Animals United

Following a grueling day of work, firefighter Jeremy Thomas Coleman (Josh Duhamel) and his co-workers contemplate ending the day with a case of 35-year-old Scotch gifted to them by the man whose life they saved from a burning building. Jeremy's colleagues include Adam (Eric Winter) and Sherrod (Nnamdi Asomugha). When Jeremy enters a convenience store to buy snacks, he witnesses the clerk and his son being brutally murdered at the hands of Hagan (Vincent D'Onofrio), an Aryan Brotherhood crime boss and his henchman Boyd (Vinnie Jones). Hagan accuses the store owner of refusing to sell his store which Hagan wants to further his criminal enterprise. The store owner says he buys protection from the Eastside Crips and the store is in their territory so it wouldn't be useful for Hagan's purposes. The owner even connects Hagan to the Eastside Crips, but Hagan simply tells them that he will kill every last one of them. Hagan wanted the store as it was next to the freeway, and it is easy to move parcels in and out of the store quickly. After Jeremy narrowly escapes with his life, police detective Mike Cella (Bruce Willis), whose old partner Lance Jackson (and his wife) was murdered by Hagan while they pursued him in a different case, sees an opportunity to bring justice. Assistant District Attorney Sharon Westlake (Bonnie Somerville) is working with Cella on the case. Hagan is arrested and Jeremy identifies him in a line up; however, Hagan demonstrates that he knows full well that Jeremy is behind the two-way mirror by reciting Jeremy's full name, address and social security number. This information was passed on to Hagan by another prisoner who was in Hagan's jail cell. Sharon explains to Jeremy that they cannot get Hagan without his testimony. Prior to the trial, Jeremy is forced to change his last name to Douglas and surrender his entire career as he is placed into the witness protection program. He leaves the fire department and is moved to New Orleans. Based on his skills and education, Jeremy is assigned a Blue Collared job in New Orleans. Although Jeremy finds it difficult to cope with the loss of his career, he finds consolation in his budding romance with Talia Durham (Rosario Dawson), a Deputy United States Marshal assigned to his case. Marshall Calvin Mullen (Kevin Dunn) is Talia's boss. Talia gives Jeremy lessons in basic weapons handling and shooting. Jeremy tells Talia about his life as a fire fighters and says that his training and instincts tell him where he can go in the middle of the fire ravaged building. He says that he has to get people to trust him to go where he wants them to go. Later, Hagan's attorney Harold Gethers (Richard Schiff) arranges for him to be released from prison in the weeks leading up to the trial. As a result, Jeremy and Talia find their lives in jeopardy. Talia is wounded by one of Hagan's hit men Robert (Julian McMahon) who had traveled to New Orleans for this purpose. Robert uses a long-range rifle to attack Talia and Jeremy when they pull into a motel where they typically meet. The other assassin moves in for the kill while Robert keeps them pinned down. But Jeremy manages to shoot the 2nd assassin, forcing Robert to abandon the mission, pick up his partner and retreat. Calvin tells Jeremy that a few days ago, an FBI agent accessed Jeremy's file to get his new identity. But then, the agent was killed in an apparent armed robbery, to tie up the leak. Calvin says that this is probably how the assassins knew where to find Jeremy. Calvin says that they recovered pics of Jeremy and Talia together from Robert's van. Which means that the assassins went after Talia to hurt Jeremy. Calvin tells Jeremy that he wont be allowed to meet Talia anymore. Hagan calls Jeremy, threatening to kill everyone he loves whether he testifies or not. Jeremy vows to kill Hagan first and abandons the witness protection program. Jeremy travels home to Long Beach, California, where he seeks out an Eastside Crips leader to exact revenge. The Crips decline to help but give him a gun. Jeremy stakes out one of Hagan's hiding places. Hagan is beating nearly to death Jeremy's friend and fellow firefighter with a baseball bat. Jeremy kills three of his men while in pursuit of Hagan. However, Jeremy leaves behind forensic evidence that cannot be traced back to him due to his WITSEC status. Cella figures out that Jeremy is behind the deaths but is conflicted due to his own hatred for Hagan. Jeremy grows bolder. He identifies the location of one of Hagan's buildings and tortures one of Hagan's men, who directs him to Gethers. Gethers, who only works for Hagan out of fear, gives Jeremy the location of an abandoned building where Hagan will be that night. Talia arrives at Long Beach and tries to convince Jeremy to abandon his plan. Jeremy locks Talia in the bathroom and gets away, but Hagan's hit man arrives soon after and kidnaps Talia. That night, Jeremy, using his firefighting knowledge, sets ablaze the building where Hagan and his men are meeting. When Jeremy realizes Talia is also in the building, he puts on his fireman's suit and enters the building to rescue her. Jeremy runs into Hagan inside the burning building, and after a struggle, Talia kills Hagan. Jeremy leaves the building with Talia. At the wrap, detective Cella, while conversing with the DA, states that no evidence was left behind at the burnt building to charge anyone with the deaths of Hagan and his men. Cella is seen putting away a photo of him and his old partner.