Captain Kyle "Heron" Rickland

Captain Kyle "Heron" Rickland is a playable character in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Endgame and is one of the acting commanders of the TF-141. Heron was responsible for keeping the TF-141 intact during Operation Bronze Race when Captain Price and Captain MacTavish were in hiding in the Ural Mountains.

Biography
While born in Surrey in the United Kingdom. Kyle was a troublesome child and his parents in a state of despair sent him to Military School when he was 16 which eventually led to a placement with the SAS. From their little is known about Rickland’s past due to a restricted record, but what little evidence that is available showed that he took part in missions to Nicaragua, Syria, Argentina and Botswana before being chosen to join the TF-141 in 2014.

Shepherd’s Betrayal
Heron had recently returned from a mission in Malaysia when the assault on Makarov’s Safehouses had begun. While being debriefed by Admiral Henderson on the TF-141 Command Submarine ‘Deep Control’ Heron and two other TF-141 agents Mako and Winter learn that General Shepherd has betrayed them. Heading for the sub’s armoury Heron picks up weapons designed for underwater combat and exit the sub through the torpedo tubes. After exiting the sub Heron and the others fight off enemy divers and surface teams before heaving to fight off sharks as well with Mako being killed by the later.

After surfacing Heron and Winter board the USS Triton and head for the ship’s bridge to capture some decryption codes to aid their allies in the field. On the way Heron stopped off at the armoury and placed the C4 to destroy the ship and make the seas friendlier for Deep Control. After reaching the bridge and acquiring the decryption code Winter is killed and Shepherd fires an Exocet Missile at the ship in an attempt to kill Heron before he can pass the codes onto Captain Price. Heron makes it back to the deck but before he can leave he is asked to use a Denel 35mm Dual Purpose Gun to remove airborne artillery in the form of AH-64 Apache and SH-60 Seahawk helicopters. After destroying the Helicopters Heron escapes on a Zodiac and heads to a nearby TF-141 Dock Complex in order to send the codes.

On arriving at the Dock Complex Heron arrives to find the dead bodies of TF-141 agents and civilian dock-workers as Shadow Company unit’s loot through the facility looking for Intel. Fighting his way to the command center Heron find Onyx, Huntsman and Jackal defending the area so that he can send the codes to Nikolai. After the codes have been sent the agents escape the facility running through a gauntlet of enemy snipers and helicopters before stealing one of the choppers. As Heron leaves Henderson rams the complex with ‘Deep Control’ to prevent the data falling into the wrong hands.

Kidnapping in Colombia
Heron was present in the kidnapping attempt of Sergeant Cortez and warned her of the approaching fire as she struggled to move Private 1st Class Redueriis out of the Plantation. After escaping Cortez was confronted by the Drug Baron Eduardo Perez and would have been executed right there if not for the intervention of Task Force 141. After being tranquilized Heron was part of the team that extracted Cortez on the teams stolen Mi-8 ‘Hip’.

Raid on the Ural Mountains
Heron led the TF-141 in the raid on a Ural Mountain Relay Station in the hope that former TF-141 and Russian Loyalists are hiding in the area. Heron acted as the mission’s coordinator giving commands to three different elements; Distraction Team, Infiltration Team and Overwatch Team which he led personally. After overseeing the landing of the teams Mi-8 and the successful infiltration of the main logistics building Heron and his own team were spotted by an Mi-28 ‘Havoc’ and later forced off of the Overwatch position by Shadow Company Personnel arriving in a Bandvagen 206S. After completing the base-jump into the relay station Heron and the other members of Overwatch Team helped defend the Logistics Center and found data that pointed to a secret chamber in a glacier in the mountains. Upon arriving at the Glacier Heron, Huntsman, Onyx and Amazon headed inside and cleared out Russian and Shadow Company Forces that were trying to secure the area, before discovering that Price and Soap where using the structure as a safe house. Reunited with the two senior agents Heron followed Price and Soap as they escaped the hidden facility and headed for Nikolai’s Halo in a stolen Bandvagen. Upon reaching the Halo, Heron was among the TF-141 and Loyalist Agents that escaped the vehicle crash and reached the helicopter before the area was overun by Shadow Company Units.

Mission to Africa
Heron was the leader of the Intercept Team that consisted of Jackal and Blaze as the other TF-141 agents headed Alexander Clarke to an intercept point. Shortly after meeting up with the others Heron joined in the pursuit of Clarke which eventually terminated in a train station when Cortez took the terrorist down with a leg shot. Unfortunately the downed terrorist was revealed to be a body double and the real Clarke was heading for a rendezvous with a private helicopter in the Pretoria Botanical Gardens with both the TF-141 and South African Police in hot pursuit as her employees held the air until she escaped. Now being targeted directly by both the Mercenaries and the Police the TF-141 agents escaped and split up with Price and Heron heading back towards the city. Sometime afterwards they were either captured by the police and forced to surrender or actively contacted out the police commissioner to arrange a cease-fire.

