The Contractor

Dial is living in seclusion on a Montana ranch, trying to leave his violent past behind. His routine is disrupted when his former employer offers him a path to redemption. The task promises to right a past failure and restore his reputation.

Jeremy Collins tests Dial with a mission: kill Ali Jahar, who is in police custody in London. Dial must accept despite years away from fieldwork and the danger that entails. The plan includes a safe house, passports, and an assistant to smooth the operation.

Dial accepts the mission and travels toward London with a safe house, passports, and his assistant, Terry Winchell. The arrangement sets him up as an operative in a foreign city. He leaves his ranch behind to confront a past that won't stay buried.

Disguised as a priest, Dial positions himself in a church bell tower opposite the building Jahar will enter. He watches as Jahar is brought out by police and into the target location. He studies Jahar's movements for a clean shot.

When Jahar is finally brought out, his head is covered, preventing a clean shot. Dial waits patiently, biding his time for the moment of opportunity. He spots Jahar with his back to a window and prepares to act.

Dial shoots Jahar through the glass, fatally wounding him in the back of the head. The plan's success is undermined when police delays create a scene that draws attention to the getaway. A chaotic chase begins, and the getaway car is delayed and Winchell is killed, leaving Dial injured in the crash.

Dial staggers to the safe house, bleeding and on the run. Inside, 12-year-old Emily Day—who lives nearby—helps stop the bleeding and keep him alive. Her quiet courage gives Dial a chance to survive and regroup.

Meanwhile in the United States, Collins faces investigations into his CIA past and schemes to frame Dial for Windsor's murder. The cover-up is threatened by exposure, making Dial a target on two continents. The pursuit becomes personal as law enforcement closes in.

Inspector Annette Ballard, Windsor's daughter, begins pursuing Dial in London, determined to hold someone accountable. She becomes one of the chief obstacles Dial must outpace while trying to clear his name. Their confrontation adds a sharp human edge to the hunt.

Dial finally confronts Collins and fatally shoots him, breaking the hold of the rogue operation. His action saves Ballard from danger and marks a turning point in his fight for innocence. The killing also signals a rare moment of redemption in the story.

Having earned Ballard's trust, Dial bids farewell to Emily, acknowledging her role in his survival. The moment underscores the uneasy alliance that kept him alive. He moves forward with a new, if fragile, sense of purpose.

Dial sends Emily a letter along with two tickets to America so she and her grandmother can visit him and his ranch to see his horse Beauty. The gesture hints at a hopeful future beyond the chase. It binds the human cost of his past to a possible reunion.

Emily and her grandmother travel toward Montana to meet Dial and see Beauty, bridging the gap between danger and sanctuary. The trip marks a new chapter rather than a final confrontation. They approach the ranch with a sense of anticipation.

In the Montana ranch, Emily and Dial watch Beauty run free together. The scene closes the story with a quiet image of redemption and peace after years of pursuit and violence. It suggests Dial has found a chance at a new life away from the shadows of his past.