In a bar somewhere in Nebraska, Jack Reacher accidentally overhears the town doctor taking an emergency call and refusing to help the caller. Without hesitation, Reacher forces him to assist and meets a woman who has been beaten by her husband more than once. He confronts the abuser at the local steakhouse, triggering a chain reaction. The abuser is one of the Duncans, a family notorious for their extortionate and ruthless behavior, willing to go to any lengths.