

Multiple casualties.

- A&A reports taking fire,

I-route 1 and Alpha 7-5.

(grunting)

- Must have hit

the engine block.

- Goddamn“.

- Peter, wheres the convoy'?

- We lost the convoy.

- Alright...

(coughing)

Zero, Golf Niner Whisky, uh...

I have contact. Over.

- Zero, acknowledged.

- Yeah, Golf Niner Whisky,

we have contact

at grid Quebec Romeo 232-129.

We have no mil casualties.

I have mobility kill. Over.

- Zero, roger. Be advised

we have reports

of multiple SBVIED

in vicinity

of police headquarters.

More to follow.

- Golf Niner Whisky, send.

- Yeah, it looks like

the Talis are at it again.

It's a shit storm out there.

I advise you try and exit city,

move to Camp Nathan Smith,

ride this one out.

- Golf Niner Whisky.

Wilco. Out.

(Ryan): There's another

explosion! Let's go!

- We're gonna have to move.

Heading north.

Goddamnit, can't get the radio.

- Forget the radio,

we'll use my MBITR.

Let's go! We gotta move!

- I'm gonna have to blow it.

- Walid?

- Yeah.

- Come! Behind the car.

- Frag out!

(siren blaring)

- Mitchell, grab Walid.

Punch up to that corner.

Cover my 6.

- Roger. Stay with me.

Clear.

(boy whistling)

Dick.

- Let's go.

(distant shouting)

(Pete): They're moving

on the fucking rooftops.

(panting)

- Clear, let's go.

(shot fired)

- RPG!

(panting)

' YOU good?

- Yeah, good.

(foreign mnguage)

(gunfire)

- Can you shoot?

- Me? Fuck no, I'm intel.

- Zero, Golf Niner Whisky.

I have PID on multiple hostiles,

40 metres east of last position.

Engaging. Wait out.

- Zero, roger.

- Moving!

- Covering.

(distant shouting)

- Tali at one o'clock!

(gunfire)

- Ah!

- Target down!

Mitchell, come up to me!

_ MOVG 9Q' g0'

(panting)

(insurgent moaning)

Hold up.

(panting)

- I need you to punch left,

down that alleyway.

I'll cover you.

You good?

- Yeah, good to go.

- Standby.

(Walid panting)

Go!

(gunfire)

Clear.

- Clear.

This is bad.

(panting)

- You piss

with the dick you got.

Moving.

(insurgents shouting

in foreign language)

- Changing mags, cover me.

- Alright.

Moving.

- Rooftop, 9 o'clock!

(gunfire)

- Clear.

(chickens cackling)

- Shoot him.

- I don't shoot kids.

(foreign language)

Clear.

- Clear.

(honking)

- Bomber! Ah!

(pan clanging)

- It's my guy, it's my guy,

it's the Cleaner!

Go, go, go, go!

(tires screeching)

(gunfire)

Haji, where did you get

this truck?

' My uncle!

- Of course!

- I hung around,

you never know in this city!

I heard the gunfire, came

looking for you! We got lucky!

- Fuck, yeah!

Zero, this is Golf Niner

Whisky, we're heading out.

- Zero, acknowledged.

Goddamn!

(Pete laughing)

- That was balls out, flat out,

fucking insanity!

Five suicide bombers,

a rack of RPGs,

17 dead and 37 wounded.

I gotta get a coffee.

- Do we know

what they were after?

- Yeah. Police headquarters.

We just got caught up in it.

That is Kandahar karma,

baby, that's what that is.

But I gotta say,

you handle your rifle

like you got ice in your veins.

- Well, those Talis

were using AKs,

which is great weapons

if you're in a phone booth.

(Pete laughing)

You work the city a lot?

- A fair bit, yeah.

- You got a weird job.

- Oh, yeah...

And you... and you don't?

- Me? No!

No, everybody knows the rules.

You pick up an AK, an RPG,

you're gonna hear about it.

There's no gray area.

- Well, except back home,

where they think what you do

is a little too... I don't

know... premeditated.

But my shit? Hearts and Minds?

They lap that stuff up

'cause it's got

a moral ring to it,

even if it's mostlyjust PR.

- You believe that?

- These people here...

they got no use

for what we have on offer.

They don't want Justin Bieber

and Tom Jefferson

and our fucking pornography.

They just want our money

and a little bit of stability.

- So how do we win?

- There is no winning.

There's just an end state

and that's gonna get laid down

by foreign policy, not by us.

- You're a cynical man.

- Not about this country,

I'm not.

Not about these people.

- Me neither.

And I gotta believe

that if I put a $6 round,

just one bullet

in the right place,

I could change everything.

- You may be right.

- You gonna stick around Sper?

- No.

