A band of Chicago counterfeiters hatched a plot to steal the President's body from its tomb outside Springfield, Illinois, and hold it for a ransom of $200,000. The story shows how important this beloved President remained to public so unprepared for his violent death in 1865.

John is a rugged small time crook, running from a past full of mistakes and regrets. He soon crosses paths with Louis, a newly orphaned teenage boy, who becomes an unwilling accomplice on an open-road adventure fueled by robberies, guns and deception. John's lonely outlaw lifestyle soon catches up with him and he must confront his demons and decide if his life of doing wrong is still right for him and Louis.