Later the TF-141 assaulted The Raven's Nest with Heron acting as the third in command, behind Soap and Price. Heron aided the others in reaching the Command Center and stayed behind with Onyx and Price to download all of Clarke’s data and later helped to stall an assault from Shadow Company forces as they invaded the house. After Huntsman and Cortez cleared enemy armor and heavy weapons positions to allow Nikolai to arrive, Heron along with the rest of the team and the captured Clarke escaped on the Russian’s Mi-24 ‘Hind’.

Final Mission
Heron’s final mission would be the destruction of biological weapons in the Koltsovo Biological Weapon Center. Heron was the last member of the four man team, consisting of Cortez, Huntsman, Onyx and himself, to leave the Mi-26 during the HALO Jump and instructed Huntsman to take point after the landed. After being discovered by the Russian Security Force Heron instructed the others to do as the Russian Commander instructed till they were handed an advantage and later escaped after a fuel silo behind them exploded. Shortly afterwards Heron and the others entered the building and started looking for the virus storage area to begin the abort procedure.

After breaching the decontamination area Heron and Onyx were separated from Huntsman and Cortez but returned in time to rescue them from Makarov’s Fake Americans. Heading down to the actual center Heron helped abort the virus containers but was interrupted by Makarov’s arrival as the terrorist killed Huntsman and flooded the chamber with Nova Gas. Escaping into an underground garage Heron commandeered a BTR-80 and drove the vehicle after Makarov as he escaped to his Mi-8. Just as Heron had Makarov cornered the terrorist pulled out a MILAN AT Launcher and destroyed the vehicle. Heron was killed by the explosion as Onyx pulled his body from the burning vehicle.

After Death
Onyx sat by Heron’s body as the battle between Cortez, the Russian Guards and Makarov raged. After the former committed suicide Makarov took Heron’s body with him and later sent the man’s head to the TF-141. When Soap returned from the mission to Chile he found the grim package and buried the head in the grounds of Winchester Cathedral. The rest of Heron’s body was never discovered.

Locations and Armemants
The following levels are listed in chronological order. Recent History - TF-141 Dock Facility, Armed with a ASM-DT Amphibious Rifle, WASP Injection Knife, C4

Supply and Demand - Colombian Highlands, Armed with a Supressed ACR, Holstered M9, Throwing Knife

Safe Haven - Ural Mountain Base, Armed with a M1014 w/ Grip, FAL w/ ACOG Scope and Extended Magazines

The Raven’s Trail - Pretoria, South Africa, Armed with Akimbo PP2000, Holstered ACR Grenadier

Barrier of Spears - Drakensburg, South Africa, Armed with a L86 LSW w/ Grip and Holographic Sight, Striker w/ Red Dot Sight

Contagion - Kolstovo, Russia, Armed with an ACR Grenadier w/ Holographic Sight, M1014 w/ Grip and Ghost Ring Sight

Quotes
“What just happened?” - Heron surprised when Ghost and Roach are killed by Shepherd

“''What’s happening out there Shepherd. Why are the weapon’s systems offline''?” - Heron questioning Shepherd about current events at the base and in the field

“''I have the decryption codes for Shadow Company. It is 13A-662-90K-TC8-0M0. Make sure it gets to him we have lost a lot of good operatives to get these codes''” - Heron passing the encryption codes onto Nikolai for use in the level Just Like Old Times

“Come in Puma Two, Perez is starting to burn the fields you have to get out of there” - Heron warning Cortez off Perez’s plan shortly before her capture by the TF-141

“Good work Huntsmen, Onyx access her condition and ready her for evac” - Heron commenting on the capture of Cortez

“Jump for it we need to get off this cliff” - Heron ordering the team to base jump down into the Russian Relay Station

“Sir you were the last person I accepted to find here although I’m glad we did” - Heron commenting on the discover of Price and Soap in the Ice Caverns

“She’s getting away” - Heron realizing Clarke is about to escape. Note that this is a homage to Ghost’s line, since he and Heron are voiced by Craig Fairbass, at the end of Takedown as is MacTavish’s response.

“Casspir’s toast we won’t be getting any further in that vehicle” - Heron assessing the state of Onyx’s Casspir

“Price wants Makarov preferably alive but if we can’t safely contain him, we have orders to shoot on sight.” - Heron instructing the others on Price’s Orders

“''This is not part of the plan. Keep calm and do what he says…for now''” - Heron after the Russians discover the TF-141

“''Makarov, it’s over all the virus canisters are aborted. There is nothing left for you''.” - Heron goading Makarov shortly before his death

Trivia
Heron is voiced by Craig Fairbass who voiced Gaz in Call of Duty 4 and Ghost in Modern Warfare 2

Heron is the only character, apart from Winter, in the whole game that uses a WASP Injection Knife. In addition this knife is also visible on his person in all other levels he appears in.

Heron is the only non NPC character to have multiple appearances. The model used will always have random headgear rather then a set assigned to a single level. The exception to this is his Gas Mask in Contagion