- A cadet sees what appears to be the murder of a man by his fellow cadets. When no one believes his report, he hired Ray to find out the truth.
- When a cadet at a military academy thinks he saw a crime, he tells some of the officers what happened. They check it out and can't find any evidence of what he said happened. He later contacts Ray who says he will look into. He then shows up as a new instructor.—rcs0411@yahoo.com
- Night at the Otis Tower Military Academy, and Cdt. Thomas O'Conner comes in after curfew on his motorcycle. The sentry at the front gate asks for Thomas' pass, and he hands it over. The sentry tells him to follow the speed limit and lets Thomas by, As Thomas drives down the road, he skids on the wet pavement and wipes out. Unhurt, Thomas checks his motorcycle, and two cars drive by without seeing him. He hears them brake to a halt down the road. Five men in field uniforms get out of one car, drag a man out of the other car, and shoot him down. As they put the corpse into the car, the soldiers spot Thomas, Thomas gets on his motorcycle restarted and drives off,
Later at the academy, Thomas reports the shooting first to the police and then to the commandant, General Hart. Hart is unimpressed given Thomas' record of breaking curfew repeatedly. Thomas thinks they were cadets but can't identify them or their vehicles, Hart points out that the police reports no evidence of a shooting, and is angry that Thomas suggested Academy members were involved in a crime. Thomas says that Hart is more concerned about the Tower's reputation then a dead cadet, and Hart tells him that he goes to the wire for all of his people. He calls Sgt. Jeff Callahan in and puts him in charge of the investigation into Thomas' allegations. Thomas starts to object but then thinks better of it.
In his dorm room, Thomas finds an online ad for a '65 Stingray for barter only, and sends a message saying that he witnessed an execution and his life is in danger. He waits for a response, and his roommate Tony Santini says that it's a lost cause. Thomas tells Tony that Callahan won't find anything because of his attitude toward Thomas,
Three seniors come in, messes up Thomas' bed, and says that it's pathetic. One of them notes that Thomas is filing bogus police reports and casting aspersions on the Tower, and they assign him "walking the dog" that night. Once they order Tony to an assignment and leave, Tony tells Thomas that he can't afford to disobey and leave. A sketch of Stingray appears on the computer and then a message saying for Thomas to meet Ray at Cellini's Piano Bar the next night.
Thomas waits for Ray at the bar, and Ray sits down with him and confirms that Thomas is the one with the "attitude problem". He knows that Thomas has been kicked out of several academies, and knows what Thomas claims he saw. Ray tells Thomas to do nothing and when Tony comes in to warn Thomas that Callahan is enforcing curfew, Ray slips away. Callahan comes in and Thomas says that he wasn't meeting with anyone. The sergeant orders them both back to the academy.
Callahan drives Thomas and Tony down a dark road, and Thomas soon notices they're not heading toward the Tower. The pull up at the spot where the shooting occurred, orders Thomas out, and tells Tony to stay put. Thomas tells Callahan that it's the spot, and Callahan admits that he wouldn't mind drumming Thomas out of the academy. Ray pulls up and asks for directions to a nearby motel. Once Ray drives off, Callahan orders Thomas back in the car and drives to the Tower.
The nest day, Hart and his adjutant Lt. Dave Fredrickson are watching the cadets marching. Ray arrives, wearing a military uniform, and presents his papers to Hart in his office as the Tower's new DI. Hart welcomes the new instructor, and as he leaves Hart's aide Cathy McDonald says that she needs his signature on his new orders. Fredrickson takes Ray to his quarters, and warns him that Hart is by the book. They run into Callahan and Fredrickson introduces Ray, Once Callahan confirms which battalion Ray claims to have served, he jokingly insults Ray's sergeant and Ray takes it in stride.
The next day, Ray, Callahan, and Fredrickson take the cadets into the field. Ray rides Thomas, and they split up their cadets into three squads to mock-take a hill. Thomas' squad leader says they should take a rope bridge, and when Thomas objects that it's off-limits, the leader says they're going anyway. Tony tells Thomas that he doesn't want to do it because he's scare of heights.
The squad crosses a gorge on the bridge, and Tony slips halfway across. Thomas comes out and tells his roommate not to panic, and Tony finishes the crossing. Someone opens one of the line anchors, anchor, and Thomas manages to hold onto the bottom line when one of the handrail lines goes. Ray hears Thomas' cries for help, comes out on the bridge and pulls Thomas up.
Later, Ray confirms that the line was sabotaged. Callahan arrives and asks what Ray is doing, Callahan says that it was an accident, but Ray asks how he can be so sure. As he passes a lake on his way back, Ray sees oil in the water.
That night, Thomas is walking the dog when the cadets come out. The three seniors continue taunting Thomas, and when Tony tells them to leave Thomas alone, they ignore him and continue. The leader, Penn demands that Thomas address him as "sir". Thomas refuses and shoves Penn, who shoves him back. As they fight, Ray comes out and tells them both to cool it. When Ray threatens to file charge against Penn for endangering his squad on the bridge, Frederickson says that he's in charge of the upperclassmen and he'll make sure they're properly disciplined.
Ray leads Thomas away and starts to tell him to cool it. Tony follows them and Ray steps away, and Tony insists that the bridge incident was an accident. Ray asks how he knows, and Thomas tells Tony that Ray is the man he asked for help. Tony warns that the firing squad is the punishment for impersonating an officer, and wonders where it ends. Ray tells him that it ends with the truth. Later, he dives in the lake, then comes ashore, and shows Thomas and Tony the dead man's ID. The man, Michael Stevens, was a Federal agent with the Department of Justice, drug enforcement agency. Ray explains that the killers shot Stevens and then pushed him and his car into the lake. Ray tells Tony to report to Hart while he and Thomas go into town and tell the police.
