SUDDEN DEATH

When Ed Neilson's (Ken Metcalf) entire family is viciously murdered, he pleads with retired CIA operative Duke Smith (Robert Conrad) to investigate. Smith refuses, but relents after Neilson too meets an explosive death.

With the aid of a former associate Wyatt Spain (Felton Perry), Smith attempts to find out who was responsible for the death of Neilson and his family. Meanwhile, a government agent, named John Shaw (John Ashley), has one of his men (Larry Manetti) follow Smith as Shaw was working with members of Neilson's company to get him out due to his sympathy for some people who are fighting for rights who call themselves "The Brown Hats".

Shaw enlists the services of hit-man Dominic Aldo (Don Stroud) from Corsica to take care of Smith. Smith has an associate, named "Buffalo" Tinker (Angelo Ventura), take his daughter Melissa (Nancy Conrad) and his wife Maya (Aline Samson) into hiding until things blow over. Aldo kills Tinker, and Smith and Spain kill the men responsible for the deaths of Neilson and his family. Smith shoots Shaw and fights Aldo, killing him. At the end, Smith and Spain go to an island only to find that Aldo had earlier killed Smith's daughter and Maya.

Smith and Spain confront and kill those responsible for the deaths, but discover too late that Smith's daughter and wife have been murdered by the hit-man Aldo.

The ending delivers harsh consequences for Smith’s quest for justice, underscoring the personal cost of violence and revenge. Even as the villains are dispatched, the losses suffered by the protagonists highlight the futility of retribution and the dangers inherent in the world they inhabit.