The Peacekeepers

Major Frank Cross conducts an unauthorized humanitarian flight, dropping sacks of rice to starving Kurds. The stunt makes him a public hero but violates military protocol, drawing official scrutiny. This tension foreshadows his future use as a political asset rather than a simple pilot.

The press hails Cross as a hero, forcing the Pentagon to avoid court-martial by keeping him close to the President during the election campaign. He becomes a public-facing symbol of national unity rather than just a pilot. His role is elevated to support the administration’s political goals.

Cross is assigned to carry the 'black bag'—the President's high-tech briefcase containing the nuclear launch codes and communications for the ICBM arsenal. This makes him the key person responsible if the bag is compromised. His first day on the job unfolds in Chicago.

A team of mercenaries manages to steal the black bag, plunging the mission into chaos. They murder silo staff and seize launch control, turning a routine security breach into an imminent national emergency. Cross realizes the gravity of the situation and the stakes involved.

Cross fakes his own death to slip into the mercenary operation and regain control from within. He follows their movements, planning to recover the bag and avert disaster. The ruse buys him time to track their next move toward a real target.

The team hijacks a helicopter and flies from the rooftops of Chicago toward United States Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Facility K-7. Their path signals a bold interception of the national command system. The stakes rise as the final countdown begins.

Cross slips into the K-7 missile silo as the mercenaries murder the silo personnel and seize launch control using the secret codes in the bag. The window to stop the launch narrows quickly as the command is seized by the intruders. Cross must act fast to prevent a national catastrophe.

Ex-Marine Colonel Douglas Murphy reveals his vendetta and executes a chilling warning shot with a Peacekeeper missile that destroys Mount Rushmore, killing thousands. His demand is stark: if the President doesn't commit suicide on live television, Washington, D.C. will be destroyed. The attack shows the ruthlessness of the takeover and sets an irreversible clock on the crisis.

Murphy's ultimatum is broadcast live: the President must kill himself to spare Washington from annihilation. The moment tests every ounce of resolve and loyalty in the room, while the clock ticks down on the only possible rescue. The stakes and emotions escalate as time runs out.

All attempts to stop the missile from leaving the silo fail as the mercenaries maintain control of the launch. The countdown tightens the noose around Washington, D.C., and every passing second brings the country closer to disaster. The situation grows increasingly desperate for those trying to avert catastrophe.

The President yields to Murphy's demand and appears to commit suicide on live TV, only to discover Murphy has lied to humiliate him. Washington remains on the brink as the deception widens the national crisis. The moment sets the stage for a last-ditch effort to avert catastrophe.

Seizing a final opportunity, Cross, aided by the last surviving member of the silo, Lt. Colonel Northrop, launches a counterattack to kill the mercenaries and regain launch control. Their actions succeed just in time, preventing the destruction of Washington. The nation breathes a cautious sigh of relief.

With the mercenaries defeated and launch capability restored, Washington remains intact, though the President's reputation has suffered. Cross emerges as the stabilizing force behind the crisis, having prevented a catastrophe and saved countless lives. The immediate threat is over, and the nation begins to recover.