Hackberry Holland takes the sheriff job in a tiny Texas town near the Mexican border hoping he can leave his past behind and lead a quiet life, but the discovery of nine illegal aliens who were brutally murdered ruins any chance of peace and sends Hackberry in search of Iraq veteran Pete Flores and his girlfriend, who witnessed the crime and are wanted by the ruthless criminals who will stop at nothing to keep them quiet.

Sheriff Hackberry Holland protects the citizens of a small Southwest Texas border town and relies on his job to distract him from his grief over the loss of his wife and the mixed feelings he has for his young deputy, Pam Tibbs, but when a report is made that a man was tortured to death in the desert, Holland follows a lead to the home of Anton Ling, a Chinese woman who reminds Holland of his wife and is known for sheltering illegals.