Jack Cole, portrayed by Steven Seagal, was once known as "The Glimmer Man" during his tenure as a CIA operative, a nickname given due to his extraordinary ability to traverse through jungles with a silent agility that left his victims only with a shimmer of his presence before their untimely demise. Now retired from the Central Intelligence Agency, Cole has embraced Buddhism and transitioned into a role as a detective within the Los Angeles Police Department, where he faces the challenge of adapting to teamwork.
His new partner is the hard-nosed detective Jim Campbell, played by Keenen Ivory Wayans, who finds little value in Cole's New Age beliefs and unorthodox approach. However, their personal differences must be set aside as they are thrust into a harrowing case involving a serial killer dubbed "The Family Man," infamous for his horrifying practice of wiping out entire families.
The plot thickens when the latest victims of this ghastly killer are none other than Cole's former wife, Ellen, and her present husband, Andrew Dunleavy. When Cole's fingerprints unexpectedly surface on Ellen's remains, suspicion arises regarding Smith, played by Brian Cox, who is revealed to be Cole's former boss at the CIA and is suspected of being entwined in the dark web surrounding the killings. As Cole makes contact with Smith, neither he nor Campbell are aware of Smith's covert dealings with Frank Deverell, portrayed by Bob Gunton, a local crime figure.
Pursuing leads, the detectives engage with Christopher Maynard, played by Stephen Tobolowsky, who contends that the murders attributed to the Family Man actually involve multiple killers. He claims responsibility only for the slayings that occurred before Cole's arrival in Los Angeles, suggesting a sinister hand at work. Unfortunately, in a self-defense scenario, Cole is forced to shoot Maynard, complicating their investigation further.
Desperate for answers, Cole visits the home of Celia Rostov, Deverell's Russian translator, who has recently fallen victim to the serial killer. There, he uncovers that the Rostovs had prepaid tickets to Russia via Deverell's company. As tensions escalate, the Family Man ambushes Cole and Campbell in a failed attempt on their lives, resorting to blowing up Campbell's apartment. The connection deepens as they learn the Family Man is in league with both Smith and Deverell, who have placed lethal contracts on the detectives' lives, along with Deverell's own stepson, Johnny.
With the help of Johnny's girlfriend, Millie, the detectives track down Johnny, who discloses that Donald Cunningham, played by John M. Jackson, Deverell's head of security, is the other half of the Family Man duo, and reveals the extent of Smith's collaboration with Deverell in smuggling chemical weapons into the United States for sale to terrorists.
As they delve deeper, they discover that Smith's dealings with Deverell serve as a cover for the criminal undertakings of selling arms to the Serbian underworld, with a major transaction scheduled at a welfare hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. The climactic showdown occurs during the weapon deal where Campbell is injured by Cunningham, who subsequently meets his demise after being hurled through a window. Amidst the chaos, Campbell wryly comments that Cole has always brought him bad luck since they joined forces, to which Cole replies that he will keep that in mind as his partner is whisked away to receive medical attention.
