In a Central American village, the congregation arrives to applaud a wheelchair-bound elderly priest. The priest says that a year ago he was shot down by a gunman working for drug lord Hector Varaga. The priest vows to continue fighting against Hector and his kind. Hector and his men burst in and the drug lord shoots the priest dead. The congregation runs as the mercenaries fire into the air, and Hector tells them to throw the priest in the river. When they go over, they discover that the priest is gone.
The":priest" steps out of the shadows and takes down several of the mercenaries, then knocks down the pews as Hector and the remaining mercenaries open fire on him. The pews take out the mercenaries, and Hector flees when he runs out of bullets. The priest chases after him and Hector draws a knife, managing to slash the priest's mask. Once he's tied up Hector, the "priest" removes his mask and says that he's Christopher Chance.
Later, Christopher returns to his private jet-wing plane in a field. His teammates Philo Marsden and Jeff Carlyle congratulate him, and Christopher tells Philo that the mask was fine. Libby Page comes in and says that they've had several potential cases come in. Jeff takes off and the villagers--and the real priest--watch them go.
In Portland, Oregon, building contractor Jay Palmer waits for Christopher's plane. it touches down and Libby leads him aboard. Christopher meets with him and says that he's reviewed Jay's file. Jay explains that he may have been too successful, and has turned down a lot of offers to buy him out. He figures that someone is trying to force him out. There's been a fire in his office and a man who first sideswiped him and then tried to run him down. The police can't do anything without more evidence, and one of them gave Jay Christopher's card. Jay hasn't told his family about the attempts and doesn't want them to know.
Jay gives Christopher a scrapbook with photos of his wife Margaret and two children. Christopher tells him that he charges 10% of Jay's yearly salary and explains that Jay will be kept on the plane under protective custody. No one can know of their agreement, including Margaret.
Once Jay agrees, Libby does a background check on Jay. Philo performs a facial analysis of the two men, and Jeff suggests that they'd get a job on the French Rivera. Libby and Philo agree, but Christopher says that they're taking Jay's job immediately.
Jay gives them information on his life and they record his voice for analysis. Philo works up finger and facial masks, and Christopher practices matching Jay's voice. Jeff and Jay watch a movie and Jeff tells the contractor that they'll spend most of the time in the air once Christopher replaces Jay. When Jay wonders how Jeff ended up working for Christopher, Jeff says that he flew choppers in Vietnam in '71, flying Christopher and his squad into the bush. When Jay wonders what Christopher's military background was, Jeff says that he'll have to ask Christopher himself. Christopher comes in, made up as Jay, and Christopher gets Jay's wedding ring to complete the disguise.
Later, Christopher drives to Jay's home and Katie Palmer runs out to greet him. Margaret is cooking in the kitchen and Christopher discusses Sam's grades with her. She reminds Christopher that Sam is just a child and he shouldn't be so tough on him, and Christopher agrees.
As the family eats, Sam reads a book at the table and reminds his "father" that he has a book report due and a ball game coming up. Margaret sends Katie and Sam to get ready for bed, and when Christopher goes up, Katie asks him to tell her favorite story. Christopher tries to talk her out of it, having no idea what it is, and he says that he has to do something first. He goes to the bathroom, locks the door and turns on the water, and then uses a hidden projector to contact the plane. He has Jay tell him Katie's favorite bedtime story, and Libby sends a copy of it to Christopher. Christopher goes to Katie's room and discovers that the girl has already dozed off.
Christopher works on Jay's books and Margaret goes out to the Jacuzzi. She invites Christopher to join her, and he goes out but fakes Jay's knee injury to beg off.
The next day at the construction site, Christopher points out to the foreman, Roberto, that they have an extra electrician. Roberto says that the fourth man started working that morning after Jay called him in. Christopher goes over and the man, Artie, insists that he needs the job. After Christopher assures him that he can work for the day, he goes into the office and calls Jay, who confirms that he didn't call in an extra electrician.
Someone tries the door and Christopher draws a gun from his ankle holster. When Margaret calls out, Christopher quickly hides the gun and Margaret comes in with lunch. She points out that he's been acting differently since he came back, just as the trailer shakes as a bulldozer slams into it, knocking it over. Christopher manages to get Margaret out and they both jump clear. He shuts down the bulldozer and confirms that no one is at the controls... and Artie is gone.
Later, Christopher is coaching Sam at baseball. He tells Sam that it doesn't matter if he strikes out, and Sam is surprised that his "father" is so supportive. One of the other players, Rachel, notices the same thing. The coach comes over and tells Christopher that his manager at the bank wouldn't okay Jay's loan because it was too steep. As Christopher and Sam walks home, Sam asks Christopher if he had a good time. He points out that Jay usually doesn't, and Christopher jokingly claims that he's an imposter.
Philo shows Jay shots from the movies that he did special effects makeup on. Jay is clearly distracted and wonders how long it will take for Christopher to finish the job. Meanwhile, Libby checks with the local union and confirms that they have no record of the missing electrician. Christopher says that no company made a buyout offer, and Jay was trying to get a large loan even though his company didn't need the money. He's also found a half-dozen appointment listings that Jay had with an upholstery shop, and Libby says that she'll meet with Christopher to check it out.
