约翰尼因失职而受到处分,让他押送称作“包裹”的亨克回美服刑。亨克是大会前突然被惠特克上校下令逮捕的。在芝加哥机场,约翰尼遭到袭击,醒来时,亨克已不知去向。他赶到亨克家才发现,“包裹”并不是真正的亨克,在假亨克举枪瞄准来访的苏联领导人时,约翰尼抢先扣动了扳机。然而没想到,惠特克随后赶到,原来他才是主谋。Johnny Gallagher, a sergeant, is sent from Germany with a prisoner. The prisoner escapes from the men's room at National Airport and Hackman begins his search for his man. Enlisting the help of his ex-wife and various old friends, he finds that the prisoner is part of a plot by senior military personnel on both sides to kill a very high-ranking world figure in order to sabotage arms control talks.