The Package

The Package

Year: 1989

Runtime: 108 min

Language: English

Director: Andrew Davis

ActionDramaThrillerCrime

A former Green Beret Sergeant, Johnny Gallagher, accepts a high-stakes escort assignment that quickly goes wrong. He is forced into a dangerous pursuit of Thomas Boyette, a rogue Airborne Ranger who has escaped his custody. Gallagher must use all his combat skills to track down Boyette, as the situation intensifies and pushes him to his moral and physical limits in a deadly game of cat and mouse.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – The Package (1989)

Trace every key event in The Package (1989) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Talks begin in Berlin; sabotage plotted

In West Berlin, the U.S. President and the Soviet General Secretary begin talks on mutual nuclear disarmament. High-ranking generals from both sides secretly conspire to derail the negotiations. Gallagher's unit patrols outside a chalet, unaware of the looming conspiracy. The atmosphere is tense, as alliances and agendas collide.

West Berlin, chalet
2

General Carlson assassinated

When a conspirator refuses to join the plot, General Carlson is assassinated outside the chalet by killers posing as West German hikers. The murder triggers the collapse of the talks and puts Gallagher under suspicion. The conspirators begin to move the plan forward, with Gallagher inadvertently cast as the culprit.

West Berlin, outside chalet
3

Gallagher assigned to escort Henke back to the United States

Gallagher is blamed for the disaster and ordered to escort Army sergeant Walter Henke back to the United States for court martial. The journey promises peril as the conspiracy covers its tracks. The plan begins to assemble in the shadows.

West Berlin to United States
4

Ambush at Dulles; Henke spirited away

Upon landing at Dulles International Airport, Gallagher is ambushed by an undercover team. The same operatives spirit Henke away, slipping the prisoner out of Gallagher's reach and triggering the next phase of the conspiracy. Gallagher's world fractures as he realizes the man he brought is not who he thought.

Dulles International Airport, USA
5

Gallagher discovers Henke's wife is paired with an imposter

Gallagher tracks down Henke's wife and is shocked to see a photo of a different man presented as her husband. He deduces that the man he transported has been replaced by an impersonator with covert ties. The revelation compounds the sense of a larger, meticulously planned plot. Gallagher begins to suspect a network that spans continents.

Washington, D.C. area
6

Mrs. Henke killed; Gallagher framed

The undercover team murders Mrs. Henke and phones in an anonymous tip blaming Gallagher for the death. Gallagher is detained, his reputation shredded as the conspiracy continues to unfold behind the scenes. The immediate goal shifts to dismantling the operation while suppressing the truth.

Henke's residence
7

Real Henke recruited in West Germany for Chicago operation

Meanwhile, the real Walter Henke is approached in West Germany by Colonel Glen Whitacre, who assigns him to infiltrate a Neo-Nazi gang in Chicago. The mission aims to disrupt the peace talks by orchestrating an assassination. The double-cross sets the stage for events that will cross the Atlantic.

West Germany
8

Gallagher, Eileen, and Butler identify Boyette

With help from his ex-wife Eileen Gallagher and her assistant Ruth Butler, Gallagher identifies the man brought back as Thomas Boyette, a long-serving veteran with a covert operations past. They conclude that the prisoner importation allowed Boyette to slip into the country without a passport. The trio links Boyette to the wider conspiracy.

United States
9

Butler killed; Eileen attacked; Gallagher rescues

The undercover team murders Ruth Butler and attacks Eileen at a safe house. Gallagher rescues Eileen and escapes with Pvt. Marsh, continuing to pursue the conspirators. This assault confirms the breadth of the plot and the danger facing the Gallaghers.

Safe house
10

Gallaghers locate Henke in Chicago; shelter with Delich

The Gallaghers track the real Henke to Chicago, where the next phase of the talks is planned. They take shelter at the home of Detective Milan Delich, forging an alliance with local law enforcement. The alliance anchors the pursuit on American soil.

Chicago
11

Delich ambushed at diner; shootout; conspirators killed

At a diner, the undercover team attempts to kill Delich; he is wounded, but Gallagher's contact kills the rest of the intruders. The attack demonstrates the reach of the conspiracy into civilian spaces. The Chicago operation tightens as more clues surface.

Chicago, diner
12

Basement capture and escape toward Chicago

Conspirators capture Johnny and hold him in the basement safe house where Boyette is staying. When Boyette departs for his assignment, Gallagher escapes, turning the pursuit toward downtown Chicago. The escape marks a turning point as the conspiracy moves to a final phase.

Safe house basement, Chicago
13

Henke killed by Boyette; Gallagher pursues the site

Back in Chicago, the real Walter Henke is lured into an office overlooking the assassination site and killed by Boyette to frame Henke for the crime. Gallagher uses Boyette's surveillance photos to guide his approach to the planned site. The escalating maneuvers bring the plot to a critical crossroad.

Chicago
14

Hotel luncheon; Boyette shot; conspiracy exposed

Following a hotel luncheon, the Soviet Press Secretary nudges the General Secretary toward a photo op near the garage. Boyette shoots at the General Secretary but is confronted by Gallagher, who kills Boyette. The direct threat is neutralized, but the larger conspiracy remains to be dealt with.

Hotel (Chicago area)
15

Showdown with Whitacre; conspirators eliminated

Gallagher confronts Whitacre outside the hotel, accusing him of engineering a war-for-disarmament plot. Whitacre argues that nuclear weapons protect peace, and dismisses mutual disarmament as disastrous. They part with Gallagher vowing to reveal the conspiracy, reuniting with Eileen, and the final overt act occurs as their driver executes Whitacre and his Soviet counterpart to prevent exposure.

Outside hotel vicinity

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:58

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