A Mexican freighter Princesa Teresa pulls into port, and once the customs officers depart, Tony Mendosa leaves his cabin, has his limo lowered out of the cargo hold into the street below, and drives off.
Luis and his gang park outside of the LA city hall and Luis reminds his friend that their job is to pick up Chief Deputy DA Eduardo Cantero looking into Mendosa's business and take care of Cantero. Mendosa pulls up in his limo and Cantero comes out and gets into his car. Mendosa's driver flashes the headlights, telling the gangers to come over. They do so and Mendosa's bodyguard Cundo Rio gets in with them. Cundo Rio gives the signal, and Luis slams his car into Cantero's, forcing him to the side of the street. A van pulls up and as Cantero gets out, they chloroform him unconscious and load him into the van. Luis tells Cundo Rio that its' important they get paid by Mendosa in person, and he gives him a street address, gets in the van, and leaves with Cantero.
Cundo Rio takes Cantero to the Decter Institute, a heavily-guarded compound, and Evelyn Decter watches from the window as B bb carries Cantero into an underground lab. Meanwhile, Dr. Ernst Decter tells Mendosa that he'll concentrate the voltage on the memory centers of Cantero's brain, and Mendosa insists that Cantero has to know it was him because he had Mendosa deported seven years ago. They go into the lab and Ernst wakes Cantero up. Mendosa tells Cantero that he's in the U.S. to stay but Cantero won't be there. He confirms that Cantero sees him, and then Ernst applies to the voltage to Cantero's brain. The DA convulses and Mendosa smiles in satisfaction.
In her room, Evelyn sees the power fluctuate and realizes that it's happening again.
A few nights later, Cantero's assistant Daphne Delgado goes to a club, and sees a black Corvette Stingray parked outside. She goes in and asks the bartender if he knows where the Stingray's owner is. Daphne says that she's looking for "Stingray", and the bartender directs her to a man in a booth. She gives the man, Ray, her card and says that she needs to talk to him. Daphne has heard that Stingray is a friend of Cantero's and says that he needs to see Stingray right now. Cantero passed on the message that it was a matter of life and death for thirty people. She offers him $3,000, and Ray agrees and invites her to call him the name of her first boyfriend, Mike.
They go, and Ray leaves the $3,000 on the table as a tip for the waitress. Daphne complains that he gave her money to a waitress, and Ray says that money isn't one of his hang-ups. She takes Ray to a limo and shows him Cantero in the back, watching a cartoon and laughing. Daphne explains that Cantero left the courthouse the day before working on prosecuting a mob boss, Louie Magna, and he didn't come to work, and she found him at his house at lunch in the same condition. She wipes the drool from Cantero's lips and says that Cantero has slowed down. Ray asks who the thirty people are, and Daphne admits that she made it up and the limo is a rental. Ray suggests that Magna was responsible, and advises Daphne to take Cantero to a clinic, ask for a woman, and wait for his call. He says that he'll be in touch and gets out. After Daphne drives off,
Luis and the others hang out at a manor in in the hills at the address Cundo Rio gave them. Mendosa arrives and pays them in cocaine. He dumps the cocaine on a table and blows it away, then tosses each ganger a packet of cocaine and tells them to go. Once they leave, Mendosa looks at Cundo Rio and chuckles.
The next morning, Doctor Ned Rosenberg drives to the medical hospital where he works. Ray is parked in his spot, and Rosenberg pulls in next to him. He goes to his desk and finds an envelope there. Inside is a note from Ray saying that it's time and he needs to meet Rosenberg that night.
At 3 am the next night, Ray and Daphne meet Rosenberg at his office. They bring in Cantero and introduce him to Rosenberg and his wife Sybil. Rosenberg examines Cantero and Rosenberg warns that it will take a couple of hours. Cantero rambles mindlessly and Ray leads Daphne out to wait. Outside, Daphne wonders why the Rosenbergs came there to do a diagnosis on Cantero, and wonders if Ray is going to help her. Ray says that someone retarded Cantero, taking him down hard, and figures whoever did it has strong reasons. She asks how she pays Ray, and Ray tells her to wait and see what the Rosenbergs find out. Daphne figures that Ray loves being enigmatic, and Ray angrily tells her that he never takes money because he can never be bought.
