Maxwell Newbold

Colonel Maxwell Newbold was the leader of a group of Firethorn mercenaries who were tasked with stealing nuclear missiles from Karl Rask.

After Osman Xasan Muhamad and his pirates raided the Barataria, Osman contacted Newbold, requesting assistance. Newbold berated Osman for taking so long to find the missiles, but eventually he had Pilar Sánchez assist the pirates so they could find the warheads. Unfortunately, Osman and his crew were killed by Jack Bauer, and Newbold and his team of mercenaries were forced to steal the missiles themselves. Once retrieved, Newbold's group took the missiles to their compound, where Sánchez inspected them and discovered that they had been damaged. Impatient, Newbold kept pushing Sánchez to tell him how long it would take to modify the missiles, and she told him they wouldn't be ready for three hours. To further complicate matters, Mergenthaler discovered a signal within the missiles' container, and Sánchez uncovered a transmitter. Even though she destroyed it, Newbold realized that his team needed to relocate.

Newbold was gathering his supplies when James Sealander informed him that their chopper (which Jack Bauer had shot at repeatedly while Newbold's team were ferrying the missiles) was inoperable. He told Sealander to booby-trap it with explosives before the rest of his troops got into their vehicles, ready to depart for a safe house in Berbera. Before they could leave, Newbold received a call from his client, Arkady Malenkov. Malenkov started to grow impatient over Newbold's setbacks, but the colonel reassured him that the missiles would be ready by 8:00am, and they intended on meeting two Russian pilots to make the exchange. After the call ended, Newbold and his troops drove to Berbera; he watched as Sánchez and her mechanics repaired and modified the missiles. Shortly after they were finished, Malenkov contacted Newbold again, and he informed him that the missiles were ready for delivery.

Just as Newbold's platoon was about to leave, they discovered several jihadis led by Bashir Ćawil Hanad were tracking them. Newbold gathered his troops together, and his platoon wiped out all of the Somalis; they quickly left the safe house and arrived at Berbera International Airport. Newbold's men killed all the police inside and cleared the airport of civilians so they could contact the Russian pilots and clear them for landing. Once on the ground, Newbold greeted the pilots and told them that their mission was to launch one live missile at Mecca and a dud in Medina. Newbold's men waited for the pilots and Sánchez to arm the Su-34 when Jack Bauer and Abigail Harper ambushed them and stole the missiles.

Newbold reported the ambush to Malenkov, and that they were heading to Burao to try and recover them. Needing leverage, Malenkov told Newbold to analyze video footage from the airport, which captured the presence of Bauer during the assault. Malenkov told Newbold's troops not to engage after they discovered Bauer on camera, but his team continued to look for the missiles anyway. They watched as Osan Hadid Kamal and his soldiers wandered around Burao looking for the truck the missiles were inside. Just as Kamal got close to the missiles' location inside a garage, Harper sneaked outside and killed him, before firing off a few shots at Newbold's troops. His element of surprise gone, Newbold ordered a full assault against Sullah's garage. After finally finding the missiles, Newbold called Malenkov again, only to find out that Malenkov had terminated the mission over his repeated failures. Instead of retreating, Newbold told his troops to recover the missiles so they could sell them to another buyer. Just as they were about to, Robert Burnett's SEAL team arrived and gunned them all down.