In a city overrun by criminal chaos, where an aggressive police captain battles a murderous Russian mobster, only one man can remain standing, but at a terrible cost to both.

SYNOPSIS:

Police Captain Colin St Michael and a half-dozen runners race on an oval track at the Police Federation Track Meet. Hannah St Michael, his teenage daughter, and Police Lieutenant Taylor Jackson, his close friend, cheer him on. On the final lap, Colin gains on the race leader. A short distance from the finish line, Colin’s knee gives out, though he wins the race. With Hannah and Taylor’s help, he walks off. Taylor remarks that all victories have a cost.

On the way home, Hannah worries about Colin’s new position in the department. At home, Colin listens to Hannah practice her cello. Colin thinks of his deceased wife and father, also a police officer. At the police department’s East Precinct, Colin takes up his new job. He pledges to his officers that he will clean up the criminal chaos on the street, exercising the law in its “raw form.”

Meanwhile, David “Sledge” Gorov, the leader of a Russian ethnic gang known as “Moje Bratstvo,” or “My Brotherhood,” is released from the state penitentiary after eight years. He is picked up by Roman “Razor” Volkov, his chief lieutenant, and Mila Ivanova, his long-time lover. On the way to a celebration of his release, as they pass drug deals, cops with guns drawn, and wandering madmen, Sledge spots a young man. He tells Roman to stop the car, while Sledge observes a transaction between the man, Dmitri Stevens, Roman’s nephew, and a man from another gang.

In a large warehouse, Dmitri joins Sledge’s welcome party late. After promising to make My Brotherhood the city’s dominant criminal enterprise, Sledge tells two soldiers to restrain Dmitri. With Roman watching, Sledge murders Dmitri. With secret lover Mila at his side, Roman vows revenge.

Colin identifies Sledge’s operations as a key reason for the precinct’s lawlessness. He orders a raid on a My Brotherhood drug lab, recording himself destroying the lab with an ax. He sends the video to Sledge as a warning. Sledge calls for a meeting, offering to make peace. Colin says peace can only occur when Sledge dismantles his criminal activity, which Sledge refuses to do.

Pursing his goal of dominating the city’s criminal business, Sledge meets with Javier Rodriguez, leader of the SoDo Outlaws, the last remaining rival gang to My Brotherhood. Negotiations fail, and Sledge orders an attack on the Outlaws. The rival gang is wiped out, though Javier survives.

Ignoring criticism of his tactics from the media and the mayor, Colin meets with Javier, who promises to deliver Sledge to pay a debt to Colin. However, the plan goes awry, and Javier is killed. Sledge claims “ownership” of the city; Colin is denounced by the public. Later, Colin is contacted by Roman, who offers information in exchange for immunity. Roman says the mayor, Charles DeGraf, takes payoffs from Sledge in order to use Charles’s industrial real estate as a large drug lab.

Colin’s second-in-command, Taylor Jackson, records Charles receiving a payoff. Colin confronts Charles, telling him to evict Sledge, or he will expose his corruption, ending his political career. Charles agrees, but when he meets with Sledge, the gang leader murders him for betrayal.

Colin moves against Sledge by raiding My Brotherhood’s largest drug lab. Tipped off, Sledge sets up an ambush. As the cops arrive, Roman attempts to warn Colin, but Sledge kills Roman. A massive gunfight erupts. When the battle tips toward the police, Sledge and Mila escape and vanish.

With Sledge on the run, Colin takes a break and watches Hannah give her senior recital in front of hundreds of parents and friends in an auditorium. With no warning, a gunman appears and fires an AR-15 into the crowd. Dozens are killed and wounded, including Hannah. As she lies unconscious in a hospital, Colin tells Taylor he will revenge himself on Sledge.

Colin persuades Mila to betray Sledge as payback for Roman’s murder. In the final confrontation with Sledge, Colin learns that he was not the auditorium’s gunman. As the gang leader’s body is taken away, a figure opens fire on Colin and his officers, killing Taylor. Colin tracks down the figure and shoots, discovering Mila, who admits to the massacre. Mila dies, questioning whether Colin has truly won.

THE GODS DEMAND BLOOD