In exchange for the safe passage of his family from Beijing to America, Chinese immigrant John Lee – a skilled assassin – takes a job with powerful underworld figure, Mr. Wei. Wei wants Lee to settle a deadly vendetta against police detective Stan Zedkov (Michael Rooker). The assignment, however, is so unspeakable that Lee would rather brave Wei’s vengeance than go through with it.

With the help of document forger Meg Coburn (Mira Sorvino), who in helping him becomes an unwitting target herself, Lee races against time to outrun and outsmart Wei’s army of killers. He also must struggle to prevent a tragic murder that strikes far too close to home.