The next morning, Rosenberg tells Ray and Daphne that someone erased 25 years of Cantero's life. Cantero thinks that it's 1959 and he's 6. Rosenberg tried to electrically stimulate Cantero's memory center, and he remembered Cundo Rio. The doctor advises that Cantero be hospitalized so he can work with him and see what he can do to restore Cantero's memories. Daphne says that she'll tell the people at the office that Cantero is sick, and a relieved Rosenberg asks if his favor is paid up. Ray shakes his hand and Rosenberg admits that he didn't know what to expect. Meanwhile, Daphne tells Cantero that she'll find out who erased his memories.
As they drive away, Daphne realizes that Ray deals in favors. Ray explains that one day he'll ask Daphne for a favor and she must do it. He refuses to discuss what he did for the Rosenbergs, saying that it's between them and him. Ray doesn't know what the favor will recover, and explains that she'll help someone down the line just like the Rosenbergs helped her. If Daphne refuses later, Ray figures that he loses. When she asks what to call him, Ray says for her to call him "Ray" because that's his name.
Ray takes Daphne to an expensive beach house and she asks how she stacks up. He says that she's self-assured and commanding, taking the direct approach to everything. Daphne is grudgingly impressed with his assessment of her, and explains that Magna killed one of his own dealers and he's being prosecuted for first-degree murder. They're having trouble with the probable cause, and Magna's brother Mike is trying to get Magna out. Ray warns that Daphne could be in danger and tells her to stay there, and he's not going to tell Daphne what he finds out about Mike.
Later, Ray drives to Mike's estate and notices the surveillance cameras around the place. He confirms the gate is electrified and climbs over the wall, then checks the fuse box only to discover that the wires have already been cut. He finds a dead guard on the patio and discovers the man's gun is unfired. Entering the manor, Ray finds a dead guard at the powered-off security monitors, and Mike watching cartoons. Mike has the same scars on his head as Cardero.
The gangers drive off in their van with Cundo Rio, and Ray follows them. They stop and get into their car, and Red notes the license plate before following Cundo Rio in the van. It enters the institute, and Ray parks nearby. Using a telescope, Ray watches Cundo Rio gets out and realizes that he matches the description Cardero gave Rosenberg. Meanwhile, a security guard spots Ray and calls it in. A helicopter soon lifts off, and Mendosa is at the pool and notices.
The pilot opens fire with the mounted machine gun and Ray drives off. The helicopter follows him into the city as the pilot continues shooting at him, following him into a tunnel. Ray comes out the other end and drives under a bulldozer with its blade raised. The helicopter swerves to avoid it and hits a nearby concrete mixer, exploding.
Later at the beach, Ray goes jogging and Daphne watches him through a telescope. The phone rings and she answers it. A man at the other end asks for Jennifer, and Daphne poses as him. He tells Daphne to tell Bouchard that the package is there and Limetree is scrubbed because the ambassador comes back on the 20th. The caller realizes that she's an impersonator and hangs up, and Daphne goes to the ceramic lion mounted outside the house. She finds an envelope beneath it addressed to Mark Bouchard, and inside is a check for $1,000,000 written out to Bouchard. Daphne calls Peter Sheffield and tells him to argue with the judge that they need more time in the Magna case. She tells him that Mike is at home watching TV, and Peter confirms that the beach house belongs to Harrison Mason, the ambassador to Peru and Lima. The Stingray belongs to the California Presidential motor pool, no specific owner,
Daphne tells him to run a background check on Bouchard and hangs up as Ray returns. Later, they end up in bed and Ray says that he likes her relaxed. Daphne asks who he is, revealing what she's learned about Mason and Bouchard. She relays the phone message and figures that Ray's real name is Bouchard. Ray puts the check in a safe, and Daphne says that she's already having someone trace Bouchard. He warns her that she could be interfering in something dangerous and insists that his name is Ray. Daphne doesn't believe him and figures he works for the government. Ray tells her that he works for her.
