After his brother is burned alive during a drug deal gone wrong, Lyon Gaultier unsuccessfully petitions his cold-blooded superiors for leave. Forced to go AWOL, he escapes his unit and stows away on a tramp steamer to the United States. Arriving in New York with no money, Lyon discovers his brother has died, leaving behind a widow, Hélène, and a young daughter, Nicole, who are drowning in debt and medical bills.