Ex-CIA agent John Creasy (Scott Glenn) is looking for work, but he's burnt out on combat following his stint in the Vietnam War. Reluctantly, he takes a job as private bodyguard for a wealthy family in Italy, guarding their 12-year-old daughter Sam (Jade Malle) against the threat of a Mafia kidnapping. Initially, John is bored and annoyed with watching the child, but soon he begins to genuinely care for Sam, and the job gets much more exciting when the parents' fears prove to be well-founded.