A pair of hitmen drive to Eddie Macklin's house to kill him as he builds a brick wall in his backyard. Meanwhile, Eddie's brother Earl (Robert Duvall) is released from prison in Illinois after a 27-month term for carrying a concealed weapon. His girlfriend Bett (Karen Black) picks him up and takes him to a motel. She informs Earl of his brother's execution by the Outfit. Earl deduces that the motel stay is a setup, and when one of the hitmen who killed his brother bursts into the room, Earl ambushes him and tortures him for information.