While pulling lobster traps from the sea, fishing couple Sara and Ben recover a buoy containing half a million dollars. Ben hopes to use the money on booze and babes while Sara sees the cash as her ticket out of her unhappy marriage and miserable coastal village. Her masterplan: to kill Ben with the help of her lover and Ben's brother, Don. But her plan suffers a major glitch when the owner of the buoy returns to claim the loot. And he is not the only one after it, there's also a gang of heavily-armed mobsters and Kim the mob boss' mistress.

In the heat of an American desert, Captain Jean Farrell arrives at a secret military installation, run by the enigmatic Doctor Harlan Jessup. Jessup is conducting 'Operation Sandman', an experiment involving a group of soldiers who have volunteered to be injected with 'the Juice', a drug which enables them to function without sleep. The team of soldiers, led by gruff and abusive 'Gunny' Riggins continually takes part in Virtual Reality scenarios whereby they face terrorists, kidnappers, guerrillas and a plethora of other situations that demand split-second timing, and undying obedience in the face of danger.

Sergeant Cody Cullen is deeply touched by a homemade Christmas card he receives while serving in Afghanistan. Upon his discharge, he treks to the picturesque California town of Nevada City. Cody is soon welcomed into the Spelman home and unexpectedly falls in love with the woman who sent the card, Faith.