Mendosa is driven to a hotel where the LA crime bosses are waiting for him. The bosses have heard about what happened to Mike, and Tino Di Augustino isn't impressed. Mendosa and Cundo Rio come in and Mendosa introduces himself. Tino says that he's made his reputation by killing his rivals in Mexico City, and Mendosa warns him that he has a loud mouth. He tells the bosses that he controls all organized crime in Mexico and parts of South America, and he'll do anything to win. Mendosa wants control of all their territory, and says that if they cooperate he'll allow them to manage the businesses and give them a property. He says that Mike was his message to them, and Tino tells him he can't vacuum up his operation. Mendosa, undeterred, says that he'll contact each of them individually except for Tino, and just laughs when Tino asks if he's going to strap him down and electrocute him as well.
Later, Tino leaves with his two men. Mendosa's gang opens fire on Tino's bodyguards, and Cundo Rio chloroforms Tino unconscious and drags him into their van.
Ray visits another of his favor holders, Marcia Finch. He has her set up a false ID for him as a Texas VP of Marcia's hotel chain, with an ID that will check to the IRS. Marcia warns that she owes him everything but can't make a VP, but Tony explains that he needs the ID to get into a high-access computer system.
The next day, Ray arrives at the institute and Evelyn takes him to the dining room. Evelyn asks her husband Ernest's "assistant" Norm to get Ernest, but he refuses to go. Ernest finally comes in, and Ray notices Cundo Rio in the background. Ernest mentions that Evelyn is from Fort Worth like Ray claims, and Ray provides the facts to back up his cover story. The institute supplies executive talent for big companies in America, and Ray says that they need top-level people. As they talk, Evelyn plays footsie with Ray, and Ernest explains that he stress-tests executives to get them a higher-paid position. the doctor says that he practiced medicine in Mexico for ten years before he set up the institute in the States five years ago.
That night, Mendosa returns to the institute. Meanwhile, Ernest tells Ray that Marcia asked him to extend Ray every courtesy. Ray accepts his invitation to stay and Evelyn slips him a note.
In the lab, Tino pleads with Mendosa to leave him unharmed. Ernest comes in and runs electricity through Tino's brain.
As Norm takes Ray to his suite, the power flickers briefly. Norm gives Ray a key and warns that it won't open any secured areas, then leaves. Ray spots the surveillance camera in the room and moves out of sight of it, and checks the note. It says "I need help", and the power flickers again. Ray goes into the bathroom out of sight of the camera, takes down the shower rod, then uses it to make a dummy of himself and puts it into the chair so that only the legs show on the camera.
Ray goes out on the grounds and uses a pair of filtered sunglasses to spot the security beams. He jumps over and between them, gets into the garage, and finds Mendosa's limo. Ray confirms that it has bulletproof glass, then climbs up to Evelyn's window. She motions to her own security camera and they go into a closet to talk. Ray says that he has to get to the main research lab, and Evelyn tells him that Ernest is the only one with a master key
When Ernest calls to her, Evelyn takes off her robe and goes back to the bedroom. He complains about her flirting with Ray, and she says that she wants to go home and see her parents. Norm told Ernest that she tried to call out, and regrets accepting money from Mendosa in Mexico. He complains that Mendosa will destroy everything he's built in LA, and Evelyn undresses and tells Ernest to take off his clothes. Ernest says that it won't work, but Evelyn takes his jacket. Calling her a whore, Ernest slaps her, takes his jacket, and goes. Evelyn goes to Ray and shows him the key she took from the jacket. She directs Ray to the underground passage leading to the main lab, and Ray confirms that some of the executives break and confess things. He asks if Evelyn is working with Ernest, and she says that she was on drugs when she was 16. Ernest needed a hostess, and she needs her tape that Ernest is using to extort her. She says that there are tapes of all of the executives' confessions, and Ray promises that he'll be back.
Ray jumps out the window to the ground and slips past the guards. He finds a catatonic Tino in a bed, and hides when Mendosa, Ernest, and Cundo Rio come in. Ernest examines Tino and says that he gave him too much electricity too fast. Mendosa insists that Tino must see him, and Ray attaches a taser to the underside of the lab's operating table and oils the restraints.
