Chad Curtis is an Afghanistan war veteran and pacifist. He's traveling the American West trying to forget the horrors of war with his longtime companion; a telepathic, Buddhist stuffed animal named Smiley Dog. When they stumble into a drug deal gone wrong in the mountains of the western US, they soon find themselves at the mercy of a highly intelligent, but ruthless drug dealer named Blankenship. Finding himself along for the ride as Blankenship and his henchman, Sanchez carve a bloody path through three states, Chad discovers that there may be more to his captor than meets the eye. Underneath the calculating killer lies a caring, family man who's trying to get his young son back from the hands of a rival gang. This is the story of two men forming a bond through the innate compassion that so far has been overwhelmed by the violence of their lives, and the stuffed dog that provides the conduit to gain access to their mutual beliefs.