I'm gonna hop a flight.

Should grab my gear.

I'll be in touch.

- I'll be around.

(dogs barking,

helicopter hovering)

Don't say anything,

just listen.

I know our situation,

I know it doesn't make sense,

but you need to hear this

from me.

I love you.

Right down to the bone,

right down to the goddamned

fucking marrow.

You need to know that.

- Ditto. All of it.

- Haji, what are you doing?

- Cleaning the chairs.

- It's not your job.

- Whose job is it?

- Well, it's nobody's.

- This is why you have

dirty chairs!

(sighing)

- I need some tea. Come on.

Why would he even agree

to a meeting

if he has absolutely nothing

to say?

- Maybe he just wants the

Coalition to know he's back.

- Maybe, but for what?

We need to know

who's in that village.

Can you get

into the Tazkera Registry,

find out who lives there?

- I have an uncle, he works

in the Governor's palace.

- God, how many uncles

do you have?

- Pff. Many.

(Pete laughs)

Tell me...

What do you think of my hair?

I've been using the shampoo.

- It looks silky smooth

and very manageable.

- Ah! And my hands?

- Hmm...

Soft, like a baby's bum.

(laughter)

- You're the best.

(Arabic music)

- Hey there, Chewey,

I need a favour.

I'm looking at a village

at this grid marker.

Any events in the last,

I don't know,

say the last six months?

- Come on, Pete--

- I know I should go through Armstrong,

but I don't know what I'm looking for.

I don't feel like doing a whole

work up just on a hunch.

- You want a visual, I assume.

- Anything with eyes, yeah.

- I'll let you know.

- Thank you.

- Anything useful?

- Maybe.

What do I owe you?

- I'll take your beer allotment

at the end of the month.

- I only get two, same as you.

- And I'll take them both.

- Alright, they're yours.

And you can clear all this

shit off. Thanks, Chewey.

Oh yeah, and, uh...

one of these days,

I'm gonna split up

a fire mission,

turn my chair

on the backside.

_ Qkay...

- Hey, Haji,

what do you got for me?

- Oh, it's bad.

It's Bashir's.

- You're kidding me.

BDK owns that land?

You're sure'?

- It's in the record.

- Alright, listen, can you get

out to Sper tomorrow?

- Yes, no problem.

- When you're at the gate, if anyone asks,

you're just a contractor,

you're working on a school,

or... I don't know, a fucking

kite factory or something.

(chuckling): Okay.

- Take care, my friend.

- Have you had any tenderness

in your breasts,

or nausea or just the spotting?

- No, just the spotting.

I'm really managing my cycle.

I haven't had my period

in six months, but...

I don't know,

maybe I missed a pill or...

maybe I'm just being paranoid!

- No...

If we find something...

what do we do? You know

I'm supposed to report it.

- Well, I'm... asking you

not to. As a friend, okay?

_Qh my---

- Ugh...

Oh, my God.

(sighing)

Okay...

(soft music)

(muffled cocking)

- How's Joey?

(Mary): He's good, you know.

Report card's off the charts.

But he misses the shit

out of you.

(laughing)

- Oh, come on, honestly.

He really misses me?

- Of course he misses you!

Fuck, I miss you.

(sighing)

- I miss you too, baby.

- How much do you miss me?

- Wide-open prairie miss you.

(Mary sighing)

- What about these?

You miss them?

- Oh, Jesus, you have no idea

how much I miss them.

Hang on...

- I had to go back because

this op

was pretty early in the roto.

But yeah, the DETs observed

between 15 and 20 Talis

moving across the field.

Because of the force size,

they didn't engage.

Company command requested

the grid.

They called it in, artillery

beat the shit out of them.

- There was some fast air

in there as well, right?

- Yeah, I believe so.

Two A10s.

- And they destroyed the field?

- That's what Warthogs do.

- Well, see, this matters

because, as it turns out,

the field is owned

by Bashir Daoud Khan.

- BDK?

- See, BDK leases the field to

the farmer, who's basically...

He's like a slave, right?

The farmer works the field,

then at the end

of the poppy season,

he's gotta hand over 5,000 USD.

Whatever he gets

on top of that, he gets to keep,

which is probably like

800 bucks,

somewhere around

the national average.

Now in this particular case,

the Talis go running around

the field,

ISAF blows the shit out of it

and the crop is ruined.

And now, well, the farmer,

he's got less than Adam

before the apple.

Well, BDK shows up and goes,

"Hello, where's my 5,000 USD?"

And the farmer says, "Well...

the crop was ruined, you know?

No fault of my own."

BDK says, "I don't give a shit,

I'm evil. I will have my $5,000.

And you have X amount

of time to come up with it."

- Wow, this guy sounds like

Tony Soprano.

