A man, Manuel Rodriguez, holds hands briefly with his wife Maria inside of a bunkhouse and then sneaks out of the camp. The armed guards spot him and open fire, and Manuel jumps over the fence from the top of a building and runs. The guards go out in a jeep and soon find Manuel's discarded hat, and track him to a nearby drainage outlet. Disgusted, the leader, Flynn, shoves the hat at the acreage owner Westcott, as Manuel runs away into the night.
Later, a maid, Isabel, answers the phone. Manuel, her son, tells her that they're going to kill him and she has to get help. Before Manuel can explain further, a man over the phone booth that Manuel is in. Isabel tells her employers, the Galloways, what happened. She begs them not to call the police because she has no papers. Nancy suggests to her husband Preston that they call Ray, and Preston warns that it's been five years. They check the newspaper and find a classified for a Stingray.
Preston calls Ray and leaves a message that they need his help again and it's urgent. The Galloways return home that night and find Ray waiting for them. They thank him for sending flowers for Bart's birthday each year, and Preston notes that he traced them to a flower shop in Langley, Virginia. He promises not to tell anyone that Ray is apparently connected to the CIA, and Ray says that he doesn't do repeat business but he didn't feel right about how their case ended. Nancy notes that Bart was dead before they ever called Ray, but he find the men who did it. Preston explains that Miguel is missing and they know what it's like to lose a son.
Ray talks with Isabel privately and she explains that Miguel found a job with someone who employs aliens. The man manning the booth looked mean, and they only took married couples. Ray tells her that she'll owe him a future favor rather than money. She agrees and Ray says that they started three minutes ago.
Later at his current apartment, Ray exercises and checks his computer database looking for a woman in her 20-30s who speaks Spanish. He comes up with the name Elena Ballesteros and goes to see her lecture about modern musical therapy. Afterward, Ray approaches her and congratulates her on making full professor of auditory-emotional perception. Elena angrily figures that he's there to collect her favor, and Ray apologizes if he hurt her. He says that he needs her to pose as his wife, and warns that the favor may be dangerous. Ray says that he can't promise her safety, and Elena refuses and she changed her mind about their deal. He says that he lived up to his end of things and that's all that counts, and goes to get a hamburger.
Ray goes back to his Stingray and finds Elena waiting for him in the car. She insists that nothing will go on between them and she's only paying him back so there's nothing further between them. Ray smiles and tells her that first they're going to buy her a new dress.
Later, Isabel takes Ray and Elena to the booth where the foreman waiting. Elena pretends not to speak English, and Ray says that they're looking for work. The foreman says that they can use them and orders them on the bus. As they get on the bus, Ray figures that the migrants are scared but need work, and Elena talks about her mother was a migrant and put her through college. She tells Ray that she doesn't want to be there and wishes the migrants wouldn't look at the ground. Ray tells her that she's never been more beautiful and holds her hand.
The bus goes to the camp and men with bats pounds on the windows. Flynn comes onboard and introduces himself, and says that he needs a volunteer. He draws his revolver and motions Ray out, and when Ray gets up, Flynn shoves him out in the dirt. Ray tries to beg off, saying that they'll do what he wants, and Flynn orders him up as the other migrants get off the bus. Flynn says that he could beat Ray if he wants and knocks him to the ground, and Elena comes over. Ray glares at Flynn, and Flynn notices and says that he doesn't want to see that lock again. He grabs Elena, kisses her, and shoves her away. Ray stands up and starts to threaten Flynn, and then turns subservient. Flynn puts his revolver to Ray's chest and pulls the hammer back, and it clicks on an empty round. Ray doesn't flinch, and Flynn says that he has nerve and he likes that. He shoves Ray against the bunkhouse wall and orders the others inside, and Ray tells Elena that he could tell there was no round in the chamber.
Later, Flynn meets with a man, Penny, and tells him that they've brought new labor in and they'll get the marijuana out of the field. Westcott nervously excuses himself, saying he has to buy some things in town. Flynn says that he found him in Vegas and he suckered him in, and they need acreage. Penny tells him to get him the marijuana by Wednesday and leaves.
Ray tells the workers that he can fix the guns and they outnumber the guards three to one. One worker, Roberto, tells him that the guards keep their wives closely guarded to keep them in line. If they do anything, their wife and children will die. Ray tells them that Flynn won't let them harvest the marijuana and let them live. He asks for three men to risk it all to help him, and Roberto and two others hesitantly volunteer.
That night, Ray picks the lock on the bunkhouse door and slips out. He avoids the guards, climbs over the fence, and makes his way to the main house. He hears Westcott arguing with Flynn, saying he won't let him murder anyone. Flynn tells him that it doesn't matter what Westcott thinks and as long as Manuel stays in a coma, there fine. But if he wakes up, he'll tell everything to the authorities. Flynn's man Stryker at the hospital says that Manuel's vital signs are growing stronger, so he's going to go there the next day and kill Manuel. Ray listens and then leaves.
Ray goes to the wives' bunkhouse, wakes her up, and tells her that Manuel is alive but they're going to kill him the next day. Elena says the guards have raped the women and Manuel's wife Maria cries because she thinks Manuel is dead. Ray promises he won't let anything happen to her, and that he'll only be gone a few hours the next night. He tells Elena to stay out Flynn's way, and she says that she thought she'd could believe in Ray but now she focuses on her work. Ray says that if Flynn goes after her, he'll go after her and that wouldn't end well for him or Elena. Elena kisses Ray before he goes.