Later, Christopher without the mask and Libby go to the upholstery shop, pretending to be cousins. The owner, Leonard Greene, says that he's too busy to do the work himself. However, he agrees when they offer him three more jobs. Once Libby and Greene go out, Christopher downloads the files from Greene's computer. He then goes out and Libby objects to the price and they quickly leave.
That night at the Palmer house, Christopher listens to Margaret talk to a friend Terry over the phone about raising children. Once Margaret hangs up, Christopher refers to Terry as a she, and Margaret points out that Terry is a he, and the only Terry they know. She wonders what's going on, pointing out that for months he's been acting concerned and now he's all right. Margaret says that Christopher is more like Jay used to be, and how his knee didn't bother him when he jumped out of the trailer. She says that he's acting like a different person, and asks for the truth. Christopher says that her and her kids are wonderful, and starts to tell her the truth.
The lights go out and they hear a window break. Christopher has Margaret lock herself and the kids in the bedroom, draws his gun, and goes to investigate. Artie attacks him and tells Christopher that he hasn't paid his bills. They struggle and Artie tries to shove Christopher into the fireplace. His mask partially melts, and Artie stares at him in shock. Christopher knocks him out, and the Palmers watch from the stairs and wonder who Christopher is. He says that Jay is safe and he was hired to protect him, but Margaret grabs her children, takes them upstairs, and yells at Christopher to get out of her house.
Later, Christopher takes Margaret and the kids out to the field. While they wait for the plane, Margaret admits that Christopher saved Jay's life. She wonders why her husband didn't tell her the truth, and Christopher says that it was his responsibility. Margaret wonders why Christopher was going to tell her the truth anyway, and he says that keeping her in the dark anymore would be dangerous. She asks him why he does what he does, and Christopher explains that he was in a special unit in Vietnam. They wiped out villages, and he spent 18 months in a VA hospital. When he was released, Christopher figured that he could only keep himself sane by balancing things. Margaret points out that when he goes into someone else's life, he's part of the world again. The plane lands and Christopher tells Margaret to get the children aboard.
Once aboard, Libby tells Christopher that Green is dealing dirty money all over the city. He's a loan shark, and Jay isn't his only customer.
Margaret complains to Jay about keeping her in the dark. Christopher asks her to wait in the crew quarters, and then talks to Jay privately and says that he knows about the loan. Jay says that he needed the money to save his company, and explains that he underbid a big job. They lost money on the next three and the banks wouldn't float him a loan. Jay went to Green and got in deeper, and Green sent Artie to kill him. Thanks to the paper Jay signed, if anything happens to him then Green gets the company. He didn't tell Christopher because he was ashamed, and Christopher angrily says that he couldn't protect Margaret and the kids with the wrong information. He points out that the hitman is a pro and the cops couldn't get anything from him, and there's nothing connecting him to Green.
As Philo makes another Jay mask for Christopher, he wonders if Jay deserves their help. Christopher says that he's doing it for Jay's family.
Jay sneaks off the plane and goes to the car. Margaret finds Christopher and tells him that Jay is going to go to Green and sign over the company so that Green will leave them alone. Christopher drives out in his own car, still wearing the Jay mask, and heads for Green's office.
Jay visits Green and gives him the transfer of ownership. Green tears it up, figuring that Jay is Christopher. Artie comes in and says that his lawyer got him out, and Green figures that they can sell the "Human Target" to one of the people that he's crossed. Artie figures that they can burn the mask off and starts up a blowtorch.
Christopher comes into the shop past two confused workers who saw Jay come in. He knocks on Green's door with the money. Artie comes over and they wonder which one is which. When Green opens the case, a flash bomb goes off, blinding him. Christopher jumps Artie, who knocks him down and swings at him with the blowtorch. As the two workers, Tony and Chick, go for their guns, Christopher uses a fire extinguisher to put out the blowtorch and knocks Artie unconscious with it. He knocks out Green and frees Jay, and then returns fire at Tony and Chick. Jay figures that he has to prove something and draws their fire. Christopher steps out and runs in the opposite direction, and takes Tony down. he then shoots a chain, bringing pipes down on the two men.
The next day at the plane, Christopher says goodbye to Katie and Sam. Sam says that wishes Christopher could be his coach, and Christopher tells the boy that he already has a good coach but he needs to let him know how he feels. he jokingly tells Jay that if he messes again then he might come back and take over. Jay gets the kids into the car, and Margaret thanks Christopher for everything. She figures that he enjoyed his time with them being a family man, and Christopher admits that he might have to try it for real some day. Margaret kisses him on the cheek and leaves with his family.
Onboard the plane, the team have watched the whole thing on the monitors. Christopher tells them he doesn't want to talk about it and set a course for Tahiti for some vacation.
Written by Gadfly on Nov 13, 2016