Prologue: The Ghost Mission

The desert is a void of silence, the moonlight casting long shadows over the dunes. Dan's SAS team moves with precise efficiency, their whispered commands and careful steps blending into the stillness. The tension is palpable; they're deep in enemy territory, surrounded by potential ambushes.

As they reach the target compound, something feels off—too quiet, too easy. The team breaches the gate, and the roar of gunfire erupts. Inside, chaos reigns: shouts in multiple languages, the wails of terrified prisoners, and the thunder of explosions. Dan fights alongside his team, but his focus splinters when their trusted informant reveals his betrayal, delivering a chilling message: "You don't understand who you're dealing with."

As the ambush unfolds in Afghanistan, the firefight grows more desperate. Dan finds himself cornered with Spanner and two other comrades in a room filled with hostages. Bullets pierce the walls, the air thick with smoke and dust. Dan's instinct screams to retreat, but Spanner refuses. "We don't leave them," he shouts. Together, they manage to free the hostages, but Apex forces overwhelm them. When Spanner throws himself onto the grenade, Dan can only scream his name, watching helplessly as his friend sacrifices himself. This raw moment, tinged with failure and loss, haunts Dan even as he escapes alive.

The aftermath is devastating. Bodies litter the compound, and Dan's team is decimated. Through the smoke and carnage, he sees the mark of Apex—the beginning of a shadowy conspiracy that will haunt him for years to come.