Gene Reardon (Hauer) is a twice-divorced police detective who lives with his daughter. When a well-heeled local man is kidnapped, the FBI is called in, which introduces Longsworth (played by Paulina Porizkova). Longsworth happens to have been Reardon's first wife. Reardon's police reputation stinks because he botched a high-profile kidnapping case many years ago, which resulted in a baby who was never found. When ransom demands are finally heard, Reardon must try to solve the case without repeating his mistakes.