Lonely Are the Brave

Burns and his horse Whiskey cross a busy highway into town, the animal skittish at the traffic. The crossing exposes Burns's roaming lifestyle and his discomfort with a world that needs rules. This moment sets the tone for his willingness to defy conventional boundaries.

They visit Jerry, the wife of Paul Bondi, who has been jailed for aiding illegal immigrants. Burns dislikes a society that tries to limit a man's choices. The encounter foreshadows Burns's readiness to take drastic actions for those he cares about.

Burns resolves to get arrested in order to break Bondi out. He enters a barroom altercation against a one-armed man and carries on fighting with one arm as best as he can. The brawl ends with Burns being taken into custody.

After the police release him, Burns deliberately punches a cop to ensure he is sent back to jail. This bold move shows how far he is willing to go to reach Bondi. He returns to jail with the same stubborn resolve to pull off the escape plan.

Inside the jail, inmates saw through one of the bars using hacksaw blades Burns had hidden in his boot, enabling a rough breakout attempt. Deputy Gutierrez badgers Burns and uses bullying tactics during the night. Burns loses a tooth in the scuffle and pockets it.

Burns breaks out on his own and returns to Bondi's house to fetch his horse and some food from Jerry. They reflect on what might have been, and Burns admits he could never love Jerry the way Bondi does. They share a brief kiss to give him energy for the journey.

After the jailbreak, Sheriff Johnson learns Burns served in the Korean War, including seven months in a disciplinary training center. He also learns Burns earned a Purple Heart and a Distinguished Service Cross for valor. The revelation adds a layer of sympathy to the pursuit.

Burns heads for the mountains with Whiskey, aiming to cross into Mexico. A coordinated search is mounted by Sheriff Johnson, Deputy Gutierrez, and a military helicopter that locates Burns and relays his position. The chase pushes Burns toward the rugged terrain.

The helicopter hovers, frightening Whiskey; Burns shoots the tail rudder, forcing the craft to crash-land. The pilots survive, and a furious general complains over the radio about the cost to the military. The sheriff receives the bad news and plans the next move.

Deputy Gutierrez closes in on Burns on foot; Burns knocks him over and discards the deputy's weapons, even leaving Gutierrez's tooth in Burns's pocket. He presses onward through the desert and toward the mountain crests. The cat-and-mouse chase intensifies as the pursuers close in.

Surrounded on three sides, Burns reaches the crest of the Sandia Mountains and dives into the heavy timber to escape. He is shot in the ankle as lawmen open fire but staggers on, determined to keep going. The sheriff believes Burns has still not been caught.

Burns attempts to cross Highway 66 in Tijeras Canyon during a heavy rain; Whiskey is spooked by the headlights and they are struck by a truck. The sheriff arrives and cannot confidently identify Burns because he has never seen the man up close. The moment leaves Burns in custody, with uncertainty about his identity.

Whiskey is put down and Burns is taken away in an ambulance. The scene leaves Burns in custody, with unresolved questions about his identity and fate.