Instead of going to Hart, Tony tells Penn and his two cronies that Stevens was a Federal agent, not a drug dealer. He explains that Thomas hired Ray to investigate what he saw, and says that he wants out.
Agent Jordan arrives with Ray and Thomas to confront Hart. Hart insists that nothing proves his people were involved in the murder, and Ray notes that Stevens was working undercover as a drug dealer when he was killed and some of the cadets may be involved with drugs. Once Cathy takes Jordan to the motor pool to check out any missing cars, Hart asks Ray why he didn't report to him. Hart never saw Tony, and they go to Tony and Thomas' room to find Tony apparently dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Ray finds a typed suicide note and reads it to Thomas, where Tony takes full blame for the incident, says that he thought Stevens was a dealer, and Stevens didn't deserve to deal just like Tony didn't.
The next day, Thomas is in the gym punching a bag in fury. Ray comes in and Thomas says that he doesn't believe Tony was the killer. When Ray notes that the police have connected Tony's gun to the murder of four other lowlifes in the area, Thomas doesn't believe it. He blames himself for Tony's death, and Ray notes that Tony preferred computers over typewriters. Thomas says that he's leaving and walks out.
Ray goes to the motor pool and tries to bribe a mechanic into letting him take a Jeep out. The mechanic tells him that no one can get a vehicle out without Hart's signature. He then takes Cathy out and asks her about Hart and whether he signs his own vehicle authorizations. Ray asks Cathy why Tony's death doesn't bother her. When she says that it does, Ray says that Tony didn't kill himself. Cathy tells him that she authorized some vehicles to Dis for personal use, and they don't appear on the computer. She handed the files over to Callahan, who is spearheading the investigation, and tells Ray that she signed the vehicle out to Callahan. Callahan also made Cathy promise to tell him everything that happened between her and Ray.
The next day, Ray is performing a kata blindfolded in the gym. Callahan comes in and kicks him. Ray blocks his next blow and throws him to the mat, removes his blindfold, and recommends Callahan try harmony with the universe. Callahan says that he doesn't believe Ray's fake ID is real. Ray says that Callahan should be investigated, and Callahan takes a swing at him. After deflecting his blow and getting Callahan in a stranglehold, Ray points out that Callahan has been checking cars out every few weeks.
Callahan breaks free and the two men fight. Ray finally pins Callahan's arm, and Callahan says that he took the car because he has season tickets for basketball. Thomas comes by the door and hears Callahan says that when Hart ordered a surprise inspection, he gave the car and the tickets to his friend: Fredrickson. Hart ordered an internal investigation, so Callahan didn't tell the police. Callahan insists that he and Fredrickson served in 'Nam together, and doesn't believe Fredrickson would do anything illegal.
In his office Fredrickson tells the seniors that he wants Thomas taken out. Penn , warns that it's a big risk, but Fredrickson says that they believe as a unit and no one is going to stand in the way of the war they're fighting. He tells them that they have their orders.
Thomas comes in and says that he heard everything they said. Fredrickson tells him that Tony understood that he had to die to protect the "cleanup squad", and insists that they're doing a public service. The seniors jump Thomas and disarm him,.
As Ray and Callahan go to the barracks, they spot Fredrickson and his squad hustling Thomas into a car. Fredrickson tries to run them over and the two men dive out of the way. Callahan figures they're taking Thomas to the spot where they killed Stevens, and takes Ray there.
They reach the spot and the four men lead Thomas into the woods. Fredrickson says that he'll take things one step at a time, and isn't worried about Ray and Callahan seeing them. They reach a clearing, and Penn and the others prepare to shoot Thomas. Fredrickson says that Tony was on his way to understanding that they're the superior killing machines. Ray steps out with Callahan, and Callahan tells Fredrickson to stop. Fredrickson is shocked that Callahan is taking "their" side, and Callahan insists that he's only taking the U.S. military's side. He orders the seniors to surrender their weapons, but Frederickson tells him that they're dedicated men like Callahan was. He insists that they're going to win a war, and invites Callahan to fight with them.
Unimpressed, Callahan tells Fredrickson to hand over his weapon. Fredrickson shoots Callahan in the shoulder. The other two seniors, Caplan and Graham, go after Ray while Fredrickson and Penn chase the fleeing Thomas. Ray finds Thomas and Ray makes a staff out of a branch. He knocks Caplan and Graham down, and Thomas grabs Caplan. Caplan claims that Fredrickson made them do it, and Thomas tells him he has a choice to make. Ray leaves Thomas to guard them while he goes after Fredrickson and Penn.
Ray takes out the trailing Penn, and Fredrickson finally notices. When he can't find the senior, Fredrickson continues on Ray trips him with a rope, takes his gun, and tells him that his war is over.
Later, Ray escorts Thomas as he leaves. Thomas says that he's not sure what he's feeling, and Ray tells him that Tony chose his own path. He assures Thomas that he'll be all right, and Ray explains that someday he'll want Thomas to pay him back with a favor. Thomas asks why he can't go with Ray, and Ray tells him that he has some unfinished business to take care of as Hart and Callahan arrive.
Hart calls Thomas over and admits that he was wrong about him. Thomas says that he's leaving with Ray, but Ray has already slipped away. Hart says that he checked Ray's fake ID and turned up nothing, and as far as he's concerned Ray was never there. Callahan tells Thomas that things are going to change, and promises to make Thomas' life hell if he stays. Thomas salutes both of them.
Ray drives away.
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