During the WWII invasion of Italy, two soldiers, Charles Delmont (Peter Savage) and Joe Senken (Jake La Motta), impulsively desert the army during a heavy bombardment. They make their way to Naples and set up a lucrative black market operation. Just as they are about to land a big score, Delmont`s brooding over his cowardice turns to self-loathing, which manifests in hallucinations and blackouts. As he learns in a romantic interlude with Sherry (Sharon Dale), he is also plagued by impotence and emotional confusion. Senken, a cruel and treacherous man, decides his partner is no longer an asset and decides to get rid of him, permanently. Delmont, suspicious of Joe, flees to Rome to secure proper papers and thwart any ideas that Senken may have about getting him deported. In a cruel twist, Delmont`s bullet wound from a botched crime is unexpectedly torn open and he collapses alone by a river.