The Contract

Frank Carden is hired to kill Lydell Hammond Sr. The plan fails after a car crash lands him in a hospital, where staff spot his gun and police are alerted. Federal marshals are called in to collect him, peeling away his false identity in the process.

Ray Keene, a widowed ex-cop and gym teacher, realizes he must connect with his son Chris after he is caught smoking. He takes Chris hiking in the wilderness to repair their strained relationship. This bond-quest unfolds in parallel with Carden's ordeal.

Carden is being driven through the wilderness by federal marshals who are transporting him to authorities. His armed escape team begins to mount a rescue from the outside. The tension builds as the two groups head into remote terrain.

Carden's rescue attempt triggers a crash that kills most of the marshals. The surviving marshal pleads with Ray Keene to take the prisoner to the authorities before dying. The sudden violence shatters any remaining plan and shifts control to Keene.

Ray Keene and his son decide to get Carden out of the wilderness and hand him over to the authorities. They navigate through the rough terrain with the aim of returning him to official custody. The effort marks a fragile cooperation between unlikely allies.

Carden's ex-military thugs track the trio, intent on rescuing their boss and eliminating the Keenes. The pursuit spills over into a wider landscape, dragging in Sandra and Lochlan, who get drawn into the crossfire. Lochlan is killed by Carden's men.

In a tense cabin in the woods, Carden's men arrive just as Keene agrees to release him. A scuffle erupts; Keene shoots a thug after he punches Chris, and Sandra kills another intruder. Carden uses the distraction to slip away with Chris as police rescue Keene and Sandra.

Miles, Carden's handler, directs Davis, a recent recruit, to kill Carden and Chris and make it look like Carden did it. She also orders Davis to kill Keene if information about the job leaks. The scheme tightens the net around the family.

A televised news report echoes an earlier negotiation about Carden's job description, mentioning 'exterminating obstacles to progress.' Keene recognizes Hammond Sr. as the intended target and connects the dots. The realization pivots the mission away from mere custody toward protection.

Keene travels to Hammond Jr.'s funeral to intercept Carden, unknowingly saving him from Davis. The attempt to remove the threat falls into place, and Carden's plan staggers but survives the trap. The moment marks a pivotal shift as Keene gets closer to the truth.

Carden shoots Davis with his sniper rifle, destroying his threat. However, the encounter costs him the opportunity to assassinate Hammond Sr. He then leaves Keene a set of keys to a hotel room where Chris is kept, allowing the father and son to reunite before Carden disappears.

Carden tracks down Miles in Washington, D.C., aware of her role in hiring Davis to kill him. He threatens to come after her if the Keene family is harmed, asserting control over the situation from a distance. The confrontation closes a chapter of the pursuit.

Two weeks pass as Keene begins a relationship with Sandra and hosts a family barbecue. A radio report claims Hammond Sr. died in a boating accident, confirming that Carden completed his contract. Keene realizes his family is safe, yet the truth about the extermination mission lingers.