As the Vice Squad observes, two cars roll inside a large warehouse. Gunfire erupts, and from the sound of it, Sonny’s guessing MAC-10’s. Stan, larry and another pair crash in, and the shooting turns on them. One or two gunmen are killed, but one car of suspects escapes by ramming and fireballing an unmarked police car.

When Castillo arrives, it’s all too obvious that what went down was far bigger than their informer let on. His apartment is picked clean, but Stan recognizes a face in the Interpol files. Gusman is a virtual door-to-door arms dealer. Sonny knows a small-time dealer who might know him, so he runs him down and a meeting is arranged. But, the introductions are disrupted by a loudmouth broker whom Gusman addresses as Evan. Nevertheless, Gusman is overstocked and needs to move the MAC-10’s. They can’t agree on a price, so a second meeting is arranged. Outside, Sonny reveals to Rico that he knows the broker, an ex-Vice cop named Evan Freed, and now he’s a deep-cover ATF operative.

Wilson, Evan’s superior, comes to the office and starts rattling Castillo to leave the Gusman situation alone, but the Lieutenant refuses to let the MACs hit the street. Wilson caves, but insists that Evan’s cover musn’t be blown. Sonny asks to be cut from the case, and when Castillo refuses, he shuts out Rico, who has Gina pull Evan’s file.

Evan surprises Sonny (and Elvis) at the marina, not that either are happy to see him. In fact, after a moment’s argument, Evan pulls his gun on Sonny and proposes a duel, showing Sonny that Evan is obsessed with meeting a violent death.

Gina reads Evan’s file to Tubbs, which reveals that Sonny and Evan went through the academy together with another friend, Michael Orgele, who was killed in the line of duty. Evan left the force afterward and went for every suicide assignment he could find. Sonny blows up at Rico when he confronts him.

Meeting with Evan and Gusman, Sonny and Rico bristle when the price is raised, due to a better offer. Evan intercedes, getting a gun pulled on him. He dares Gusman to shoot him, but there’s no one else who can broker deals for him in Miami. The deal is made.

Later, Sonny drops his guard and tells Rico what happened years ago. Sonny, Evan and Mike Orgele were low-level Vice cops who got assigned to drag bars in a party drug case. Mike asked to be reassigned, and it was revealed that he was in the closet. Even transferred out, the rest of the squad stuck Mike at a desk. Ostracized, an off-duty Mike responded to a call involving a shotgun-waving dust addict without calling for backup, and let the suspect blow him away. Not having defended Mike, Sonny has carried insufferable guilt ever since. Rico listens and does everything he can to console his partner.

The next morning, Evan barges into the office drunk, and Sonny leads him to the conference room. Alone with Sonny, Evan confesses to his guilt and breaks down in front of his old partner. But he pulls it together in front of Rico, informing them that the exchange goes down at midnight.

On the docks, Sonny and Rico wait too long for comfort. Rico tries to convince Sonny to let Evan know that he’s forgiven him, because they may never cross paths again after tonight.

Gusman arrives late, and the guns even later. Just as the crates and briefcases are opened, the rest of the squad moves in, forcing all on scene to freeze and confiscating the money and guns. Gusman isn’t arrested due to the ATF’s orders, and they leave, with Sonny, Rico, Evan, Gusman and his men at the scene. After a few bitter words, Sonny and Rico turn to leave. But Evan sees Gusman draw his side arm and aim at Sonny. As Sonny turns around and screams, Evan runs into Gusman’s sights, taking a fatal bullet for his old partner. Rico opens fire, wiping out Gusman and his men.

Sonny takes Evan into his arms, begging to know why, but forgiving Evan as his life slips away. Some may wonder if it was only Rico that stopped Sonny from following his friend.

Many thanks to C.T. Warren, the fellow Vice fan that wrote this synopsis.

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