 Det. Quinlan has left his alcoholic wife, sprouting a bloom of insecurity, anger and self-motivation within him to expose the corrupt police force that surrounds him. He abandons his  straight  life to partner in crime with his co-worker, Det. Church, in order to get on the inside of the circle of double-agents. He sides privately with a reporter, Reynolds, and an Internal Affairs lawyer, Ferguson, to expose them to the press. Once they have gathered enough information, all the corrupt police, including the newly recruited Quinlan are arrested. Ferguson then works to get Quinlan a reduced sentence for helping them.