The next day, the migrants work in the fields. Ray tells Roberto that he cut they hydraulic brake on the truck and the brakes will slip in three hours when the fluid fully leaks out. When they take it to town to get fixed, Ray will hide in the back. Roberto tells Ray that he'll be ready when the time comes. Flynn arrives and grabs Elena, and Roberto says that Flynn takes women to his trailer and rapes them. Elena tries to fight back and Flynn knocks her unconscious and drives off with her.
Ray runs across the fields for Flynn's trailer. Meanwhile, Flynn drags Elena inside and throws her on the bed, and Elena spits in his face. He prepares to whip her with his belt, but Ray arrives, grabs his wrist, and tosses him outside. When Flynn fights back, Ray takes him out and the workers across the field see the fight and cheer. When the guards try to drive over, the workers block their jeep with bags of dope. Meanwhile, Ray calls the police and tells Elena that if he gets out, they won't hurt her for fear of losing any leverage over him. Deputy Dan Singlefoot takes the call and Ray says that the guards beat up a Mexican worker and almost killed him. Once he hangs up, Ray tells Elena that he's going to be the worker.
Cutting off a lamp cord, Ray wraps it under his shirt around his stomach. The guards arrive and Flynn tells them to kill Ray. Flynn beats Ray and Dan arrives. Ray mutters that they're trying to kill him, and Flynn tells Dan to call Sheriff Bates. Dan says that Bates is out of town but prepares to leave, and Ray punches him. The deputy puts him under arrest for assaulting a police officer, and Flynn yells at Ray to remember Elena is still there.
At the sheriff's station, Dan books Ray and tosses him in a cell. He's spotted the bruises on Ray's hands from hitting Flynn and figures that he's a karate expert, and doesn't buy his disguise. Ray drops the act and chuckles, and says that Dan can't keep him there. Dan figures that Ray is special forces and promises to find out who he is. He calls the military and asks them to identify Ray's fingerprints, then sits back and puts on some music.
Eventually Dan dozes off, and Ray hooks the wiring up from the light socket to the cell door. When Dan wakes up, he sees "Ray" huddled beneath the cot blanket. He goes over to open the door and is shocked unconscious. Ray emerges from beneath the cot, grabs the key Dan dropped, and frees himself. He confirms that Dan is alive and then steals Dan's car and leaves. Dan wakes up and a wire comes in from the Pentagon saying that the prints belong to Vietnam war hero Captain Raymond Sheffield.
Ray goes to the hospital and asks to see Manuel, claiming that he's the migrant's brother. Stryker sees him as he goes with the nurse, and calls Flynn. Flynn takes some men to the hospital.
Isabel gets a call from Ray, who tells her that Manual is in a hospital and is unconscious but okay. Preston takes the phone and Ray sees Flynn pull up outside and hangs up. He wheels Manuel out on a gurney, and finds an armed Dan waiting for him. Ray explains that there are four men on their way, and claims that he works for the Pentagon, Special Projects. He asks Dan to help him or they'll die together.
Flynn and his men come out of the stairwell and open fire. Ray and Dan get Manuel to the elevator and take it down, and their pursuers go down the stairs after them. Meanwhile, Ray and Dan reach the garage, load Manuel into an ambulance, and drive off. Dan directs Ray to a pet doctor outside of town, who was a RN in Nam.
Later back at the station, Dan talks about how he heard a lot about Sheffield saving grunts in Vietnam. He admits that he doesn't know if Bates is on the take, and says that they've got to go to the Westcott place and do something. Ray says that there best chance is at sunup and gets some sleep.
The next morning, Ray and Dan go to the Westcott place and the two men split up. Dan figures that the odds are in their favor because he's with Sheffield, and Ray tells him that he's not Sheffield. Dan doesn't believe him and Ray takes out a guard in the tower, and he and Dan jump over the fence. They take out another guard and split up, and Ray has the wives barricade their bunkhouse. He tells Elena to get out, but she refuses to go and takes Ray's gun.
Ray links up with Dan and the three migrants, Ray and one migrant, Miguel, go to the Westcott house. Flynn spots them outside, goes outside, and shoots Ray in the arm. Dan and the other two migrants come through the patio doors and exchange shots with Flynn's men. The deputy puts the survivors under arrest, while Westcott arrives and Flynn commandeers his car. Elena sees them coming on the road, steps out, and fires at the car. Flynn swerves to a stop and Elena trains her gun on them as Ray arrives. He tells her that it's over and after a few seconds she lowers the gun.
Later, Maria, Isabel, Elena, and the Galloways visit Manuel. Dan comes in and says that they're dressing Ray's wound, and explains that he's Raymond Sheffield with the Pentagon. The nurse tells Elena that Ray checked out, and Elena goes to the parking lot and finds Ray in her car. Ray says that he wanted to say goodbye, and tells her that the last time he knew he'd be back and this time he knows he won't because her favor is paid. Elena figures he isn't Raymond Sheffield, and says that she's going to take some time off and get to know herself. They kiss and Ray tells her that her mother would like her very much before getting in his car and driving off.
At the sheriff's station, Dan gets a photo of Sheffield: a black man. He realizes Ray isn't who he believed.
Ray drives past the migrants in the field.
Written by Gadfly on Oct 20, 2019