- Yeah, but without

the therapist.

- We Afghans,

we're not very big on therapy.

(laughing)

- Alright, so why are we looking

at this farmer?

- His name is Abdul Malik.

His father's name is Haji Malik,

Lion of the Desert.

- His father is the Ghost?

Holy shit!

- We think this is why

the Ghost has returned,

to protect

the honour of his family.

- There's some bad history

between BDK and the Ghost.

I don't want things to go

haywire 'cause I want the Ghost,

I want him to work with us,

'cause he can be a powerful ally

for what we're trying

to achieve down here,

maybe we'll actually

get Hyena built.

- So where do I fit in?

- Well, we think the date

for payment is close, yeah?

Two-three days kinda thing.

So I need eyes on that village,

I need to know

about the comings and goings,

the who, the what,

all that kind of thing.

- I got my snipers spread

all over the area of operation,

but I can redeploy,

rotate the DETs,

two days on, two days off

sort of thing, starting tonight.

- Outstanding!

- You ever try a date?

- No, thank you.

# Baby please don't go #

#Ohohoh#

# Baby please don't go #

#Ohohoh#

# You got dimples in your jaw #

#Ohohoh#

# You got dimples in your jaw #

#Ohohoh#

# You got dimples in your jaw #

# And that ain't all

baby please don't go #

- Comm check.

- Check.

- Right.

- Comm check to Wilf.

- Check! Roger you.

- AKA training magnet?

- Check.

(music continuing,

indistinct chatter)

- AKA I smell a shit.

- Check.

(indistinct chatter)

- AKA douchebag.

# Hey hey little girl #

# Hey little girl #

# Hey hey little girl #

# Hey little girl #

# Ooh#

# Hey hey little girl #

# Hey hey little girl #

# Hey little girl #

# Hey hey little girl #

# Hey little girl #

# Baby please don't go #

# Don't go baby #

(music continuing)

# Baby please don't go

baby please don't go #

# Baby please don't go

baby please don't go #

# Baby please don't go

baby please don't go... #

(foreign language)

_ " Brr!

(Qlrls laughing)

(foreign language)

- You seen anything, Tank?

- Negative.

- Alright, take a break.

- Roger that.

- Hey, buds.

- Is there something

you wanna tell me?

(music from earphones)

Perry Como? In a combat zone?

- It was on shuffle.

- Unacceptable.

Completely inappropriate.

(soft Arabic music)

- You know,

I've been thinking about...

what you said about changing

everything with one bullet.

You really believe that?

(chuckling)

- Yeah, I believe that.

I'm here, aren't I?

(chuckling)

- Yeah, yeah.

- Look at this.

- Okay, what the fuck is this?

(laughter)

- I'm a terrible dancer.

- You're an unbelievably bad dancer.

(laughter)

- But I'm a great shot,

and I've always been,

ever since I was a kid.

It might've been irresponsible

to put a weapon in my hand,

but people would get

hunting licences,

they didn't even have a gun,

just so that I could hunt

on their behalf.

I used to shoot

hard-to-shoot game,

put food on people's tables

when times were hard.

- Sir? Captain Bowman

wants to see you both.

- We're on.

- Three Niner Alpha,

this is 66 Bravo.

- 66 Bravo, Three Niner Alpha

send,oven

- 66 Bravo. We got a convoy

heading our way, over.

- Three Niner Alpha,

describe the convoy.

- 66 Bravo, three white

Suburbans coming in fast.

Looks like they're up-armoured.

Over.

- Three Niner Alpha,

what's happening in the village?

- 66 Bravo, all is quiet, over.

- They're not ready,

they got no... Goddamn it!

- Okay, what's going on here?

- I don't know yet.

Get everyone up.

- Roger.

- Holy shit. 66 Bravo, we got

two VIPs exiting the vehicle.

First 40s, black hair,

bad dye job, beady little eyes.

- Can he confirm VIP is BDK?

- 66 Bravo, Three Niner Alpha,

is VIP BDK? Can you confirm?

- 66 Bravo confirming.

VIP call sign Bravo Delta Kilo.

Second civ Hamid Walid Khan,

call sign Hotel Whisky Kilo.

Three Niner Alpha,

this is 66 Bravo.

We've got Taliban,

counting four.

- He's got Talis with him?

- A guy like BDK plays

both sides of the fence.

- 66 Bravo, Three Niner Alpha,

do you have clearance?

Are they carrying weapons?

- Wednesdays-Fridays

he's with us,

Tuesdays-Thursdays,

he's with the Talis,

and on days off,

they're both running narcotics.

- 66 Bravo,

negative, no weapons,

but they're in costume.

Black turbans, black man jams.

These guys are not even trying

to hide who they are. Over.

