Max Donigan, Chuck Norris and Leo Porter, Louis Gossett Jr., are two seasoned treasure hunters whose adventures rarely yield anything substantial. After their latest effort goes awry, they’re approached by a seemingly psychic woman named Patricia Goodwin, who claims to own a treasure map that points to a colossal hoard of gold once belonging to the legendary Firewalker. She also warns that someone — or something — is chasing the map: a red cyclops. The trio steps into a story that blends myth, greed, and danger as Patricia’s pitch pulls them toward a fate they barely understand.
The map leads them to a cave on a local Native American Reservation, where Patricia warns that the cave shelters “old people, sleeping.” Inside, they uncover a mass grave of skeletons, a Spanish Conquistador helmet, and a mural depicting Aztec and Mayan art, marred by an anachronistic date of 1527. As Leo Porter studies the mural, Max Donigan uncovers a ruby-pommeled dagger hidden inside a skull. The mood quickly shifts from awe to threat as they’re ambushed inside the cave by a small group of men; Patricia is captured, taken by one of the attackers. After a brutal struggle, Max and Leo kill their attackers, and in a tense confrontation with the kidnapper, he screams and throws himself into a pit upon laying eyes on the dagger.
Back in a dimly lit bar, the trio learns of El Coyote, a one-eyed figure who believes himself descended from the Aztecs. The barkeep also points them toward Tall Eagle, a local Native American. El Coyote, John Rhys-Davies, looms as a looming threat, and Tall Eagle, Will Sampson, offers guidance and a glimmer of the spiritual path they’ll need to survive. Before long, Patricia tries to discern their next move by stabbing the dagger into a map, fainting and leaving behind a clue to San Miguel. The danger escalates when Max is drugged by a mysterious woman; El Coyote chants while holding a snake as the same woman attempts to murder Max. Tall Eagle’s chant reverberates through the night, waking Patricia to rush to Max’s defense; the would-be killer is captured, only for her to vanish overnight, leaving a snake mysteriously slithering in her cell.
Their journey takes them to San Miguel, where they barter and press for information. A man named Boggs guides them to a contact in a village called Chajal, but Boggs is revealed to be working for El Coyote and is killed in a confrontation. Disguised as priests and a nun to avoid detection, the three reach Chajal only to find it deserted. Local militia chase them into the jungle, but they manage a narrow escape. They are soon found by Corky Taylor, a rugged leader of a small band of Central American freedom fighters who supplies them with a vehicle to press on. That night, Leo disappears; Patricia and Max fear the worst when they discover blood and Leo’s glasses by an alligator-infested river.
The next morning, the group discovers the temple they have sought. Inside, Leo is found alive but strung up, dangling from a rope beside El Coyote, who offers Leo in exchange for the dagger and promises to kill the others and sacrifice Patricia to secure his own power as the Firewalker. Desperation turns into quick thinking: Max hurls the dagger at El Coyote, who catches it and withdraws, leaving them with a narrow window to rescue Patricia. They arrive just in time to interrupt El Coyote’s plan, and Max shoots him in the chest, seemingly killing him. Patricia locates the gold by inserting the dagger into a ceremonial slot, opening a hidden chamber below. They gather the gold, but El Coyote returns to strike; Patricia stabs him in the back as he lunges at Max. Stunned, El Coyote is doused with a trail of magic from the bag Patricia carries, and he bursts into flame as the trio makes a swift exit from the temple with their hard-won treasure. The final scene closes on three weary but victorious treasure hunters walking away, the gold secured and their fates forever changed by a journey that blended myth, danger, and a relentless hunt for what humans want most.
