Teenage drug runner Cedric Beauville is captured and arrested by the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police on the
Canada–United States border in possession of large quantities of illegal
fentanyl pills. Everett University research scientist Dr. Tyrone Brower is contracted by Northlight Pharmaceuticals to carry out a study in support of their newest product, Klaralon. The drug is being touted as the first non-addictive painkiller and is due to be released shortly as a replacement for
Oxycodone. The study uncovers concerning results; Klaralon initially presents as non-addictive when taken daily for the first 7 days (parameters specified by Northlight), however after 7 days it becomes almost three times more addictive than Oxycodone. Realising the public health implications, Brower recommends to Northlight they delay Klaralon's release for further testing, which they object to. Board member Dr. Bill Simons tries to tempt Brower into changing his mind by offering a large research grant, but Brower refuses. With Northlight being one of the university's main donors, Brower finds himself under pressure from department head Greg Talbot to approve the study, but again is reluctant. Northlight begins leaking information to discredit his reputation, and Everett University revokes his
tenure. Desperate, Brower contacts the
FDA, being put in contact with investigator Ben Walker.
Detroit based
DEA agent Jake Kelly has managed to infiltrate two large scale drug cartels running
fentanyl. One is run by the
Armenian Mafia who operate
pill mills across the US. The other is based in
Montreal, Quebec controlled by drug kingpin Claude 'Mother' Veroche, who operates out of a nondescript restaurant called La Marina. Kelly intends to convince the two cartels to enter into business, so both leaders can be arrested at once when they meet. Kelly has personal motivation for bringing them down, due to his younger sister suffering from crippling
heroin addiction. Kelly's relationship with Mother becomes strained when news of Cedric's capture comes to light, with Mother becoming concerned there is an
informant in his organisation. Due to funding concerns, Kelly's superior agent Garrett gives him a reduced timescale to organise the meet. Mother has Cedric killed in custody for his silence, and executes his second in command Guy Broussard after discovering he has been speaking with the authorities. Architect and recovering Oxycodone addict Claire Reimann becomes concerned when her 16-year-old son David does not return home from hockey practice. He is later found dead as a result of a fentanyl overdose, shocking Claire who is convinced he never took drugs. Although the
Detroit Police Department treats it as an accidental death, she hires a
private investigator who determines David was forced to take the fentanyl and was murdered. Through her son's
social media accounts, she tracks down one of his friends, who confesses several teenagers from the hockey team (from both Detroit and
Montreal) work for Mother as drug runners, although David had only done it once. Claire crosses the
Ambassador Bridge and travels to Montreal where she hires another private investigator, who provides her with information on Mother and a
privately made firearm. She threatens another drug runner, Derrick Millebran, who believes that Mother is killing them to tie up loose ends after Cedric's arrest. Kelly becomes aware of Claire's activities through investigation of Cedric's associates, and intercepts her outside La Marina. He does not arrest her, but instead unloads her gun and urges her to leave for her own good. The meeting between the two cartels goes ahead, covertly monitored by a joint
DEA-
RCMP taskforce. However, an RCMP surveillance officer accidentally gives away his position, resulting in a shootout that kills Kelly's partner, Special Agent Stanley Foster. Mother also escapes, believed to have fled to
Algeria. Given the seizure of the drugs at the meet, both US and Canadian agencies decide to disband the continued search for Mother and the Armenians. Outraged, Kelly goes against orders and travels to La Marina, where he threatens an employee who tells him Mother is still in Canada but is planning to escape via
seaplane that evening from the
Port of Montreal. Claire is also given this information by her private investigator. Kelly arrives at the port, but has been beaten there by Claire, who opens fire and kills Mother. His bodyguard shoots her in the arm, but is swiftly shot by Kelly. He then replaces the men's weapons with Claire's privately made firearm and his own unregistered back up gun, to make it appear they shot each other. He treats her gunshot wound, and tells her he does not intend to arrest her. A last-ditch effort by Northlight, CEO Dr. Meg Holmes also fails to convince Brower to come on board, and the company is subjected to an FDA hearing. To Brower's shock, the agency does not revoke Northlight's permissions for Klaralon's release, noting that the potential benefits to the public outweigh the dangers highlighted by his study. Walker is also reassigned as a retaliatory measure. Despite the legal risk, Brower breaks his
non-disclosure agreement and goes to the press. He is later hired by the
University of Michigan, and is seen giving an introductory lecture to a crowded auditorium. ==Cast==