- Prerequisites: None
- Rewards: Nick Rye (Guns for Hire), Medium Resistance (Holland Valley)
- Details: Nick’s plane was taken by cultists before he and his wife could disappear for good. Pregnant and expecting, they need help to get out of Dodge.
MISSION Commencement (1)
Locate Nick at Rye & Sons Aviation, in the southwest part of Holland Valley. It appears Nick is having more than a bit of trouble with some incoming cultists, who are attacking his hangar. Before you have a chance to speak with Nick, help him rid the vicinity of Peggies.
You’ll be back and defending this airstrip later in this mission, so check out the map and tactics there for more options. For now, ensure you attempt one or more of the following plans:
POSSIBLE Paths
Grapple or climb the ladder to reach the roof of the hangar and good takedown opportunities thanks to the height advantage you have.
Lob grenades at incoming pickup trucks, and create further explosions by shooting the scattered explosive barrels, especially as foes move and hide near them.
The secondary hangars on the airstrip’s west side are another location for you (or an ally) to climb onto and secure, creating good cross-fire opportunities across the airfield.
Or, you can skulk in the underground and rocks on either side of the dirt airstrip and hangar, and pick off foes from cover.
MISSION Commencement (2)
You can also ignore Nick Rye’s airfield entirely and stumble upon the plane inside the hangar at John Seed’s Ranch and steal it. Nick radios once you’ve taken off, and the mission starts.
GO TO John Seed’s Ranch
Once you remove all foes in the vicinity, Nick explains that his pride and joy—a plane his granddaddy built—has been stolen. He asks to find and steal it back. This sounds tricky, but there are ways to circumvent the Cult Outpost enemies you’re about to face.
Head roughly west, toward the Cult Outpost: Seed Ranch. There are a good number of foes in and around this complex, so it’s worth studying the adjacent cult locations (such as the Project at Eden’s Gate Greenhouse) to avoid being overwhelmed.
Your task here is to access the hangar 
, on the compound’s western side. All other locations, including the alarms, are unnecessary distractions, as are any foes you encounter. If you’re here to liberate the cult outpost, consult the appropriate part of this guide for this location. The following paths indicate a more clandestine approach.
OPTIMAL Path
Approach from the cliff-side gardens to the south 
. Crouch on the threshold of the Seed Ranch, throttling enemies if they get too close. Then move through the woods to the hangar’s south side, and push open the blue door at the left corner, allowing access inside.
OTHER Paths
Stealthily grapple up the radio mast 
and use your binoculars to find most (if not all) of the enemies. Then zip-line down to the bushes by one of the alarms (ignoring them and any foes), crouching and sneaking around to the hangar.
Or, approach from the southern gardens, but climb the main compound building, then leap across to the wooden deck 
and head inside. Or stay at ground level and sneak through the unlocked door at ground level.
Or, you can drive a heavy-duty vehicle down the airstrip, park it outside the hangar (without blocking the garage door), and head through the door to the hangar’s left, near the tower.
Or, you can parachute onto the hangar’s roof, then drop through the skylight.
A less ludicrous plan involves using one of the multiple ladders: on the tower’s north side, attached to the hangar; the east wall with the deck 
; or the south wall, near 
.
Should you wish to completely clear the cult outpost of foes and complete this without any alarms being raised, consult the Cult Outposts section of this guide.
GET INSIDE Nick’s Plane
DRIVE the Plane out of the Hangar
You can’t miss the plane; it’s bright yellow and takes up most of the hangar’s interior. Simply situate yourself inside the cockpit by entering the plane, and the garage door automatically opens. If foes haven’t spotted you by now, they hear this noise; accelerate quickly but without making any sharp turns.
FLY Nick’s Plane
Nick radios in to talk you through the more nuanced flying practices as you take off. As you ascend, feel free to optionally rake any silos you see with machine-gun fire or bombs.
Follow Nick’s instructions, flying the plane along the river. You don’t need to fly through the center of the smoke rings, just under the top perimeter of them. This allows you to stay above the tree line and the river. Make deliberate turns and don’t oversteer.
DESTROY the Project at Eden’s Gate Sites
The objective changes once you fly over a road bridge (or under it if you’re feeling daring). Nick requests you destroy some additional cultist sites (as indicated), and you’re also able to optionally blast some more, like the additional silo at Red’s Farm Supply. Be sure to destroy the following:
- A silo in the field just after the bridge.
- A tanker truck parked by a lake, just after flying over Red’s Farm Supply.
- Two planes in the fields near Davenport Farm. Feel free to test out your bombing prowess on these, so you have familiarity with both types of airborne offense.
LAND the Plane
With the last target displayed, use the smoke rings to line yourself up with Nick’s runway. This is close to the Seed Ranch runway, so don’t get the two confused! Decelerate and trundle the plane to the main hangar, where Nick enthusiastically inspects his pride and joy.