The Covenant

In March 2018, U.S. Army Special Forces Master Sergeant John Kinley and his unit are caught off-guard by a truck bomb attack orchestrated by the Taliban during a routine vehicle inspection at Lashkargah, which claims the life of their interpreter. In need of a replacement, John is introduced to Ahmed Abdullah, a steadfast yet disliked interpreter, who claims he pursues the job only for money. During an undercover capture mission, Kinley learns that Ahmed was previously affiliated with the Taliban through the opium trade but had defected when the organization murdered his son. Ahmed later saves Kinley's team from being ambushed by Taliban fighters aided by a compromised Afghan National Army soldier, earning Kinley's respect. During another raid to check for a possible insurgent arms cache, Kinley's unit is overwhelmed by superior Taliban forces, who kill everyone except for him and Ahmed. The duo manages to escape on foot. While attempting to navigate through the mountainous Afghan terrain, they are once again ambushed by insurgents, who manage to wound Kinley before clubbing him with a rifle butt, incapacitating him. Ahmed manages to kill the Taliban and then improvises a sled to transport Kinley. Seven weeks later, Kinley, having been repatriated to his home in Santa Clarita, California, is completely unaware of how he was saved, but understands Ahmed's role in it. Upon learning that Ahmed and his family were forced to move underground owing to the duo's escapade having become local folklore, Kinley attempts to procure U.S. visas for them for well over a month, but in vain. Emotionally tormented and rendered near sleepless by his inability to repay his indebtedness towards Ahmed, Kinley finally resolves to save him himself, enlisting the assistance of his superior, Lieutenant Colonel Vokes, to procure the visas. Returning to Afghanistan under the alias of Ron Kay, Kinley meets with Parker, a private military contractor, who promises to provide support on the condition that the former locates Ahmed first. Kinley meets Ahmed's brother Ali, a Taliban supplier who manages to smuggle Kinley across their territory; in the process, he kills two insurgents after nearly being caught at a road checkpoint, which alerts the Taliban. Vokes informs Kinley that the visas have been processed and are with Parker. Finally arriving at Ahmed's hideout, Kinley persuades him and his family to accompany him to the U.S. Meanwhile, Parker deduces Kinley's true identity. Realizing that the duo is in danger due to their value to the Taliban, he arranges for an AC-130 gunship and an Apache attack helicopter to provide air support. Concurrently, the Taliban mount an attack on Kinley, who manages to escape with Ahmed's family to the nearby Darunta Dam. Cornered by approaching Taliban units, the duo engages them in a protracted gunfight, which ends when they run out of ammunition. However, the AC-130 and Apache helicopters arrive and wipe out the attackers. Parker arrives from the other end of the dam with a relief column of anti-Taliban vehicles. He tells Kinley he would have supported his mission for free had he known upfront it was him. Escorted back to Bagram, the group boards an Airbus A400M leaving Afghanistan.