Redemption begins with a brief prologue showing a young boy being kidnapped at night, indoctrinated, and drafted along with other boys into a rebel militia so they could take part in a coup d'etat,[1] which is being funded by a shadow organisation led by Jonas Hodges (Jon Voight).[2]


While Jack performs missionary work at the Okavango school in Sangala, U.S. embassy official Frank Trammel (Gil Bellows) serves Jack a subpoena to appear before the Senate regarding torture charges, which he refuses to go. Upon hearing the embassy will cut funding to Benton's school if it continues to protect him, Jack decides to leave. Meanwhile, several children playing Soccer are ambushed by Juma's rebel soldiers and kidnapped for conscription. When two boys run away, the soldiers open fire, killing one. Benton learns that the rebels are planning to attack his school. He calls Jack, who hides Benton and the children in an underground shelter, and kills several rebels before getting captured and tortured. Benton is able to ambush the remaining soldiers, and Jack kills the leader, Youssou Dubaku (Zolile Nokwe). His brother, Iké (Hakeem Kae-Kazim) hears of his death and plots revenge, while Jack and Benton leave with the children to get to the American embassy in the capital before the final helicopter evacuates the country.[2]


In Washington, D.C., Chris Whitley (Kris Lemche) is ordered by the conspirators who fund Juma's militia to erase all information that would incriminate them. Instead, he calls his friend Roger Taylor (Eric Lively), the son of President Elect Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones), for help. After Roger hears of the conspiracy, Whitley returns to his home to forward the files, only to be stopped by Hodges's men, who take the information, kill Whitley and bury the body in concrete.[2]


Jack, Benton and the boys are spotted by Iké's helicopter. While they flee into the forest, Benton steps on a land mine. With little time to disarm it, Benton urges Jack to leave, so he can buy time. When he is surrounded by Iké and his men, Benton takes his foot off the trigger and detonates the mine, killing himself and the rebels, though Iké survives. Jack and the children continue to the capital, where Jack defeats another rebel ambush. At the gates of the embassy, Trammel denies the children entry and blackmails Jack into surrendering for the children's safety. With reluctance, Jack accepts, sacrificing his freedom. While Taylor is inaugurated President, Jack and the children evacuate, leaving chaotic Sangala behind.[2]