A martial-arts expert and former CIA agent, Nico Toscani (Steven Seagal) is working as a Chicago cop when a relatively routine drug-trafficking investigation leads to an international conspiracy. Soon Nico and his partner, Delores "Jax" Jackson (Pam Grier), are the targets of mysterious and powerful criminals, but he refuses to back down. As Nico gets deeper into the case, he must contend with an old adversary: corrupt CIA operative Kurt Zagon (Henry Silva).