Guilt

We see four US soldiers inside of a Hummer, driving to Kabul. As they get closer to the city,

they see a burning car along the side of the road. When they get out to check the bodies, an IED

goes off, killing two of the soldiers. Of the remaining two, Jack lands in a nearby ditch and goes

unconscious while Pete is abducted by terrorists.

After returning home, Jack is clearly distressed. He meets with a fellow soldier named Allen in a

bar, who tells him that Pete has been declared dead. Before the conversation can continue, Jack

sees a man harassing a woman and, after exchanging words, proceeds to fight the man. Jack and

Allen escape after the woman thanks Jack and as police begin to arrive.

Back in his home, Jack thinks back to the bar fight and then to Pete getting abducted. In

frustration and grief, he decides to go to sleep.

We see Jack pacing near another bar when he hears a sound from an alley and sees a man

cornered by three men. He hesitates, and when he starts to walk towards the alley, a patrol car

shows up. Jack quickly walks away, passing the bar he was eying.

Jack says his goodbyes to family as he leaves for another tour of duty, and when he gets to the

barracks, he is with several younger soldiers. After one of them makes a joke, Jack berates them

with horror stories. As the silence draws on, Jack offers a game of basketball.

On the court, Jack is losing a game, but that doesn’t stop him from making fun of his opponent.

As one game draws to a close, another soldier comes running up to Jack, revealing that Pete has

been found alive in the custody of terrorists in a nearby village. We see Jack deliberating to

himself, imagining scenes of Pete’s torture and remembering when Pete was abducted, before

getting up and nodding as if to convince himself of his choice.

Jack is now briefing men on a mission. He emphasizes the immediacy, danger, and, most

importantly, the secrecy of the mission, and any doubts are quickly erased through Jack’s

reputation.

The squad arrives at the terrorist-controlled village, and at first they manage not to raise an

alarm, but a civilian woman screams at the sight of the soldiers and a furious battle ensues. They

find Pete, ragged and senseless, who, in his stupor, shoots a us soldier in the arm before

collapsing.

We now find Jack outside a hospital room. A doctor come out and begins conversing with Jack

about Pete’s condition. As they approach the front desk, screams and gunshots are heard. Pete

walks out of his room, gun in hand and a nurse held hostage. Jack attempts to calm him down,

and Pete begins to. Jack then approaches Pete, whereupon Pete becomes agitated again. Before

Pete can do anything, Jack shoots Pete and rushes to his side.

Jack is now home again, and as he sits at a bar, nursing a drink, he remembers when he was

discharged from the military. He hears a commotion behind him and begins to get up.