In the bustling yet surprisingly low-crime setting of Northern New Jersey, Detective Harry Kim yearns for a break from the routine alongside his partner. However, their mundane duties take a dark turn when a mysterious phone call disrupts the peace. In the sweltering summer heat, a woman confesses to Harry that a man named Charles Parker murdered Rico Perez, and she, in turn, killed Parker. Just before she ends the call, she leaves Harry with a cryptic message— "Queen takes pawn."
Initial suspicion for the murders falls on Perez's ex-wife, but her solid alibi and the lack of other suspects deepen the enigma. As a series of increasingly bizarre murders unfolds, each intricately linked to Aztec mythology, Harry receives chilling phone calls from the killer, framing the killings as moves in a deadly chess game. The revelation that Parker orchestrated the murders before his own demise leaves Harry and his partner at a confounding impasse.
Under mounting pressure to crack the case, Harry succumbs to corruption, forming a dubious alliance with a mob lawyer to falsely implicate a suspect, leading to deadly consequences. As Harry grapples with the fallout, the truth gradually unravels, presenting him with a moral quandary. He must choose between letting the killer escape or destroying the lives of those he cares about, including his own.
In a riveting tale of crime, mythology, and ethical dilemmas, Detective Harry Kim navigates a perilous path where each decision carries profound consequences, forcing him to confront his inner demons and make an impossible choice between justice and personal sacrifice.