When petty crook Earl Macklin (Robert Duvall) is released from prison to find that his brother was murdered over a botched bank heist, he has one thing on his mind -- revenge. After tracing his brother's death back to a merciless, well-armed ring of mobsters, Macklin teams up with his old partner Cody (Joe Don Baker) in an effort to track down the thugs. However, the tables turn when Macklin realizes that the deadly criminals he is after have already put out a hit on him.