(chicken cackling)

(girl screaming)

(rhythmic music)

66 Bravo, we have hostile action

against civilians.

- Three Niner Alpha,

clarify "hostile action".

- They're taking kids.

Little girls.

- Three Niner Alpha, do you have

imminent threat, over?

- 66 Bravo, negative,

but they are grabbing

little girls

and dragging them

to their trucks.

(girl screaming)

(BDK shouting)

(man groaning)

(foreign language)

(girl crying)

Authorized to engage? I am

getting ready to take the shot.

- No, I'm stepping in.

66 Bravo, this is Golf Niner

Whisky. Sit tight, over.

- The fuck?! Take them down!

- Unless they pull out weapons,

we can't get involved.

- 66 Bravo, I can intervene.

- Golf Niner Whisky, negative.

Unless you see a weapon,

do not intervene.

- 66 Bravo, they are taking

little kids.

- Golf Niner Whisky, sit tight.

- 66 Bravo, clarify.

Are you fucking kidding me?

- Golf Niner Whisky, unless you

see a weapon, do not engage.

- We gotta do something!

- Your guys will stand down.

- Jesus Christ!

- Settle down, Warrant! Fuck.

- F...uck.

- You're out of line, here!

- Why didn't you override?

- 'Cause it's an intel op,

it's their call!

Rules of engagement.

You know that!

- It's a fucking crime!

- We need to talk.

- No, you know what?

We're good, we're good. Hey, Mitchell!

Mitchell, what are those girls,

like 8, 10 years old, huh?

And we just stand there? What's

gonna happen to them, huh?

- They're gonna be sold,

that's what's gonna happen.

BDK will hand them over

to the Talis,

the Talis will put them

on the market.

Whatever they get above

5, they're gonna keep,

but BDK will get his $5,000.

And then I don't know,

they're gonna end up in...

some shitty marriage

in Dubai, or worse,

they're gonna end up sucking

dick in some brothel

outside of Fort McMurray.

- You know this

and we don't intervene?

- We didn't intervene because

we didn't have imminent threat.

Those are the rules

of engagement!

I had to make that call!

We didn't intervene because

BDK is protected by a roof

on top of which is a great

big fucking sign that reads CIA!

He's their asset. Now, you wanna

bring down our general

and fuck up

the entire battle group?

Be my guest, go ahead,

shoot him.

- What kind of fucking war

are we fighting here?!

- Oh, come on, it's not one war!

It's a whole bunch

of different wars.

And mine,

it's like a 3D chess game.

Half the time, I don't even know

who the fuck

I'm playing against.

- We're not playing games here!

- No, we're not.

But we're not here

so kids can fly kites either.

- Then what the fuck

are we doing here?

- We are rolling back the clock

and we are stacking the deck

so this time,

the complete fucking

crazies don't win.

Haji, did you get all of that?

- Yes, the relay was clear.

He's going to have to react.

He will make badal.

- Okay, bada/ is another

one of those tribal pillars.

Come on, sit down.

Sit down.

Bada/ basically means, like...

revenge, or...

It's like an eye for an eye

kinda thing.

- It's more about honour.

If the leader of the family

cannot restore honour to them,

then he must leave, forever.

So the Ghost has no choice.

He must act.

- Here's the thing.

BDK served under the Ghost

in the war against the Russians.

Story goes that a Russian

chopper went down

and BDK ass-raped one of the pilots.

And as punishment,

the Ghost embarrassed him

in front of the rest of the muj.

- So you see, badal continues.

- BDK is a bad guy

and he needs

to be brought down.

Now we can't do it,

but the Ghost can. To do that,

we gotta boost the stature

of the Ghost,

and we're gonna start

by inviting the Ghost

to the ceremony

for Hyena Road.

- Put them together.

Badal is possible.

- I'm also gonna offer up

the safe house.

If they meet on Hyena Road,

it's political. If they meet

at the safe house, it's personal.

Either way,

there's gonna be fireworks.

Okay, there's a flight heading back to KAF

in about 10-11 Mikes, I'm gonna hop on it.

I need you to set up

a meeting with the Ghost,

we'll do it at the safe house.

And I need your team

to scope out security

at the ceremony site

and at the safe house.

Ryan...

Ryan...

Don't think I don't feel

for those girls, 'cause I do.

And we'll do what we can

to find them.

But right now, in the bigger

picture, we need the Ghost.

(chanting)

(buzzing sound)

(foreign language)

(rhythmic Oriental music)

(tires screeching)

(foreign language)

(foreign language)

(knocking)

- Travis said

you were looking for me.

- Yeah...

- Alright, look, I'm sorry,

I lost my shit.

