When a wealthy airline founder, Tom Mullen (Mel Gibson), has his son kidnapped both he and his wife Kate (Rene Russo) are devastated. The kidnappers are asking the Mullens for a $2 million ransom for the return of their son, and at first they gather the money to give to them. However, after some mistakes are made by the FBI Mullen thinks that it is unlikely that he will get his son back alive, because of this he determines to use the ransom as a bounty for the lives of the kidnappers of his son. Jimmy Shaker (Gary Sinise), the corrupt cop who has kidnapped his son, tries to use this to his advantage by pretending to rescue his son from the 'kidnappers'. Will they get there son back or will the kidnappers get their ransom?