In the backdrop of an inner city warzone, corruption abounds. And a poignant-but yet too vivid-look of that inner city reality is revealed. The culprits are all the usual suspects. Juanito-whose nickname is Houdini-struggles mightily, but succumbs to his deepest fears after he is inexplicably beaten and robbed at an underground poker game. While trying to recover lost dignity, he falls prey to the dark and unpredictable nuances inherent in all men, and he adopts a skewed sense of morality. We are all flawed, each of us an imperfect component of an organism... ...that thrives on cruelty and satisfaction. His loss creates a longing for vengeance that splits Juanito into two men: the loving, supportive business owner and family man, and the stalking psychopath set on retribution. When Juanito is on the hunt, he morphs into a violent alter ego called Ike. After revenge is swiftly exacted, Juanito moves his wife, Serena, and his daughter, Zoe, away from the dark, seedy streets of Providence to the expected safety of sunny Tallahassee, Florida. The move marks a shift in work for Juanito from business owner to employee, as well as a shift in his relationship with his wife, and a change in how he sees himself. A confession from Serena reveals a supernatural world to Juanito. As he embarks on a journey to avenge a death that occurred long ago, Juanito begins a new fixation with writing... ...and he calms a mind in turmoil with paper and pen. The journey brings Juanito a daughter he never knew. When his new relationship with his daughter, Naomi, reveals that his past is coming after him, he makes a second foray into the criminal world that leads to the destruction of a powerful criminal unit.