(Ryan sighing)

But you know me. And

you know that most of the time,

I'm proud about

what we do here

and I'm proud about

how we go about doing it,

but... those were kids.

If we can't help them, what's

the point of doing all this?

- I don't... have an answer for

that, and for what it's worth,

I agree with you,

but that's not, um...

what I wanted to see you about.

Uh, do you mind just...

closing the door?

Uh...

(mumbling)

Have a seat, I just have

to show you something.

(Jennifer sighs)

- What's this?

- Uh, that's our baby.

It was... Cyprus, I guess.

- It's one of the most beautiful

things I've ever seen.

(chuckling)

The most beautiful thing.

- This kind of changes things...

doesn't it?

- Yeah, yeah,

it changes everything.

- I think that... you know,

in terms of the brass,

we're gonna be okay because it

happened while we were on leave,

but we gotta figure out

what we're... gonna do.

- Figure out

what we're gonna do?

We're gonna have a baby.

- Is that what you want?

- Yeah, of course it's what

I want, more than anything.

(sighing)

- Okay, good, I'm glad.

- You know,

you're making me crazy.

- I know, I'm making myself crazy.

(laughter)

- What did you think I'd think?

- I don't know, I just was...

I was nervous. We didn't...

...leave things very well.

(sobbing)

- Come here, come here,

come here. Hey...

We're gonna have a baby.

(both moaning)

Oh! Oh!

You sure it's mine?

(laughter)

(man): Niner Niner Tac on base.

- Cocks! Another IED hit

out on Hyena.

One KIA. A guy out of Kabul,

father of how many, Shorty?

- Five, sir.

- Five. Fuck.

(sighing)

Finding these pricks is like

nailing Jell-O to the wall.

I cannot keep losing civilians

if we're gonna get Hyena built.

And if we're gonna prevail

down there...

Hyena's gotta go through.

(sighing)

I gotta get out there,

on the ground,

gotta get

my Leopard 2s rolling,

and blow them fuckers

out of their beds.

I gotta find

their weapons caches,

I gotta fuck with

their command and control

and I cannot do that bouncing

around in goddamn helicopters.

That's a kinetic imperative,

Pete.

I'm gonna need a little

help from you non-kinetic types.

I need you effects guys going

there and work your magic.

- Understood, sir.

We are working on it.

My Afghan guys tell me that

BDK's behind all of this shit.

The more the security situation

deteriorates,

the more money he's making out

of all the gravel trucks,

all the other stuff

he's into us for.

- Fucking horrible little man.

- If he was out of the picture,

getting Hyena through

would be a hell of a lot easier.

- He gets knocked of his perch,

I would not weep.

- Understood, sir.

(sighing)

- I hear the Ghost's back.

- Yes, sir.

- See a threat?

- Just the opposite. I think

he could be a powerful ally.

- I don't care how you do it,

just make sure my civilians

aren't getting hit

every time they drive

a fucking truck down there.

- Understood, sir.

- Thanks, Pete.

(sighing)

(sighing)

- Haji, what the fuck

are you doing?

- What? You can't see

out of these things!

- There's nothing to see.

- No, not the way they are, no!

- Okay... Get in touch with

the Ghost, the meeting's on.

- You have approval?

- It's always better to ask for

forgiveness than permission,

you know that.

(Cleaner chuckles)

We'll meet him at the safe house.

(Ryan): This house has

a key feature.

It's our asset, a safe house.

We'll set up our OP here, at the

summit of the saddle back ridge.

That'll give us clear line of

sight to both sides of the hill:

here, at the safe house,

and here, where the ceremony's

gonna take place.

- What's the range?

- It's comfortable,

1,150, 750 metres

both sides of the hill.

- And what about extraction?

- We'll exfil down the back

side, through the grape fields

and get picked up

en route Hyena.

- How's this house gonna play?

- That's unknown.

There's an offer out

to the Ghost and BDK to show.

Intel thinks they'll show up

either at the safe house

or at the ceremony,

so we need eyes on both.

This is a tricky op,

so I'll take lead.

Wilf, you'll stand this one

down.

Alright, let's gear up.

- I would like to thank you

for meeting with me.

(Walid translates)

(foreign language)

- He says, "The honour is mine."

(foreign language)

- He says, "I'm surprised

to be here.

I used to come

to this house many times."

He's asking, "Do you know

who used to own this house?"

- Mullah Omar.

(foreign language)

- He saved his ears,

but he lost his eye.

- What does that mean?

- Same same.

- Same same what?

- Same same, same same.

- If you ever need to use this

house for whatever reason,

it's yours.

(Walid translates)

There was an event in Panjaway

the other day,

the village of Haji Baba.

Two little girls were taking

out of the arms or their father.

(Walid translates)

(foreign language)

- He says, "Why have you come to me?"

