The Negotiator

In Chicago, Danny Roman is celebrated for keeping tense standoffs under control. His trusted partner Nate Roenick becomes an ally on high risk operations, but their world begins to unravel when an informant hints that colleagues have skimmed millions from the police disability fund. The tip triggers Internal Affairs scrutiny even before any action is taken.

Roenick is shot dead at the ambush scene, and Roman rushes to the location. He cannot confirm the informant’s identity or motive, leaving him isolated and under suspicion as the case unfolds. The incident sets off a chain of investigations and internal distrust.

Internal Affairs launches a closely watched probe into the disability fund scheme. Inspector Terence Niebaum leads the investigation, though his involvement remains unclear to Roman. The scrutiny threatens Roman’s career and credibility within the department.

The murder weapon surfaces as connected to one of Roman's old cases, and an offshore account tied to his home raises the stakes. With charges mounting, Roman is forced to surrender his badge and gun and is sidelined by skeptical colleagues.

Refusing to bow to a forced resignation, Roman storms Niebaum's office, turning the space into a hostage situation. The scene expands to include Niebaum’s administrative assistant Maggie, Roman’s commander Grant Frost, and con man Rudy Timmons. The building is evacuated and placed under siege by Roman’s unit with FBI support.

Roman insists on speaking only with Chris Sabian, a veteran negotiator from the west precinct. His demands are blunt: restore his badge, ensure a proper funeral if he dies, and reveal the identity of Roenick’s informant and the killer. Sabian cautions that a breach should be a last resort and works to de escalate the crisis.

A tactical breach is attempted but backfires when a SWAT marksman refuses to shoot Roman. In a rapid turn, Roman takes control and captures officers Scott and Markus, forcing Sabian to assume leadership of the operation. The incident muddies the line between hero and suspect.

To gain leverage, Roman releases Frost to Sabian in exchange for restoring electricity. He accesses Niebaum’s computer and discovers that Roenick’s name was wiretapped, suggesting Niebaum may have known more than he admitted. The revelation confirms Roenick was the informant.

With the crisis pressing on, Maggie and Rudy piece together that corrupt officers filed false disability claims and that a board insider orchestrated the scheme. The scope extends beyond a simple murder, tying in the department’s inner circle and a broader embezzlement network.

Sabian pretends to locate the informant to defuse the tension, but Niebaum's files reveal the truth: Roenick was the informant all along. The bluff fractures trust and sharpens the pursuit of real culprits.

Niebaum claims the wiretaps are secure at his home, but corrupt officers infiltrate the air vents and kill him. The murder intensifies the chaos and pushes Roman to clear his name and bring the conspirators to light.

The FBI takes control, relieving Sabian of direct command, and pushes for a full building breach. The operation shifts toward a decisive confrontation as authorities close in on the truth behind Roenick’s death and the disability fund scheme.

As the raid nears, Roman reveals that Officer Scott is alive, reshaping the ethical balance of the siege. Sabian adjusts his approach, now intent on proving Roman's innocence rather than sealing a guilty verdict.

Sabian broadcasts the confession to the waiting police, revealing Frost as the mastermind and insider behind the embezzlement. Frost, humiliated, attempts suicide but is wounded and taken into custody along with the other conspirators.

Roman is loaded into an ambulance with his wife by his side, a fragile sense of vindication dawning. Sabian returns Danny Roman’s badge, and the truth behind Roenick’s death and the disability fund conspiracy is finally laid bare for the department and the public to hear.