First Hunt for Vladimir Makarov

Also can be known as the Battle of the Inner Circle or the Inner Circle Hunt. It is the main conflict with World War III and the Modern Warfare series.

Hunting for Makarov
Shepherd sets Task Force 141 up to hunt down and kill Makarov on sight. After acquiring a blank check. He sends his Task Force into both Russia and Afghanistan to track and kill Makarov. Ghost's team is sent to Russia and Price's is sent to Afghanistan. John Price, Soap and possibly several other Task Force operators sneak into the boneyard to find Makarov, whereas Ghost and his team are ambush by the terrorists after clearing the hostiles and not finding Makarov. Shepherd orders Ghost's team to recover an operations playbook.

Makarov's Operation Playbook and Shepherd's betrayal
The team safeguards the DCM while endless waves of terrorist attempt to stop them. Ghost's team manages to successfully recovers the DSM, they run to the extraction point, where Roach is critically wounded by a mortar. Ghost helps him to the LZ, where they are executed by a treacherous General. And set alight. Price attempts to warn them but its too late. Back at the Boneyard, Soap and Price have been split up and Soap fights through both the Inner Circle men and Shadow Company soldiers. To regroup with John and Rook, Price asks for help from Makarov to go after Shepherd, he gives Price what he need and they manage to get a ride and escape onto the runway where Rook is murder however they are safely extracted away.

Aftermath
After Price and Soap escape they are branded criminals by the world and they set to go after Shepherd