1875, Indian Territory. Bass Reeves, is the first African-American to be deputized by the U.S. Marshal service as a federal peace officer for the territory. His wife, Nellie Jennie Reeves, tries to persuade Bass not to leave for his own safety, but Bass argues that it's the best job he can get to keep a roof over his family's head. When Bass charges into the desert, he gets into a shootout with two outlaws, Maha and Glen Huddleston, also African-American. Bass kills Maha in the gunfight, and arrests Glen, ordering him to carry Maha's body across the desert back to Fort Smith. Over the course of their journey, Glen questions Bass' choice of career and tries to psych Bass out in an unorthodox attempt at escape, a tactic that works as Bass begins to question his own mind in regards to the idea of justice and choosing to fight for a law and a country that may never fight for him.
