When Booker T. Riggs catches his cousin stealing at deer hunting camp in rural Missouri, he is drawn into the world of a notorious delinquent, Derko Slim. The more Booker tries to protect his family's name, the more determined Derko becomes to force Booker to respect his reign of violence and crime. With his Aunt Loretta nosing into his business, Booker realizes that appeasing Derko will only create more problems. Booker decides he must face the problem himself, risking his own safety to confront Derko about his threats and attempt to recover the antique civil war-era revolver his cousin stole as payback to Derko. Concluding at deer hunting camp a year later, Booker comes to see how his relationships with his father, with his family, and with himself have transformed through the choices he made during the scariest ordeal of his life.