In 1989, Nino Brown, a small time drug dealer, is convinced by one of his fellow thugs that the wave of the future is in the cocaine derivative, crack. Brown sees potential in crack and sets out to establish himself as chief kingpin by killing off his rivals and even going as far as to take over a whole apartment complex. Out to stop him are undercover cops Scottie Appleton and Nick Paretti. Appleton especially wants to get Nino because of the fact that he murdered Scottie’s mother as part of a gang initiaton. Also involved is Pookie, a former crackhead who wants to bring down Nino as well.

Jackie Brown is the name of a flight attendant who gets caught smuggling her boss’ gun money on the airline she works for. Luckily for her, the Fed Ray Nicolet and the LA Cop Mark Dargus decide to team up in order to arrest the arms dealer she works for, whose name they don’t even know. Here’s when she has to choose one way: tell Nicolet and Dargus about Ordell Robbie (the arms dealer) and get her freedom -except that if Ordell suspects you’re talking about him, you’re dead- or keep her mouth shut and do some time. That’s when she meets Max Cherry -her bail bondsman-, a late fifties, recently separated, burnt-out man, who falls in love with her. Then Jackie comes up with a plan to play the Feds off against Ordell and the guys he works with -Louis Gara and Melanie Ralston, among others- and walk off with their money. But she needs Max’s help. No one is going to stand in the way of his million dollar payoff…

A silicon chip is captured from the Soviets and found to be identical to a prototype British design capable of withstanding the intense electromagnetic radiation of a nuclear blast. The British suspect industrialist Max Zorin of leaking details of the design to the Russians. When James Bond is sent to investigate he finds that Zorin is stockpiling silicon chips and, mysteriously, drilling near the San Andreas fault.

After twelve years in prison, Walter arrives in an unnamed city, moves into a small apartment across the street from an elementary school, gets a job at a lumberyard, and mostly keeps to himself. A quiet, guarded man, Walter finds unexpected solace from Vickie, a tough-talking woman who promises not to judge him for his history. But Walter cannot escape his past. A convicted sex offender, Walter is warily eyed by his brother-in-law, shunned by his sister, lives in fear of being discovered at work, and is hounded by a suspicious local police officer, Detective Lucas. After befriending a young girl in a neighborhood park, Walter must also grapple with the terrible prospect of his own reawakened demons.