A discharged U.S. Army Special Operations Forces sergeant, James Harper, risks everything for his family when he joins a private contracting organization.
After being involuntarily discharged from the U.S. Army's Special Operations Forces, James Harper (Pine) decides to support his family by joining a private contracting organization alongside his best friend (Foster) and under the command of a fellow veteran (Sutherland).
James Harper (Chris Pine), a decorated serviceman is involuntarily discharged from the United States Army Special Forces due to his use of narcotics to treat a knee injury. Facing financial ruin (he has lost his benefits including pension, disability and medical), he contacts his friend Mike (Ben Foster) who works with a private military company alongside under the command of a fellow veteran Rusty Jennings (Kiefer Sutherland).
Harper is being headhunted by a number of military contracting companies with lucrative offers but still feels a sense of duty to his country. Mike tells him that Rusty runs clandestine operations for the Department of Defense. Harper agrees to meet Rusty after seeing Mike's opulent house. After the meeting Harper signs on with Rusty and the team for an operation in Germany. As a sign of good faith Rusty gives Harper's family $50,000 to help clear their debts.
Harper spends most of his tour spying on a middle eastern scientist called Salim (Fares Fares). He gathers a lot of intel and passes it on to Mike for analysis. After analyzing the data Rusty informs the team that Salim is working for ISIS and developing a bio-agent. He tells the team they have been given permission to invade Salims laboratory and retrieve all of his scientific data and then dispose of Salim. The team easily accesses the lab and acquires the data, Mike orders Harper to finish Salim who protests his innocence to Harper (explaining that he is just a scientist working on a cure). Harper follows orders and then departs after setting the lab on fire. As the 3-man team return to their Exfil van they encounter the police and after a prolonged shoot-out, during which the remaining team members have been killed, Harper rescues a wounded Mike, and they hide in a nearby sewage drain.
Mike, believing he is about to die begs Harper to look after his family and get the data to Rusty. Harper provides a blood transfusion and saves Mike's life. After recuperating, Mike is ready to return to Rusty and the main team, but Harper's knee has given out on him and needs to rest up. Mike proceeds alone but informs Harper he will be picked up after he rests up.
Harper manages to make it to the agreed hotel and finds fresh clothes but no sign of Mike or Rusty. He tries to treat his injured knee and then gets a burner phone and makes contact with Rusty. Rusty informs him there is a car waiting to ex-filtrate him (He also says that Mike never made it back to Berlin) to safety, but Harper senses all is not as it seems. As he delays going to the car, a hit team emerges, and they shoot at Harper forcing him to flee. Harper evades capture and manages to kill the hit team who are revealed to be a team of former marines working for Rusty and who have been sent to kill Harper. Before dying one of the marines gives Harper intel on a safe house (The dying marine also says that Mike was picked up by another team) but advises him that he can never return home.
Harper visits Salim's family and has Salim's wife drive him to obtain an iPad with information on his work from a safety deposit box. Salim's wife provides information which allows Harper to unlock the iPad. Harper leaves and calls the contact information for the safe house. Harper collapses when he gets into the safe house and awakes to find a mysterious man called Virgil (Eddie Marsan) at his bedside. Virgil explains that Harper's knee was infected but has now been treated but that Harper cannot return to his family. Harper plays a video on the iPad in which Salim, speaking to his son, explains that he was indeed an innocent scientist and had no affiliation with ISIS, but he was working on a cure (for H1N1) that was worth a lot of money to pharmaceutical companies (But Salim wanted the vaccine to be free to the public). Over dinner, another fire team from Rusty attack and kill Virgil. Harper escapes, setting off a booby trap for Rusty's team.
Harper takes his hidden passport and returns to the US. He finds Mike at his home, who explains that Rusty also lied to him and told him Harper had died. Rusty has provided for Harper's family and Mike advises Harper to disappear. Mike knew that what they stole was a cure to a virus that the Pharma companies wanted to release to make more money. There was a huge payday involved and hence Mike agreed. Harper protests and wins his old friend over and they set-up a plan to get revenge on Rusty.Mike gets Harper into Rusty's compound, and they surprise Rusty's guards. Harper manages to take out Rusty but not before Mike is mortally wounded. The film finishes with Harper destroying evidence and reaching out to his family after walking away from Mike's burning truck.
