Achilles' Veil

"Deep cover CIA operative Farid has penetrated Menendez' inner circle and is poised to capture him during a JSOC assault on Menendez' HQ in Yemen."

- Mission description

"Achilles' Veil" is the eighth campaign mission in the Call of Duty: Black Ops II single player campaign. It involves Farid infiltrating as a Cordis Die agent and gaining Menendez's trust in order to get a chance to capture him along with support from the J-SOC.

Characters

 * David Mason (playable)
 * Farid (playable) (Alive/K.I.A.) (Player-determined)
 * Raul Menendez
 * Mike Harper (W.I.A/K.I.A.) (Player-determined)
 * Javier Salazar
 * DeFalco (Alive/not present) (Player-determined)

Plot
Deep Cover CIA Operative Farid is working alongside Raul Menendez in an attempt to see what he is planning. In the start of the level, Farid is talking to Harper via internal comlink, saying to not blow his cover. Menendez is then seen next to a fire, thinking there is a traitor. He does not give it much warning, as he claims he is one step ahead of him. Farid, Menendez, and DeFalco (depending on player's actions in earlier missions.) walk out on an outdoor stage with other militia members shouting, "Cordis Die!" A VTOL then comes out behind the stage, and Defalco (or a militia member) takes it down with a FHJ-18 AA launcher. Quadrotors then come in and open fire on the militia. Menendez then tells Farid to meet him at the Citadel, and Farid has to fight his way through enemy soldiers and drones. Later, Menendez appears halfway to the Citadel, in front of a VTOL with Harper in it. He takes it down, and Harper is dragged out later. Menendez, suspecting that Harper knows the traitor, asks who it is, but doesn't answer. Menendez gives the player a Five Seven pistol, and tells him to kill him. The player can choose to either kill Harper, or shoot Menendez. Shoot Menendez= If the player chooses to shoot Menendez, he avoids his attack, and kills Farid with an Executioner revolver, but Harper is spared. Shoot Harper= If the player chooses to kill Harper, Harper gets shot in the head with the player's Five Seven, sparing Farid, and an allied VTOL comes up behind them and kills off the militia. Farid feels devastated since he had no choice but to kill Harper.

The player then takes control of Section and acquires Quadrotors to assist him. After the player reaches the Citadel, an allied VTOL is waiting, with Menendez captured. The level ends with the Navy SEALs securing the inside, saying that Menendez will be interrogated.

Video Walkthrough
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Challenges
Completing 2 challenges unlocks the DSR-50 for the single player loadout.

Completing 5 challenges unlocks the FHJ-18 AA for single player loadout.
 * Destroy enemy quad drones (x20).
 * Eliminate enemy personnel (x20) with sword.
 * Melee enemy personnel (x20) while using optical camouflage.
 * Destroy enemy quad drones (x8) with turret.
 * Eliminate enemy personnel (x5) by exploding vehicles.
 * Destroy enemy ASD (x4) while disabled.
 * Eliminate enemy personnel (x5) as VTOL gunner.
 * Direct quad drones to eliminate enemy personnel (x25).
 * Collect intel (x3).
 * 100% survivability rating.

Access Kit Usage
Pulwar Sword - After Menendez instructs Farid to go to the Citadel, go through the largest exit in the center, next to the tall sheltered houses in the second open garage to the left.

Optical Camouflage - After Menendez instructs Farid to go to the Citadel, go towards the right hallway, and there will be a stairway leading up to a room. There is a set of Optical Camouflage there.

Alternate Path - Near the Citadel, there is a locked gate which can be opened, revealing an alternate path leading up to the balcony of a building. This path can be used to avoid gunfire, plus there is also a Turret which can be controlled by the player.

Trivia

 * If DeFalco wasn't killed in "Karma", he will appear in this mission. When Menendez gives Farid the choice of killing Harper, DeFalco will ask Farid if anything is wrong, as if to mock him for possibly being a traitor.
 * This level is very similar to No Russian : both playable characters (Joseph Allen and Farid) are spies sent in by the CIA, fight friendly factions, and both are killed by the leader of the enemy factions using a pistol in the end of the levels (however Farid's fate in this level is player-determined).
 * Despite that the enemies are supposed to be the Yemeni army and not US troops, Menendez will say that Farid has "American blood on (his) hands" when they meet up.
 * Section will have Farid's equipment when the player eventually controls him. He will even obtain the sword and/or the optical camouflage Farid acquired.
 * If the player chooses to kill Menendez, Section's part will start with him controlling a minigun on the VTOL before landing on the ground and meet up with Harper. This part is not available if the player chooses to kill Harper.
 * Even if the player enables the camouflage, when interacting with other places using the Access Kit, Farid's first person model would still be shown fully visible, as if he wasn't using the camo at all.
 * If the player chooses to kill Harper, Section will be seen carrying an MP7 as he meets up with Farid. However, when control switches to him, Section with be equipped with whatever Farid was carrying.
 * If the player aims down his sights close to Menendez with target assist on it will aim at Menendez like he is an enemy at that point of the game.
 * If DeFalco was killed, when Menendez continues through the balcony, he will erect the posture of one of the militants.
 * Many of the militants in this level's opening and intermediate cutscenes have no magazines in their AN-94's, yet are still able shoot to them when necessary.
 * If the player does not decide which character will die, after some time, Farid will automatically shoot Menendez.
 * The way Menendez gives Farid the pistol to execute Harper is almost identical to the way Imran Zakhaev gives Khaled Al-Asad his pistol to execute Yasir Al-Fulani in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, due to the fact the former seems to aim the pistol at the latter, before spinning it around and letting the latter grab the grip of the pistol.
 * Oddly enough, if the player chooses to kill Menendez, when taking control of Section, Farid's dead body cannot be found anywhere.
 * If the player looks at the front of Harper's downed VTOL quickly enough, they will see one of the militants repeatedly kicking the pilot. As David Mason, one can see the pilot's unconcious/dead body.

Achievements/Trophies
Ultimate Sacrifice (15 / Bronze Trophy ) - Only one can survive.

Deep Cover (20 / Bronze Trophy ) - Capture Raul Menendez.

Futurist (50 / Silver Trophy ) - Complete all future levels in veteran.