Peter is a Continental Investigations operative, and has informed his higher-ups that his chief is in cahoots with a local crime lord, Zartell. This summons a person who Peter calls "Old Man." Old Man is a tough cynical old detective meant to work with Peter and investigate the chief, Abernathy. While Peter and Old Man investigate, Peter notices that Old Man is angling to not only take down Abernathy, but Zartell as well. Peter is not fully aware nor does he care about this until his mother visits him out of the blue. She tells him to not cause harm to Zartell or give Zartell cause to harm him. After Peter's father had died, Zartell had been involved with Peter's mother, and while she spurned him after a while, she reveals now to Peter that she cares about him. Peter reassures her that he is not after him, but his mother knows Old Man (through her own underground sources) and knows that he will use the investigation of Abernathy to take down Zartell as well. Peter refuses to commit to any promises concerning his investigation. Peter and Old Man close in on Abernathy. During the final operation that would trap him, Peter wavers as he realizes Abernathy will end up dead at the end of their mission. To avoid this drastic outcome, Peter manipulates his part of the mission to allow Abernathy to escape. In the process of doing this, Peter is shot. Zartell, who had been in the process of escaping the fray, helps Peter to safety. Later, while Peter wakes up in the hospital to Old Man sitting by him. He expects that he has lost his job for letting both Abernathy and Zartell get away, but Old Man instead partly commends him for creating a cleaner conclusion to the situation with Abernathy. Old Man takes Abernathy's place as chief and Peter keeps his job.