Wrongly kicked out of the Confederate Army for dereliction of duty, JD Thornton sets out to run down Hugh Garrett, the corporal who accused him. In the middle of his search, he encounters Lucy and Floyd Coulter, who are headed for the Llano River Valley. Lucy is the remarried widow of a Union officer who died at Brown's Ferry, the battle that involved Thornton's dishonorable discharge. Thornton can't help but feel responsible for the couple's safe passage and vows to escort them to their new home. Newly bound to ensure the safety of the Coulters, Thornton pursues Garrett into the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico. He soon finds himself the target of Comanche attacks and repeated attempts on his life until, finally, in the Llano River Valley, he confronts the man who destroyed his reputation.
