Nash Bridges, an Inspector in the San Francisco Police Department Special Investigations Unit (SIU), poses as an undercover computer chip buyer to bust a ring that stole $2 million worth of chips. Along with Evan Cortez, his young new partner, they exchange phoney city money with Ferguson, who has the chips; but Ferguson gets away.

A ruthless home invasion gang brutally attacks a Chinese family, killing the father. This is the seventh in a string of attacks. Nash and the SIU are confused since home invasions are a Vietnamese phenomenon and they rarely cross cultural or ethnic lines.

As a result of a pension dispute, Joe Dominguez is forced to rejoin the force, and he and Nash track down a heroin dealer.

Nash Bridges and the SIU team respond to a bomb threat against Mayor Bobbie Werksman. In a tenement, they find the bomb, but accidently trigger the timer. Everyone rushes out in time as the bomb destroys the building. Nash is the last one to leave.

Nash, while investigating an apparent gang killing, discovers that the weapon used for the job is the Army's newly missing man-portable, antitank system: The Javelin. Nash is assisted in the investigation by Sandra McCormick whoose career is on the line if the Javelin is not recovered.

On the way to an undercover purchase of some heavy industrial equipment from some Russian gangsters, carrying $300,000 of the city's money, Inspector Harvey Leek vanishes. Has there been foul play? Or has Harvey pocketed the money? Nash Bridges has to find him before it's too late.

On the day that Nash plans to take a belated honeymoon to Hawaii with Kelly, a high priority police case unravels, putting him on the trail of the betting book of San Francisco's most notorious bookie and a renegade FBI officer who's #9 on the Most Wanted List.