Philadelphia streets were never silent. Gangs wars on corners, screeching cars on avenues, and squealing steel trolley tires on tracks kept you alert for the next confrontation. Philadelphia playgrounds were sometimes silent. These were sanctuaries where you confronted your deepest memories. These were places packed with people, but on a summer's midday, they were virtually empty. Streets made habitable again by the actions of a few good men.

The story follows the life of Karl Mathis, a basketball star, whose life is now suddenly under threat, by the gangs who inhabit the city of Philadelphia. His good looks, name and the glory that followed him, only make him a likely target in the eyes of Jake Meyers, a master drug dealer, who is jealous of him. Andy, a sportswriter, gets involved unknowingly, when he is handed over a bag, which has killed all those in possession of it. The unfolding of events, over the course of a few days, surrounding the brown leather bag, unravels many mysteries.