Fire Down Below

EPA CID agent Jack Taggert is dispatched to investigate the death of his friend Frank Elkins and a pattern of toxic dumps. An anonymous letter from Jackson, Kentucky prompts the probe, and Taggert goes undercover to uncover who is responsible. The case expands from a local mystery to a corporate-environmental conspiracy in the Appalachian hills.

Taggert travels to Jackson and assumes the role of assistant and volunteer carpenter for a local church. He lodges in the church basement and begins repairing a roof for a sick child, establishing a believable cover while he investigates the pollution. The town’s quiet routines begin to reveal who runs the mining operation.

While undercover, Taggert works on a roof at a home where pollution is making a child ill. He tries to question the family, but they are reluctant to speak, highlighting the town’s fear and complicity. His careful observations start tying the environmental damage to the mine owners.

During water testing, Taggert wanders into a marijuana field and is confronted by growers. He disarms them and makes it clear he doesn’t intend to arrest them, signaling his focus on broader accountability. This brush with local lawlessness shows the town’s precarious balance of power.

The Hanner operation’s goons retaliate by leaving rattlesnakes in Taggert’s dwelling. He captures the snakes and places them in the thugs’ pickup, causing them to crash. The incident marks the escalating danger Taggert faces from the mine owners’ hired men.

Five of Orin Jr.’s men attack Taggert, delivering a brutal beating. He fights back as best as he can, sustaining injuries while maintaining his cover. The assault demonstrates the depth of organized resistance against his investigation.

Orin Jr. orders a truck driver to arrange an ‘accident’ to eliminate Taggert. Taggert escapes the attempt, but the driver is killed after the vehicle falls off an open-pit mine cliff. The near-death moment underscores the ruthlessness of the Hanner faction.

Taggert forms a relationship with Sarah Kellogg, an outcast in Jackson whose father was murdered. She becomes a crucial ally as he probes the case, despite the town’s suspicion of her past. Their bond adds a personal dimension to the investigation.

Sarah’s ally, Earl, Sarah’s estranged brother, fuels his vendetta by setting the church on fire and killing the preacher who helped Taggert. The attack heightens the stakes for the investigation and endangers Taggert’s cover. The town reels from the violent turn of events.

Earl tries to collapse the mine with Taggert inside, but Taggert escapes. Several mercenaries are killed in the ensuing chaos, and Earl himself is killed in the failed effort. The confrontation exposes the violent reach of the mine operators.

Taggert calls in FBI protection for Sarah, only to discover the agents are corrupt. A firefight erupts, and Taggert kills one agent before sending the second back to Orin with a warning. The agency’s corruption becomes a major obstacle to justice.

Orin Jr. is arrested and charged, but the town’s legal system hands him only a slap on the wrist for environmental violations. The bigger culprit—Orin Sr.—remains under threat from Taggert’s pursuit, highlighting systemic corruption.

Taggert fights through Orin Jr.’s remaining mercenaries to compel him to testify. Orin Jr. agrees to turn state’s evidence, revealing his father’s racketeering, murder, and conspiracy. The testimony would topple the Hanner family’s criminal operations.

Taggert travels to a casino to arrest Orin Sr.; the elder Hanner resists, drawing a gun, but Taggert shoots him in the shoulder. Orin Sr. is taken into custody, marking a pivotal moment in the crackdown on the mining criminals.

Taggert returns to Jackson and is reunited with Sarah Kellogg, bringing the investigation to a personal and emotional close. The town begins to confront the pollution and its aftermath, while their relationship offers a beacon of hope amid the fight for accountability.