- Because the little girls were

taken by Bashir Daoud Khan.

(Walid translates)

My general is

a compassionate man.

He's a student of Pashtunwali.

And he would like to help you,

to help all Afghans,

to help the village

of Haji Babe.

(Walid translates)

(VelcFO)

(unzipping)

And he would be very honoured

if you would accept this gift:

5,000 US dollars.

(Walid translates)

He will also be honoured

if you would attend

the ceremony for Hyena Road.

(Walid translates)

(foreign language)

(Walid): He's saying, "Why me?

I'm a simple grape farmer."

- He understands this,

but your presence would do him

a great honour

as an elder of the region.

(Walid translates)

(foreign language)

- "Who else will be there?"

- Bashir Daoud Khan.

(foreign language)

(Walid): "I have known this man

Bashir since he was a boy."

(foreign language)

- "He brought great dishonour

to our cause,

and he was punished

by my own hands."

(foreign language)

- "Thank your general

for his kindness,

and it will be my honour

to attend."

(chicken cackling)

(foreign language)

(Walid): He says,

"The chicken hates you."

- Yeah, Haj, 'R's me.

Yeah...

I'm watching him walk up

the side of a mountain.

Yeah, he says

he's gonna show up,

but I got the feeling he's got

something up his sleeve,

so I'm gonna need you to get

your eyes and ears out there,

see what you can learn, okay?

Yeah...

(foreign language)

Okay, let's get our gear,

we're going.

(farting)

- Whoa! Local meat?

- Heavenly Father...

Please protect

those little girls.

Watch over them

and bring them home.

(rattling)

(gasping, laughing)

(both sighing)

- Hi...

- Hi, listen, I'm not sure I was

entirely clear about all this,

so I want to spell it out.

I'd like it very much if, um...

you'd marry me, Captain Bowman.

- I would also like that very

much, Warrant Officer Sanders.

- Okay, I gotta go. We're

heading out. I gotta kit up.

- Oh, why don't I...

help you with that kit.

(Bowman laughing)

Oh... we're crazy.

(both laughing)

- Fucking certifiable.

- Be careful.

- I promise.

(Jen laughing)

You're driving me crazy!

(Jen sighing)

My God...

(Zipping)

Oh, fucking...

- Hey, Jen.

- Hey, hey. So how do you think

this is gonna play out?

- Oh, hard to say,

a lot of variables.

If the plan holds,

we're golden.

Anything shifts, who knows.

- We got Niner Niner Tac

en route, ma'am.

- Okay, buddy. Here we go,

general's on his way.

You were down

at the ceremony site?

- Yeah, on my way here.

Usual motley crew.

Goats everywhere, shit

all over the goddamn place.

You know what I'd like to see?

I'd like to see this country

host the Olympics,

that would be awesome.

- 66, Three Niner Alpha, sitrep.

- Three Niner Alpha, 66,

good visual,

clear line of sight

both sides, over.

- Three Niner Alpha, roger.

- 66, Niner Niner Tac in sight,

1 click out.

(man): I confirm Niner Niner Tac

in sight.

(Rilmen): I bet you

not one VIP's gonna be there.

They're not gonna show.

- Oh, I think they'll be there,

sir. It's important to them.

- 25 bucks says

they're a no show.

- You're on, sir.

(laughing)

- I love your enthusiasm,

Shorty. Fuck!

- Go, g0, 90, 9°!

- Move your ass out!

- Come on gentlemen, let's go!

- Move!

- 66, Niner Niner Tac

has landed, over.

- You're gonna owe me 25 bucks.

You realize that, don't you?

- I'm an optimist, sir.

- You're a fucking idiot,

Shorty.

- Roger that, sir.

- Three Niner Alpha, 66,

I have convoy in sight

on approach road, over.

- Three Niner Alpha, white SUVs?

Confirm.

- 66, confirming, three white

SUVs, up-armoured, over.

66, convoy has turned north

off approach road,

heading in direction

of safe house, over.

- Three Niner Alpha,

acknowledged.

- Okay, everybody, we're on.

BDK's going for it.

The Ghost and BDK will meet

at the safe house,

not at the ceremony site,

so this is probably gonna get

personal.

You got that relay for me

at ASIC?

- You're hooked up now, sir,

go ahead.

- Ah, One One Zulu, this is

Golf Niner Whisky requesting

cellphone trap at grid

Quebec Quebec 3669-8537, over.

- Golf Niner Whisky,

this is One One Zulu.

You're in luck,

we got a high asset

sitting on top of your grid

marker. Running traps... now.

- Three Niner Alpha, 66,

convoy has stopped, over.

- Three Niner Alpha, roger.

- Golf Niner Whisky,

One One Zulu. We have a trap.

