Desperate Measures

Desperate to save his sick son, Frank Conner breaks into FBI headquarters to secure a compatible bone marrow donor. He quickly discovers that the perfect match is Peter McCabe, a convicted killer serving life. This discovery sets off a dangerous sequence of events that pulls McCabe into Conner's mission.

Peter McCabe is a sociopath serving life for multiple murders. His prison history includes attempted escapes and the killing of guards and fellow inmates, making him a high-risk prisoner. He must be kept under strict restraints when moved outside the supermax unit.

While imprisoned, McCabe schemes to escape and seeks a challenging opponent. He spends time at chess against a computer, easily defeating the program, and expresses a need for a beefed-up challenge. This shows his calculating mind and appetite for outsmarting those around him.

Conner, Cassidy, and Dr. Hawkins prepare for McCabe's transfer to a hospital for Matt's bone marrow transplant. They coordinate logistics to ensure the inmate can be medically cared for during and after the procedure. The plan hinges on keeping him alive long enough for the transplant to take place.

At the hospital, McCabe is sedated for the transfer. With the help of a counteracting drug obtained from a fellow inmate, he slips out of restraints and launches a violent attack on guards and surgeons. The transfer spirals into chaos as alarms sound throughout the hospital.

Conner and a fellow officer confront McCabe, but the killer holds a scalpel to Hawkins' throat, forcing Conner to drop his gun. The standoff intensifies as the medical team debates the transplant's viability if McCabe dies. The hospital crew's safety hangs in the balance.

Cassidy immediately orders Conner removed from the scene. Refusing to back down, Conner breaks free to pursue McCabe on his own. McCabe detonates propane tanks, seizes control of the hospital's adjacent wing, and locks down the building.

Conner and Hawkins reach McCabe by coordinating an inside approach so Hawkins can attend to Matt. McCabe monitors them via security cameras and begins to respect Conner as a devoted father, complicating his plan to escape or harm him.

McCabe kidnaps Matt and descends to the hospital's sub-levels. As Matt tries to wound McCabe to aid Conner, McCabe spares him and leaves Matt for Conner to find, turning the situation into a grim game of cat and mouse.

McCabe escapes into the city and steals a car. The chase becomes a high-stakes pursuit as Conner follows, determined to keep the killer alive for the transplant and to protect his son.

The pursuit leads to a bridge where Cassidy's team and a sniper open fire. Conner shields McCabe, taking a gunshot wound to the arm, which complicates the pursuit and raises the stakes for both men.

McCabe attempts to flee, but Conner wounds him, sending him into the bay. Conner then dives into the water to rescue him, keeping him alive long enough for the transplant to occur.

Back in the hospital, the surgery proceeds and Matt's life is saved. Though Conner's career is over, he is overjoyed that his son will live. The moment marks a hard-won victory amid personal sacrifice.

In the final moment, a guard realizes his gun is missing while McCabe remains a looming threat. He casually asks what kind of car the guard has, a chilling reminder that the killer is still calculating and dangerous.