The Guardian

When veteran Chicago Police Detective Joe Eisman, known among friends as the 'Iceman', entered the dark basement stairwell he was overcome not only by the brutal nature of the young girl's murder but also by what she was holding. Her palms were face up and cradled something precious to her. They were going to make it home no matter what indignity she had to endure. Little Sara Seraph was on a mission, it was her daddy's birthday.

From that very moment, Detective Joe Eisman vowed to see her killer brought to justice.....one way or another. For this Detective that did not necessarily mean the killer would be making a courtroom appearance. According to Joe... "Some of the best police work a cop can do will never make it into a court of law." Joe believes in street justice.

But Eisman's methods of getting things done are hampered along the way when he is suddenly teamed up with less experienced and by the book, Detective Jennifer Wilkes. She is from downtown, and has been brought in to curb Eisman's 'cowboy' style of police work. Eisman always works alone and is not happy with the new assignment.
There's a reason Joe likes to work by himself...one person can keep a secret, and Joe has many he'd rather not share.

Along the way Detective Wilkes becomes a reluctant participant to Eisman and his questionable method of operation, as she sees on a case-by-case basis how he operates and why.