To a young idealist like New York City's Deputy Mayor Kevin Calhoun life is either black or white, but to a veteran politician like Mayor John Pappas the game is played in various shades of gray. Together, they are a formidable team that deftly handles the daily crossfire of crime, poverty and urban politics. Working in synch like the gears of a finely tuned watch, Pappas and Calhoun broker deals, build coalitions, service the media, raise money, mediate conflict and maintain a popularity for the Mayor's office that would rival that of the legendary Fiorella LaGuardia. Until the morning when in a shoot-out between a cop and a drug dealer, a stray bullet kills a six year old black child. In that moment, the fabric of City Hall begins to unravel, torn by the suspicious events that led to a deadly confrontation between a hero cop and a small-time gangster related to the Mafia chieftain.