A prostitute is found dead in a garbage container and several homeless people are beaten and appear with serious injuries, lying in the alleys. Captain Crusader readies his men to hunt down the murderer.
Gideon King, a veteran private eye, witnesses the robbery of a jewelry store; muggers deposit the loot in the trunk of a car, then flee in a second vehicle.
The murder of young photographer David Hall, at the hands of an arms dealer, leads Christie, the boy's girlfriend, to provide vital information to Nick and Jack about the reasons that led the dealer to kill David.
A man named Roger Coleman is found dead in his apartment. After finding a credit card left there, Nick and Rado believe they can identify the murderer.
Detectives Nick and Jack are assigned to protect Harvey Minick, one of the accountants of a well-known gangster named Earl Cain, against whom he has to testify before the Grand Jury.
Stack, Nick and Rado's informant, is embroiled in the murder of journalist Roger Bourne, who was on the trail of Scanlon, a narcotics smuggler who operates from his own docks.
Vance Bates is a wanted criminal, arms and drug dealer, and murderer of a federal police officer. He's been tracked in Hollywood and Nick and Rado are part of the dragnet.
Eddie Cooper, a well-known film actor, receives death threats when he is shooting a movie in the middle of the street; Captain Biddle assigns Nicky and Rado to protect the actor.
Annie Shane, possible witness to the murder of two drug dealers is wanted by the police; Nick and Rado suspect that there is more than just a reckoning.
Parker, a rogue CIA operative has been framed for murder by a double agent. Nick and Rado join forces with Parker to save a defecting Russian piano player.