Washed-up, alcoholic vagabond Ben Chamberlain drifts into a godforsaken railhead town looking for a woman named Alma. When that woman winds up dead, Ben finds himself wrongfully accused of murder by the corrupt railroad chief deputy Vince McKay and his trigger-happy posse. McKay gives him a horse; some supplies and a one-hour head start into the desert before sending his band of cutthroats after him.

As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy. Salt goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture. Her efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives, as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues.

Bob Lee Swagger is a master marksman who has retreated from his duty as an off-the-books hired gun for the military. He has become disillusioned with his government, but finds that the government needs Swagger to scope out the location of a rumored attempt on the life of the president.