Three signals.

You want them all up?

- One One Zulu,

Golf Niner Whisky, negative.

Can you just feed them to us

one by one, over?

- What are you doing?

- He's turning their cellphones

into listening devices,

but don't ask me how,

I have no idea.

(chuckling)

- One One Zulu,

first trap coming at ya.

(beeping)

(foreign language)

- One One Zulu,

Golf Niner Whisky, negative,

you can drop that trap, over.

- One One Zulu, good copy.

Number two coming at ya.

(foreign language)

- Yeah.

- One One Zulu, Golf Niner

Whisky, that's our guy,

call sign Bravo Delta Kilo,

that's BDK.

Thanks for your help. Out.

(foreign language)

- Three Niner Alpha, 66,

front door is opening,

call sign Ghost is stepping out.

Call sign Ghost is alone.

- He shouldn't be alone.

He should have guys with him.

- So what does that mean?

(foreign language)

- The Ghost says that Bash“

has 'msuhed

the honour of his family.

For a young man, a former

student, this is a great sin.

(foreign language)

Bashir says that his son Abdul

owed him 5,000 US dollars.

The Ghost says he has just

given him 5,000 US dollars.

(foreign language)

(Walid): Bashir thanks him

and says this will satisfy

the question of the money.

(foreign language)

The Ghost says yes,

but the debt

is not yet resolved.

He wants his grandchildren,

the little girls

that were taken.

He wants them returned.

(foreign language)

(Walid): Bashir says

this is impossible.

The girls are gone, and

the Ghost should know this.

- This is so fucked up.

- Copy that.

(foreign language)

(Walid): Bashir says that

his son Hamid is missing.

- "His son"? How the fuck

did I not have this intel?

(foreign language)

- Alright, Bashir is angry.

He says he wants his son

returned to him.

He says that

he wants to see his son.

(foreign language)

- The Ghost says,

"And so you shall."

(foreign language)

- Jesus. Three Niner Alpha, 66,

I have a head,

a human fucking head

lying on the ground.

- Fuck.

(creaking)

(Ryan): It's the son,

call sign Hotel Whisky Kilo.

- Shit, shit, shit,

BDK is gonna react.

Okay, look,

they must not engage.

- 66, Three Niner Alpha,

what is BDK doing?

Do you have hostile intent?

(foreign language)

(Travis): We got a weapon.

- 66, call sign Bravo Delta Kilo

has a weapon.

Hostile intent towards civ

call sign Ghost.

- Fucking light him up.

(clearing throat)

- 66, Golf Niner Whisky,

do not take that shot.

- He has clearance.

- I'm overriding.

66, Gold Niner Whisky,

you don't understand.

- 66, I understand

imminent threat.

- Hit him, for fuck's sakes.

- Am engaging. Wait out.

- Confirm. Up 23.

Right 2.

- Roger.

- 66, Golf Niner Whisky, Ryan,

please, do not take that shot!

- He has intent.

He doesn't need your okay.

- Standby.

(Pete): Ryan,

please don't do this.

This is how badal works.

This is what the Ghost wants.

- Send it.

(Pete): Ryan, please!

(gunsnon

(Travis): Good hit.

(Puts down phone)

(foreign language)

- Alright, guys, let's pack up.

(Shorty): General,

we have to go.

- Niner Niner Tao,

this is Zero advising exfil.

- Nmer Nmer Tao on the move.

- Niner Niner Tac exfiling now,

all birds in escort.

- 66, Golf Niner Whisky.

You have any idea

what you just done?!

- 66, yeah, I think I do.

I had imminent threat towards

a civilian, I intervened.

- Yeah, you did intervene, 66,

in something

you know nothing about!

- Back off, Mitchell.

66, Three Niner Alpha,

continue to rendezvous.

- You just fucked up!

- You fight your war, Captain,

I'll fight mine.

- 66, Golf Niner Whisky,

call sign Ghost was seeking

an honourable death,

and you just...

you took it away from him!

- We saved his life.

- It wasn't yours to save!

Now, he's got nothing! You

understand that? He has nothing!

- That's enough, Captain. This

is my CF'. You will back off.

(throws phone)

- Salaam Alaikum.

- What's he doing?

- I don't know.

- Think he knows

we just saved his bacon?

- I think it might be

more complicated than that.

- How? What can possibly--

- Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!

- Down, down!

(foreign mnguage)

(gunfire)

- Where the fuck

did they come from?

- The guys from the safe house

must've called for backup.

- I got five to ten

on the right!

- Covering!

- Oh, Travis, fuck!

- Hickey, strip the classifieds!

Three Niner Alpha, 66,

contact, multiple insurgents.

One times VSA,

vital signs absent.

