Sniper Thomas Beckett (Tom Berenger) is hired by NSA officials William Avery (Denis Arndt) and Richard Addis (William Duffy) to perform a covert operation to eliminate a suspected terrorist kingpin in the Vietnam who was providing support for Jemaah Islamiyah. The kingpin turns out to be a thought-dead friend and war-buddy of Beckett's, Paul Finnegan (John Doman). Because he views the mission as a very personal one, Beckett demands that he conduct the mission alone, without a spotter.