The guards learn that someone stole Ernest's key and check Ray's room. The guard finds him sleeping in his chair, unaware that he replaced the dummy.
The next day, Evelyn goes to the pool and finds Ray there waiting for him. Her face is bruised and explains that Ernest had Norm did it to avoid bruising his hands. Evelyn warns that Ernest knows someone penetrated security and he'll never let Ray leave. Ray tells her that he saw the tape room and can get her tape, and Ernest comes over and tells Ray to leave immediately. Norm steps out, armed, and Ray confirms that the institute is no longer available to his hotel. Norm takes Ray away and draws his gun, and ray disarms him. However, Cundo Rio chloroforms him unconscious from behind.
Ray dreams of being locked up in a tiger cage in Vietnam, along with his platoon mate Fast Eddie. The Vietnamese interrogator questions Ray, warning his mind can't resist him.
Mendosa interrogates Ray as Ernest preps him for "treatment". The doctor then feeds electricity into Ray's memory centers. Later, Norm accompanies a doctor to check on Ray, who questions Ray and says that he's paralyzed the part of Ray's mind that resists commands. The doctor sends Norm to tell Ernest that he's going to give Ray another jolt. Ray frees himself and tasers the doctor unconscious, while Evelyn--posing as a nurse--knocks Norm out. Unable to see clearly, Ray goes to the medicine cabinet and gets a bottle of hallucinogenics. He puts on a lab coat and goes to the guards' coffee urn, and puts the hallucinogenic pills into it.
Ray breaks into the camera room and knocks out the guards, takes their guns, and gets Evelyn's tape. He then turns off the lights and says that they need time for the hallucinogenics to take effect.
One of the guards bursts into hysterical giggles.
Ray and Evelyn destroy the other tapes and Ernest's files.
The guards drinking the coffee all hallucinate.
Ray gets the guards out, pointing out the fire from the burning tapes, and knocks out a guard firing wildly into the air.
Ernest sees the fire on the security cameras and spots Ray escaping with Evelyn. He calls the guards, telling them to get the escapees.
Cundo Rio drives Mendosa away.
Ray and Evelyn get to the car that Evelyn has waiting and drive off. The hallucinating guard shoots Ernest in the chest before the other guards can disarm the man. Ray pulls over and tells Evelyn to take the car to Fort Worth while he goes after Mendosa.
At his Bel Air estate, Luis says that they don't run. Mendosa hits him with his cane and tells Cundo Rio to get him to his private boat.
Ray has Evelyn drive him to his Stingray, and he looks at her briefly before driving off. He's located the car he saw earlier at the manor, and identified Luis as the owner. He goes there and corners Luis, and asks where Mendosa is.
As the sun comes up, Mendosa and Cundo Rio arrive at the docks. Ray pulls up and Mendosa tells Cundo Rio to deal with him. As the boat pulls out, Ray fights Cundo Rio hand-to-hand and finally knocks him into the water. Mendosa grabs a semi-automatic and opens fire on Ray, and Ray gets into Mendosa's bulletproof limo. He backs up, then speeds forward and off the dock, slamming into Mendosa and killing him. Ray gets out of the limo and the dying Mendosa asks if he can see him.
Later at the court house, the jury in Daphne's case return a verdict of guilty in the Magna case. Ray waves to Daphne, but when she looks away for a moment, he disappears. She tells Peter that she wanted to tell Ray that Cantero is getting better, and Peter tells her that Bouchard used to be in the CIA and now he does bag jobs for South American countries. Daphne figures that Ray is Bouchard and drives back to the beach house. The real Bouchard says that he has to get to the airport and shows Daphne his ID, and his wife Jennifer gives him an envelope. Daphne tells Jennifer that it's important that she see Ray, and Jennifer says that Daphne will see Ray one more time.
Daphne goes out on the beach, and a jogger goes by. She mistakes him for Ray until he gets closer.
Ray drives off.
Written by Gadfly on Nov 24, 2019