(man): Troop's in contact.

(shouting)

- We're taking effective fire

both flanks!

- Three Niner Alpha, roger.

How many insurgents, over?

- Fuck...

(gunfire)

66, two zero

to three zero hostiles.

(Pete):

The fuck they come from?

- How far away are the birds?

- They're at least 30 minutes

out. Moved back

to ex?“ Nmer Nmer Tao.

- Sh“. Okay, get on to the TOG,

get a QRF rolling

out of Massum Ghar.

- They're trying to break

contact! Move in the grape hunt,

we'll strong-point from there,

ovefl

- Three Niner Alpha, roger.

We're pushing for air and QRF,

but you're gonna have

to hang in there.

- Covering!

- Covering! Changing mags!

- 66, be advised, we have a

civilian under our protection.

Call sign Ghost.

- What the fuck?

(panting)

- We gotta leave him.

- Never! Let's go!

- Covering!

(shouting, gunfire)

- Go, go, go!

- Covering!

(all shouting)

Covering!

- Drop him, drop him.

(both): Covering!

- Go, go, go!

(all shouting)

- Take him!

(indistinct reply)

(panting)

Covering!

Covering!

Changing mags!

- Covering!

_ Qhanging mags!

- Take Hickey! Go!

Get to the door!

Go, go, go!

(explosion)

(gasping)

Come on! Go, go!

(all shouting)

- Ah!

(foreign language)

(groaning)

(shouting in foreign language)

- Three Niner Alpha, this is 66.

- I'm sorry...

- We're strong-pointing

from a grape hut.

We're running low on ammo.

We're being surrounded.

What's your QRF status?

- Uh... Three Niner Alpha,

QRF is one five Mikes out,

you gotta hang in there.

- Don't let them take us,

Lord, please, Jesus, not alive,

they're gonna fucking skin us.

(panting)

- Badal?

- We've got a UAV above them

now, ma'am.

- Okay, put it up.

- On screen.

(Pete): Oh, my God,

there's dozens of them.

- 66, Three Niner Alpha,

sitrep please.

- Three Niner Alpha, 66...

Multiple insurgents in force

on all points.

Am requesting fire mission

at grid Quebec Quebec

3312-8976.

- No, Ryan, no,

you are danger close.

- Golf Four Romeo, this is 66.

- No, Ryan,

it's right on top of you.

- Gonna take out everybody

including himself.

- 66, Golf Four Romeo, send.

- Golf Four Romeo, Three Niner

Alpha, override fire mission.

- 66, authorize, danger close.

Fire for effect at grid

Quebec Quebec 3312-8976.

- Golf Four Romeo, acknowledged.

Fire mission up.

- Three Niner Alpha,

rescind fire order!

Cancel fire order grid Quebec

Quebec! Three Niner Alpha!

Please, Jesus, Ryan, don't

do this. Please don't do...

(sobbing)

- 66 authorizes.

- Fire for effect at grid

Quebec Quebec 3312-8976.

(clanging)

- I'm gonna be a father.

You understand?

You understand

what I'm trying to say?

(creaking)

(foreign language)

- Fire!

- Fire!

- Fire!

- 66, Golf Four Romeo.

Shot over. You got 9 seconds.

(sniffling)

- Three Niner Alpha, this is 66.

- Three Niner Alpha,

acknowledged.

- 66, I'm sorry, baby.

(sobbing)

(distant chatter)

(soldier shouting)

- Go! Go, go!

- I got two to my left!

(indistinct chatter)

(children crying)

(soft music)

(foreign language)

(Pete): So who is it

that gave you this tip?

(Cleaner): My uncle.

- Really?

Is every single adult male

in Afghanistan your uncle?

- Yes.

- Amazing.

- I'm going to Kabul

for a while.

- To see your family?

- Kandahar is a bit crazy

right now.

- Yeah. Be safe.

Call me when you're back.

Fuck, I'm gonna be late.

- This man Ryan,

he was your friend.

- Yeah... Yeah, he was.

I don't have too many friends

here.

- You have me. I'm your friend.

- Yeah, you are.

(bagpipe playing)

(indistinct orders)

(man): Turn!

Prepare to lower...

Lower!

Recover!

Turn!

(Pete): Alexander the Great

fought a counter-insurgency

in Afghanistan that lasted

almost three years.

And by the end of those years,

he was drinking heavily

and completely paranoid.

One night, he got into a row

with a guy named Cleitus

the Black, a loyal friend.

Cleitus accused him

of certain things

and Alexander threw a spear

into his heart.

As he watched his friend die,

he lost his mind.

Five years later,

Alexander was dead.

As the Afghans say:

you might have the clocks,

but we've got the time.

(soft music)

(rhythmic music)

(soft music)