rugged mountain
countryside, possibly above the snow line,
shrouded in mist, the
fugitive John Rambo, is hiding.
Units of the state
police along with local
members of the National
Guard are now being mobilized.
What still remains
unexplained by local authorities
is just how and where
the former Green Beret
came into possession of the weapons
with which he allegedly
killed one deputy sheriff,
and tried to kill 6 others.
Only their skilled training
in police enforcement
techniques saved their lives.
And word now is that
the fugitive will be
in custody in a matter of hours.
Maps, Will.
Will, there's something
I think you oughta know.
I'll talk to you later, OK?
What is it, Lester? What is it
for Christ sake, spit it out!
Well, I was just talkin' to
Mitch, and he was sayin' that
Gault and a couple of deputies
were... a little hard on the guy.
Assholes!
It doesn't make one goddammed bit
of difference, Dave, and you know it!
If one of my deputies... gets
outta line with a prisoner,
then the prisoner
comes to me with it!
And if I find out it's like he
says, I kick the deputy's ass!
Me, the law! That's
the way it's gotta be.
People start fuckin' around with
the law, and all hell breaks loose.
Whatever possessed God in
heaven to make a man like Rambo?
God didn't make Rambo.
I made him.
Who the hell are you?
Sam Trautman. Colonel Samuel Trautman.
We're a little busy this morning,
Colonel, what can I do for ya?
- I've come to get my boy.
- Your boy?
I recruited him, I trained him, I
commanded him in Vietnam for 3 years.
I'd say that makes him mine.
I wonder why the Pentagon would
send a full bird Colonel to handle this?
The army thought I
might be able to help.
I don't know in what way.
Rambo's a civilian now, he's my problem.
I don't think you understand. I didn't
come here to rescue Rambo from you.
I came here to rescue you from him.
Well, we all appreciate
your concern, Colonel.
We'll try to be extra careful!
I'm just amazed he allowed
any of your posse to live.
Is that right?
Strictly speaking, he slipped up.
You're lucky to be breathing!
That's just great!
Colonel, you came out here
to find out why one of
your machines blew a gasket!
You don't seem to want to
accept the fact that you're
dealing with an expert
in guerilla warfare.
With a man who's the best.
With guns, with knives,
with his bare hands.
A man who's been trained to
ignore pain, ignore weather.
To live off the land...
To eat things that would
make a billy goat puke.
In Vietnam, his job was to dispose
of enemy personnel, to kill... period!
Win by attrition. Well,
Rambo was the best!
OK, Colonel, now you've
got us all scared to death.
What do you and the Special Forces think
I oughta do about your psycho out there?
Let him go.
- Do what?
- For now.
Defuse the whole situation, defuse him.
Provide a little gap and
let him slip through it.
Then put out a nation wide
APB. In a couple of weeks,
you'll pick him up in Seattle or
someplace, working in a car wash.
There'll be no fight and
nobody else will get hurt.
I do my own work. I don't
figure the best way to do that is
to close my eyes and then hope
he gets picked up in Seattle!
If you send your people in
there after him, they'll get killed!
You know, we're just a small
hick town Sheriff's department,
Colonel, but we're
expected to do our duty
just like our heroes
in the Special Forces.
In Special Forces, we teach our
people to stay alive in the line of duty.
No shit, I never thought of that!
You want a war you can't win?
Are you tellin' me that 200 men against
your boy is a no win situation for us?
You send that many,
don't forget one thing.
What?
A good supply of body-bags!
Trautman!
I don't know which side
you're on, Trautman...
I still think you came out
here just to cover your ass.
But if you're serious about taking
Rambo out clean, follow me...
State police calling John
Rambo.