Rapid Fire 1992

Serrano meets Tau in Thailand

Antonio Serrano travels to Thailand to press Kinman Tau for a working alliance in the drug trade. The meeting makes clear that Tau will not easily ally with Serrano, setting up the underlying tension between the two crime families. The scene establishes the international scope of their operations and the power dynamic at play.

Jake Lo attends pro-democracy party and witnesses murder

Los Angeles art student Jake Lo is drawn to a party of Chinese pro-democracy activists. There he witnesses Serrano kill Carl Chang, an associate of Tau, and when Serrano’s men try to kill him, Jake uses martial arts to disarm them. Federal agents later place him under protective custody, drawing him into the investigation that will follow.

Jake placed in a safe house and sent to Chicago to testify

Jake is kept under protective custody at a safe house, but the federal agents reveal that their interest in his testimony against Serrano requires him to travel to Chicago. The arrangement threads together law enforcement pressure with Jake's uneasy alliance to expose Serrano and Tau.

Jake escapes corrupt agents and meets Karla Withers

When the safe house agents turn out to be corrupt, Jake slips out through a window and encounters detective Karla Withers. She and her partner help him evade pursuers, and Jake begins to realize he has allies beyond the initial government circle.

Mace Ryan explains Tau's chase and his decade-long pursuit

Lieutenant Mace Ryan reveals to Jake that Tau has eluded his forces for ten years, and his undercover operation has continued across years and jurisdictions. Ryan makes it clear he plans to use Serrano’s FBI ties to uncover Tau’s next moves. Jake debates the risks of joining this dangerous crusade.

Jake agrees to help with the next shipment

Spurred by Ryan's explanation and the shared goal of stopping Serrano and Tau, Jake agrees to assist by leveraging Serrano’s FBI connections to obtain information about Tau’s next shipment. The plan aims to expose corruption while drawing Tau into a controlled sting operation.

Sting operation goes ahead; Jake nearly dies

A sting operation is mounted to extract details about Tau’s next shipment, and the plan appears successful at first. The mission veers dangerous when Jake is nearly killed in gunfire and criticisms flow about Ryan’s methods. The tension underscores the personal cost of the pursuit.

Karla and Jake grow closer; Jake’s father file revealed

That same night, Karla invites Jake to her apartment and shows him his father’s confidential file. The revelation deepens their personal connection as they discuss their pasts, and the romantic tension culminates in them sharing a sexual encounter.

Raid on Tau's laundry factory; Serrano is murdered

Ryan and his team raid Tau’s laundry factory, timing their operation with the ongoing personal drama between Jake and Karla. The raid culminates in the shocking murder of Serrano in his prison cell by one of Tau’s henchmen, escalating the vendetta against Tau.

Jake, Ryan and Withers regroup to take Tau down

Despite setbacks, Jake, Ryan and Withers regroup to bring Tau down for good. Ryan and Withers are captured by Tau’s men, but Jake rescues them, and the team resolves to finish Tau’s operation once and for all.

Tau killed on a train platform

In the final confrontation, Jake corners Tau and fatally shoots him on a train platform, ending Tau’s criminal reign. The moment marks a personal triumph for Jake and a closing chapter for Tau’s network.